Master of Humanitarianism and Development

2026 Deakin University Handbook

Year

2026 course information

Award granted Master of Humanitarianism and Development
Course credit points12
Deakin course codeA756
Course version1
Faculty

Faculty of Arts and Education

Course information

For students who commenced from 2024 onwards

Campus

Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Online

Duration
  • 1 year full-time (2 years part-time) - 8 credit points
  • 1.5 years full-time (3 years part-time) - 12 credit points

The time and cost could be reduced based on your previous qualifications and professional experience. The Master of Humanitarianism and Development is typically 1 or 1.5 years duration. See entry requirements below for more information.

Course map - enrolment planning tool

These course maps are for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2026:

These course maps are for new students commencing from Trimester 2 2026:

These course maps are for new students commencing from Trimester 3 2026:

Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.

CRICOS code114005C Burwood (Melbourne)
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition

The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Study the Master of Humanitarianism and Development to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges facing the planet. Extend your theoretical knowledge and enhance your specialist and practical skills in international development, crisis and disaster response, humanitarian responses, and community development.

You’ll gain insights into the histories, causes, interconnections, and multiple impacts of the many crises facing the world. You’ll also learn about community-led approaches to these issues that are occurring locally and across the globe. By identifying the challenges and successes of these strategies you’ll understand how communities create new and far-reaching methods and processes for addressing social, political and environmental problems.

Deakin has an exceptional reputation with over 40 years of teaching and research in international and community development, and more than a decade in humanitarian assistance. We were the first graduate program in humanitarian assistance in Australia.

The Master of Humanitarianism and Development is designed with industry consultation and taught by pioneering academics.

An opportunity to specialise in one of the following streams is available:

  • Disasters and Community Resilience
  • Community Development
  • International Development
  • Humanitarianism
  • Professional Practice

Do you want to contribute to a better future for the many, not the few?

This course builds on the practical connections between immediate disaster and humanitarian relief and the longer-term issues associated with international and community development. You’ll examine critical issues from climate change to poverty, hunger, homelessness, racism, culture, and forced migration and learn how to build practical and just solutions.

You'll explore transformational change, examine the power relations between the global north and global south, and consider the overarching climate crisis, alongside geopolitical tensions. Above all, you’ll look at historic and contemporary community-led approaches to social justice, development, and humanitarianism, studying their successes, limitations, and new possibilities.

The Master of Humanitarianism and Development attracts students committed to social justice and equity, and those who wish to create enabling environments for addressing multiple modern-day crises.

You’ll choose from a variety of elective units. This allows you to focus on your career goals and development. Some of your elective unit options include:

  • Food and Water Security
  • Refugees and Forced Migration
  • Culture Arts and Community
  • Humanitarian Knowledge and Principles
  • Monitoring and Evaluation

Graduates of the Master of Humanitarianism and Development will acquire a diverse skill set, including:

  • project management
  • data analysis and research methodologies for evidence-based decision making
  • critical thinking and problem solving
  • advocacy and policy analysis for influencing positive change
  • cross- cultural communication skills.

You’ll have the opportunity to study and network online, on campus, or mixed mode, full-time or part-time. Take advantage of industry experiences and international experiences available. Our in-person intensives provide wonderful further opportunities to meet your peers, industry experts and academic staff.

Career opportunities

Some of the areas you might obtain work as a graduate of this course include:

  • Government
  • Not-for-profit
  • Policy and advocacy roles
  • Program and partnership roles
  • National and Local non-government organisations
  • Community development agencies
  • Emergency management
  • Private sector
  • Social enterprise
  • Consultant
  • UN and associated agencies, including UNICEF, UNDP, UNOCHA, World Food program, and many other agencies
  • Military and civil/military partnerships
  • Universities

For more information go to DeakinTALENT.

Participation requirements

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

Mandatory student checks

Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.

Research information

Students will complete a research pathway in 1 of the 3 following options:

  • Minor Thesis - PhD Pathway ; or
  • Research Paper – non PhD Pathway^ ; or
  • Professional Experience – non PhD Pathway^.

Course learning outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities Engage in disciplinary research to critically analyse the major theoretical, conceptual and policy issues in development, humanitarian action, and disaster response / management, both locally and internationally, with a focus on engagement with communities and community-led responses to the world’s crises, including climate change, food insecurity, conflict and disasters, inequality and injustice, racism and exclusion.
Communication Use oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills to disseminate the findings of research into complex multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral issues for improving social, environmental, and economic outcomes including global justice, peace, sovereignty, community resilience, and transformations of power to a wide range of specialist and non-specialist audiences.
Digital literacy Research, analyse, report, and communicate complex data and information on contemporary issues in international and community development, global justice, disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action, utilising a range of digital sources for effective research and professional development, across interpersonal, organisational, and professional contexts.
Critical thinking Conduct in-depth scholarly and practice-based research to investigate, synthesise, critically analyse, report, and propose actions on local and global issues such as global justice, disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action and opportunities, in the context of historical and contemporary development and humanitarian discourse.
Problem solving Apply advanced skills in research, comprehension, interpretation and evaluation of theory, critique and proposed innovative responses to complex situations or “wicked” problems encountered in a range of community, development, humanitarian, and disaster contexts, with creativity, innovation, and respect.
Self-management Plan, organise and manage competing demands on time, to work mindfully in a personal and professional capacity, whilst committing to ongoing learning, and performing as an independent and reflective practitioner capable of operating effectively in the context of developing community-led solutions to the world’s crises.
Teamwork Work collaboratively as an active, engaged, and reflective team member seeking solutions to the world’s problems by contributing to mutual goals, research, tasks and leadership across practice, cultures, and disciplines, demonstrating active and constructive participation and contributions to resolving impasses and conflict.
Global citizenship Question, engage, provoke, and innovate on a broad and interrelated range of social justice, environmental, development and humanitarian issues taking into consideration cross-cultural, indigenous, local and global knowledges, contexts, and perspectives that can inform the development of creative solutions for the world’s crises.

Approved at Faculty Board 2023

Course rules

To complete the Master of Humanitarianism and Development you must pass 8 or 12 credit points and meet the following course rules to be eligible to graduate. The exact number of credit points you study depends on how much credit you receive as recognition of prior learning (RPL):

  • DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
  • 1 credit point of core units
  • 7 or 11 credit points (depending upon entry point) from:
    • one pathway option
      • Minor Thesis - PhD Pathway
      • Research Paper - non PhD Pathway
      • Professional Experience - non PhD Pathway
    • at least one stream
  • any remaining credit points can be chosen from a stream and/or course electives.

Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.

Course structure

Core units

Compulsory 0-credit point module

To be completed in the first trimester of study:

DAI001Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin

Unit

ADH713Development, Humanitarianism and Community in An Era of Crisis

Pathways

Minor Thesis - PhD Pathway

AIX706Research Design

Plus 2 credit points of research units:

AIX704Minor Thesis A

AIX705Minor Thesis B

Plus either 4 or 8 credit points of course electives used to form at least one stream

Research Paper – non PhD Pathway ^ 

AIX701Research Paper

Plus either 6 or 10 credit points of course electives used to form at least one stream

Professional Experience – non PhD Pathway ^

APE701Internship Capstone

Plus either 5 or 9 credit points of course electives used to form at least one stream

^ The Research Paper and Professional Experience options are not PhD Pathways.

Streams

Students may select units within or across the streams as detailed below. To complete a stream students must complete 3 out of 4 elective units within a stream. Students may complete more than one stream.

Stream 1: Disasters and Community Resilience *

AHA724Disaster Risk Reduction and Community Led Recovery

ADS704 Community from Participation to Activism 

ADH717Climate Change and Sustainability *

ADS723Monitoring and Evaluation

Stream 2: Community Development*

ADS704 Community from Participation to Activism 

ADS705Participatory and Community Development Practice

ADS723Monitoring and Evaluation

ADS720Culture, Arts and Sports as Community Development

Stream 3: International Development*

ADS734Charity, Influence Or Power? the Political and Economic Forces Shaping Aid

ADS733Theories and Critiques of Development

ADH717Climate Change and Sustainability *

ADH714Gender, Race and Culture

Stream 4: Humanitarianism

AHA721Humanitarian Knowledge and Principles

AHA716Refugees and Forced Migration

AIR717International Conflict Analysis

ADH712Food and Water Security

AHA724Disaster Risk Reduction and Community Led Recovery

Stream 5: Professional Practice*

APE700Internship A

AHA722Program Design

ADS723Monitoring and Evaluation

ADS715Cross Cultural Communication and Practice *

ADH712Food and Water Security

* Trimester 3 unit. If selected this stream will require Trimester 3 study

Electives

ADS734Charity, Influence Or Power? the Political and Economic Forces Shaping Aid

ADS733Theories and Critiques of Development

ADH717Climate Change and Sustainability

AHA722Program Design

ADS723Monitoring and Evaluation

ADH714Gender, Race and Culture

ADH712Food and Water Security

ADS704 Community from Participation to Activism 

AHA724Disaster Risk Reduction and Community Led Recovery

AHA716Refugees and Forced Migration

AHA721Humanitarian Knowledge and Principles

ADS720Culture, Arts and Sports as Community Development

ADS715Cross Cultural Communication and Practice

ADS705Participatory and Community Development Practice

AIP783Rethinking Democracy: Past, Present and Future

AIP773Governance and Accountability in Turbulent Times

AIR717International Conflict Analysis

AIR726Human Rights in World Politics

ADS722Private Sector Development: Corporations, Social-Enterprise and Microfinance

ADS701Introduction to International and Community Development

ADS711Non-Government Organisations and other Development Actors

AHL701Principles of Humanitarianism and Disaster Management

Work experience

Elective units may provide the opportunity for Work Integrated Learning experiences.


Course duration

You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.

Other learning experiences

There are options for WIL and study tours across many of the SHSS courses.

Research and research-related study

Independent research components are embedded across a number of units.

Fees and charges

Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.

Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.

Estimate your fees

Further information

Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.

Contact Student Central