M.A. in Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership Curriculum

Master of Arts in Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership

Degree Requirements

• The part-time hybrid option is designed to be completed over two years, primarily online but with two total weeks of on-campus intensive courses—one at the beginning of the program and one at the end.  
• The full-time residential option is designed to be completed on campus over 10 months, with on-campus intensives during two summers.
• The accelerated M.A. option is available to current Wheaton undergraduate students. The only application requirement is the successful completion of 45 credit hours.  

Sample Course Sequence

Actual course sequence subject to professor availability.

*On-campus intensive course, 1 week maximum per course during the semester
(This will also involve pre- and post-course work. It is set up this way for faculty to communicate with students by distance before the in-person class starts, and to help maximize in-person time in class. Several weeks before on-campus intensives begin, there may be some pre-course materials sent by professors to be completed before the in-person dates.)

There are two summer in-person intensives for part-time hybrid and full-time residential students:

• HDI 504 (4 hours) is typically the first course students take and falls on the second week of August. Pre-work and post work are done remotely.
• HDI 697 (2 hours) is typically the final course students take and falls on the second week of May, after Graduate School commencement. Post-work is done remotely.

Please contact the HDL program administrator for specific dates and any questions.

Course Descriptions

Biblical & Theological Studies Courses

BITH/Theology TSR course (4 hours)
An introduction to the Christian faith, evangelical Protestant theology, and church engagement.

HDI 614 - Transformational Development (4 hours)
This course prepares leaders to actively engage government and public leaders through policy interventions and advocacy to advance the global struggle for human rights. Students are prepared to advocate for biblical justice by developing the skills necessary to assess and intervene in the policy process as well as to develop and implement advocacy campaigns.

Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance Courses

HDI 504 - Foundations of Disaster & Humanitarian Assistance (4 hours)
An introduction to evidence-based and informed psychosocial care skills, programs, and interventions in the context of disasters, crisis, and other trauma-inducing events.

HDI 544 - Humanitarian Assistance (2 hours)
This course focuses on understanding evidence-based leadership best practices for effective emergency and humanitarian response.

HDI 594 - Monitoring, Evaluation & Program Design (4 hours)
This course will introduce students to each of the components within a program design, monitoring, evaluation and learning system, the Christian foundations of MEL, how frameworks are integrated into evaluation, ethics, design, stakeholder analysis, and the implementation of MEL.

HDI 564 - Disaster Management (2 hours)
This course focuses on understanding evidence-based leadership best practices for effective emergency and humanitarian response.

HDI 574 - NGO Leadership (4 hours)
This course will teach students best-practices for leading nonprofit humanitarian and disaster organizations, and will introduce the practice of social entrepreneurship, program and project planning, grant-writing, fundraising, business planning, and marketing methods.

HDI 584 - Anti-Human Trafficking & Gender-Based Violence (2 hours)
The course focuses on understanding issues in human trafficking and gender-based violence and best practice interventions for prevention, awareness, and care for victims.

HDI 624 - Refugee & Forced Migration Issues (2 hours)
An introduction to various historical and contemporary cases of forced displacement, integrating diverse disciplinary approaches, including legal, political and moral analysis.

HDI 654 - Disaster, Crisis, & Trauma Intervention (4 hours) 
An introduction to evidence-based and informed psychosocial care skills, programs, and interventions in the context of disasters, crisis, and other trauma-inducing events.

Career Preparation

HDI 687 - Vocation & Professional Development (2 hour)
Students will think rigorously, biblically, and practically about their personal vocation in the humanitarian and disaster fields, and will develop skills and resources in preparation for their careers.

HDI 697 - Crisis Leadership in Action (2 hours)
An intensive in-person course with post work that will involve simulation and learning to activate leadership skills, vocational reflection, and next steps in career development planning.

Total                                                                       36 hours