Our program was developed with your training needs and career in mind.
We developed the M.A. in HDL curriculum around a series of competencies we identified by interviewing and surveying employers, academics, managers, and frontline staff with numerous Christian relief and development organizations. Our program objectives are based on these leaders’ recommendations for what it takes to adapt to changing priorities and to advance in the humanitarian and disaster sectors.
Curriculum Competency Matrix
| Competency | Satisfying Requirements: |
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Faith and Integration - Equip with a theological foundation that will foster personal faith and ability to integrate faith vocationally in service of others. |
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Cultural Competence - Provide culture-specific knowledge and experience and a broad understanding and appreciation of culture. |
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Community Development - Enhance theoretical and participatory understanding of community development best practices. |
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Technical Skill Area - Develop a technical expertise or skillset that adds organizational value or addresses a major humanitarian challenge. |
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Career Preparation - Prepare HDP for the realities and challenges of humanitarian and disaster work. |
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Resource Development - Equipped to acquire and develop external resources in support of programs and services. |
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Ethics - Navigate ethical issues related to cross-culture work, faith, and professional standards. |
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Project & People Management - Manage projects and programs, including skills in: accounting, project planning, contract oversight, and monitoring and evaluation. Lead with interpersonal skills necessary for managing individuals and teams through supervision, coaching, and teamwork. |
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Disaster Response - Provide HDP with disaster competencies capable of the relief and development spectrum, risk reduction strategies, logistics, and disaster preparation and mitigation. |
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Public Policy and Regulation - Able to understand local policies and regulations, as well as the bi-directional impact of programs upon policy and the impact of policy and regulations upon programs. |
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