Global Humanitarian Studies BSc

• Resits: We consider applicants who are undertaking resits.
• Second-year entry: We will not consider applications to enter the second year of our degree programmes.
• Alternative personal statement: We will not consider alternative personal statements.
• Mature applicants: Mature applicants (aged 21 or over at the start date of the degree programme): We understand that good applicants might have breaks in their education for various reasons, and we want mature students to excel at UCL. We will only consider applicants who have met or are predicted to meet entry requirements. If those qualifications were completed more than three years ago, then the applicant will be referred to our admissions tutor to see if they can be considered.
• UCL Undergraduate Preparatory Certificate (UPC): UPC students will receive a conditional offer for their chosen degree if they are predicted to meet its entry requirements (and have a relevant personal statement).
• Access to HE Diploma: We consider Access to HE Diploma for all of our programmes. Please note, where subject-specific requirements are stipulated at A level we may review your Access to HE syllabus to ensure you meet the subject specific requirements prior to a final decision being communicated.
• BTEC: Only the Level 3 Extended Diploma is acceptable for entry to UCL: Pre-2010: Edexcel level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma (NQF); Pre-2016: Edexcel level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF); Post-2016: BTEC level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF)

Contact us
If you have any queries, please contact the RDR Education team: irdr-education@ucl.ac.uk

Humanitarianism means different things to different people, groups and organisations. For many, humanitarianism is about saving lives, reducing suffering and improving the conditions that people are living in.

At the international level, humanitarianism is associated with the United Nations, governments and non-governmental organisations undertaking life-saving interventions during conflicts and disasters. But humanitarian action can also include practices of relief and care undertaken by ad hoc and unskilled individuals and groups, such as local volunteers.

To study humanitarianism requires examining responses to conflict, disasters, climate change, pandemic and other emergencies from a range of different perspectives and using lenses and tools from a range of different disciplines, as the problems and solutions relating to crisis are multidimensional.

The main advice we give is to choose what interests and excites you! Take a look at the module information, read around the topic of humanitarianism online, and get advice from staff during induction.

While you have to choose your optional modules when you apply to the degree, you will have the opportunity to change in the first two weeks or so of the programme, after a discussion with the Departmental Tutor.

Over the course of your degree you’ll also have access to the numerous seminars, talks and events put on by RDR and other parts of UCL.

Humanitarianism is different from international development as it refers to efforts to save lives and reduce suffering primarily after an emergency, like a conflict or disaster. International development aid tends to focus on longer term structural change in a society, with or without an emergency—for example the alleviation of poverty or improving the governance. However, humanitarianism and international development are not two distinct forms of action; emergency relief and development aid can complement, overlap, transition into each other, or even undermine each other. 

Humanitarian Studies as an academic area is a relatively new field of study that has grown in significance and impact since the 1990s. While it builds on theories and approaches from other areas, like International Development or Security, Humanitarian Studies has its own unique set of thinkers, approaches, dilemmas and questions, that focus primarily on the policy, practice, theory and ethics of relief during and after a crisis.

Check out the United Nations’ latest humanitarian case studies on their “Centre for Humanitarian Data” website to see what current humanitarian crises are in focus: https://centre.humdata.org/category/case-study/ 

The BSc in Global Humanitarian Studies does not replace single discipline degree programmes, such as Geography. Instead, it draws on relevant literature, debates and learning tools from these disciplines, and combines the most relevant, in order to tackle the multidimensional questions within Humanitarian Studies. 

Students on the BSc will therefore have the chance to engage with a range of topics familiar to geographers, while learning about how other disciplines approach these questions. Topics might include:

• vulnerability (e.g. what makes populations vulnerable to particular crises in different locations around the world?) 
• resilience (e.g. how can populations be supported to adapt and “bounce back” from crises?) 
• urbanisation (e.g. how is the expansion of megacities affecting vulnerability and the ability of humanitarian organisations to respond?)
• borders (What role do borders and boundaries – whether political or natural – play is crisis response?)
• decolonisation (e.g. how have racism and legacies of colonialism shaped - and are still shaping - the aid industry?)

The BSc in Global Humanitarian Studies does not replace single discipline degree programmes, such as Mathematics. Instead, it draws on relevant literature, debates and learning tools from these disciplines, and combines the most relevant, in order to tackle the multidimensional questions within Humanitarian Studies. 

Students on the BSc will therefore have the chance to engage with a range of topics familiar to mathematicians, while learning about how other disciplines approach these questions. Topics might include:

• Geospatial analysis (e.g. how to use mapping technologies to understand a hazard risk or humanitarian need?)
• Data analytics/Big data (e.g. how can data innovations improve the effectiveness of emergency responses).

Contact hours typically range from 8-10 hours per week during term time, including lectures, seminars, tutorials and computer practicals. This may vary depending on the year of study and module selection, with Years 1 and 2 generally having more contact hours than Year 3.

Students should expect to spend approximately 25-30 hours per week on independent study, including reading, assessment preparation, research and group work.

In your final year, contact hours may be reduced as you work on your independent research project, which includes regular supervision meetings.