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Interdisciplinary Certificate in Humanitarian Assistance is a Program

Full program description

Certificate Title

Interdisciplinary Certificate in Humanitarian Assistance

Certificate Description

This is a self-paced learning experience. You will be able to stop and start the module at your convenience.

COVID-19 introduced great educational disruption to higher education which compelled Boston College School of Social Work (BCSSW) to consider significant innovation to meet students’ needs and prepare them for effective global work in the humanitarian aid and development sectors. In response, BCSSW developed an online Interdisciplinary Certificate in Humanitarian Assistance (ICHA) which aims to ensure that our graduates and humanitarian partners have access to up-to-date knowledge on how best to respond to rapidly changing needs.

There are eight modules included in this certificate: 

  1. Migrants and Refugees in the Global Landscape
  2. Basics of Refugee Determination
  3. Community-based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
  4. Introduction to International Child Protection
  5. Climate Change, Displacement and Human Rights
  6. Gender Based Violence
  7. Public Health in Emergencies
  8. Education in Emergencies

Throughout these modules, you will learn from working professionals who have contributed through video as well as authored the text. In addition to watching videos and reading text, you will interact with the content, in various ways, through sliders that reveal information as you move, hotspots on an image, a variety of question styles (both graded and ungraded), and more.

Duration to complete each module: 4-6 hours approximately If using a mobile device to review the module, use the browser on your device. Do not access through the Canvas app.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this certificate, you will be able to:

  • Identify different critical issues in humanitarian settings (e.g., migration, and forced displacement, emergencies) in order to prioritize levels of intervention needed in the field

  • Apply a biopsychosocial framework when designing effective, inclusive, and respectful interventions in humanitarian settings

  • Integrate interdisciplinary approaches to interventions in humanitarian settings to address multiple needs

  • Describe the foundations of interventions that are evidence-based, community led, and culturally sensitive programming

  • Identify the ethical and postcolonial tensions that exist in humanitarian settings in order to understand the role of the humanitarian workers for more effective interventions

  • Explain the principles of equity, justice, and inclusion as they relate to humanitarian interventions

Please contact globalpractice@bc.edu for further information.