Humanitarian Services Administration

The MPS HSA is a part-time, online degree program, designed to meet the educational needs of individuals involved or interested in humanitarian assistance programs, whether in disaster relief or sustainability programs. Students will develop theoretical and professional knowledge to operate and conduct humanitarian response missions with non-governmental, governmental, and international organizations.

This program provides students with the broad base knowledge and skills to conduct successful sustainable community renewal and disaster relief programs. Graduates will be efficient and flexible enough to meet immediate local needs in disaster areas, including nutrition, water resources, and the control and prevention of infectious disease.

Check the schedule of courses for dates and times before registering.  To see course syllabi, click on the course links below.

Unless otherwise stated, all courses follow APA format, and students are expected to familiarize themselves with the standards outlined by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Core MPS Courses (9 credits)

• Organizational Behavior MGMT 5637
• Program Evaluation GPPS 5347
• Quantitative Analysis GPPS 5357

Core HSA Courses (12 credits)

• Community Development for Local Capacity Building HSA 5323
• International Human Rights HSA 5332
• Issues in Humanitarian Studies HSA 5312
• Complex Humanitarian Emergencies Seminar HSA 5302

• Advocacy and Grassroots Development--HSA 5325
• Intercultural Communications GPPS 5301
• Gender and International Development HSA 5324
• Issues in Economic Development GPPS 5325
• Nutrition During Human Emergencies HSA 5304
• Poverty and Public Health HSA 5303
• Principles of Sustainability HSA 5305
• MPS Internship--GPPS 5389
• MPS Independent Study--HSA 5300

MPS Capstone Project GPPS 5397: (6 credits)

Towards the end of the MPS program, students will select, with faculty approval, a topic for a major project that demonstrates the student’s ability to define, analyze, evaluate, and identify strategic solutions to deal with a major issue, problem, or opportunity within the field of study.

• Capstone Projects may include job-related field projects, integrative analyses of professional literature and published research, original research projects, and comprehensive project proposals for adoption by third parties.
• In all cases, the Capstone Project is intended to demonstrate an extensive understanding of the topic area selected, the ability to develop an integrative and systemic analysis of a problem, and the ability to identify appropriate solutions and recommendations.
• A written report documenting all aspects of the project will be presented for faculty approval.

MPS HSA Residency

The MPS HSA program requires students to complete a one-time professional residency, tailored to the student's needs and the requirements of the university. Each student must present their Capstone Project to committee members in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. Consistent with the criteria for the MPS Capstone Project, each residency will be subject to the approval of the student’s academic advisor.

For more information on the Humanitarian Services Administration Program please contact:

Dr. Rodney Allen
r.allen@uconn.edu
860-486-6490

Donna Lee Campbell
donna.campbell@uconn.edu
860-486-0184