Humanitarian Assistance

The Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance (MAHA) is a one-year joint degree offered by the Friedman School and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. The program is geared toward mid-career professionals who have significant field experience in humanitarian assistance.

Prerequisites

Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree, have significant experience in the field of humanitarian assistance and have a demonstrated commitment to furthering their career in the field of humanitarian assistance. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required.

Please note, if you are a native English speaker, passing a reading comprehension and an oral language exam is required in order to graduate. Non-native English speakers who were primarily educated in an English speaking environment may also be required to demonstrate their proficiency in a second language by completing a reading and oral foreign language examination

Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance

The Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance consists of two semesters of academic work, requiring students to complete 10 degree credits and a Capstone Project.

The Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance is offered to mid-career professionals from government, international, national and private organizations and agencies, as well as independent professionals. The program is tailored for practitioners who expect to continue working in related fields, including those who will return to their agencies upon completion of this degree program and those who are between jobs or anticipating a change of focus in their humanitarian assistance careers. The recruitment and admissions process seeks to attract a mix of people from different countries, backgrounds, and experience, creating an environment where participants learn from both the classroom experience and from each other.

Mandatory Courses

Students must take all three of these Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy courses:

• NUTR 223: Seminar in Humanitarian Issues
• NUTR 229: Humanitarian Action in Complex Emergencies
• NUTR 308: Nutrition in Complex Emergencies

Core Electives

Students must take three of the following courses in the Friedman School or the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy:

• NUTR 0201: Fundamentals of Nutrition Science
• NUTR 0207: Statistical Methods for Nutrition Policy
• NUTR 0231: Fundamentals of GIS
• NUTR 0310: Qualitative Research Methods
• NUTR0304: Nutrition, Food Security, and Development
• DHP D232: Gender, Culture and Conflict in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
• NUTR 217: Seminar on Program Monitoring and Evaluation (Coates)
• NUTR 0301: Nutrition in the Life Cycle
• NUTR 0324: Humanitarian Studies in the Field
• DHP D206: Ethics of Development and Humanitarian Aid
• DHP D221: Seminar on International Mediation
• DHP P222: Development Aid in Practice
• DHP D225: Conflict Resolution Practice
• DHP P227: Advanced Seminar in Development and Conflict Resolution
• DHP D235: Field Research Methods
• EIB E241: Development Economics: Policy Analysis
• EIB B242: Market Approaches to Economic and Human Development
• EIB B241: Microfinance and Financial Inclusion
• ILO L210: Human Rights Law
• NUTR0238: Economics of Food Policy Analysis
• DHP D239: Forced Migration
• PLEASE NOTE: Some of these courses may not be offered. Substitutions may be used upon permission by Dean of the Friedman School

Capstone Project

For the capstone project requirement, students must apply theoretical and analytical skills acquired during the program to their previous experience. The written capstone project is then orally presented at the end of the year, as part of a group MAHA presentation of work. Each student is assigned an adviser from the Feinstein International Center, who will help tailor the program to the interests and professional needs of the student, advise students on course selection, provide guidance on writing, and ensure that degree requirements are met.

Prior to academic year 2012-13 a thesis was required. This has been replaced by the capstone project which allows for more options such as writing a policy paper, strategic plan, or a traditional thesis. Theses by past MAHA students are available at the Tufts Digital Library website.

In addition to the course and capstone project requirements, students whose native language is English are required to pass a reading and oral foreign language examination in order to graduate. (Non-native English speakers who were primarily educated in an English speaking environment may also be required to demonstrate their proficiency in a second language by completing a reading and oral foreign language examination.) All students are also expected to pass a short online course on research ethics.

• Online Application
• Personal Statement- Please see below for required topics.
• Academic Transcripts - Official transcripts (translated into English) for all undergraduate and graduate study are required. The applicant is to gather all transcripts in sealed envelopes from the registrar of the issuing institution and send those unopened transcripts to the Friedman School along with all other application materials as noted above. Alternately, transcripts may be mailed directly from the institution to the Friedman School Admissions Office. Photocopied transcripts, faxed transcripts, and student copies of transcripts are not acceptable.  Official transcripts in electronic form may be emailed directly to Friedman from other institutions.  Electronic transcripts should be sent to nutritionadmissions@tufts.edu.
• International Students Only - In addition to admissions requirements, international students must demonstrate an adequate command of the English language. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores or other evidence of English proficiency are required. A minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the internet based exam or minimum IELTS score of 6.5 is required. The TOEFL or IELTS requirements are waived if the applicant completed at least two years of post-secondary education conducted in English in a country where English is the first language. The International Center will contact admitted international applicants regarding funds and visa paperwork a few months before the start date of school.
• Application Fee - Pay a nonrefundable $70.00 (U.S.) application fee with a credit card through the online application system.

Personal Statement topics for the Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance:
Please answer question 1 and either question 2 or 3:

1.  Please provide as statement describing your qualifications and the specific objectives of your professional career.  Identify how you see the Friedman School program helping you achieve these objectives.

2.  People learn from their failures as well as their successes.  Describe a professional incident where you feel you did not perform to the best of your ability.  What did you learn from the experience?

3.  Describe the elements of your personal, professional and/or academic background that have prepared you for your chosen career path.

Scholarships

Stipends and Research Assistantships

These are provided in return for your work on a project or program. These may come from a specific research grant or contract. Such forms of support are customarily available for second year students and beyond, but not exclusively. First year stipends are available but very competitive. In every case there are specific requirements that vary given the source of funding. You will be given direction as to your responsibilities in accepting such funding by the faculty sponsor/principal investigator of the research grant or project. Speak to the faculty member with whom you would like to work as to how to possibly obtain this type of funding. Given current Internal Revenue Service policies and the Tufts University's interpretation of relevant regulations and laws, such stipends are classified as income and as such are subject to withholding taxes. Exceptions to this rule are for international students from countries with which the United States has specific tax treaties exempting their citizens from US tax payments.

Teaching Assistantships

These are awarded to students selected from those applying for specific teaching assistantship positions. The faculty member teaching the course makes the final decision. The availability of teaching assistantships is publicized to both incoming and current students. Teaching assistantships are not in any way linked to tuition scholarships.