The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs offers non-credit professional courses for practitioners around the world. Each professional course for Fall 2026 is designed to prepare current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively to humanitarian crises and disasters.
Semester-long courses include:
*Course dates may vary slightly according to each syllabus. Please check with your professor.
** PLEASE READ **
Visa Requirements:
If you’re an international applicant seeking a non-immigrant visa to enter the US, please note taking this course alone does not qualify you for a student visa (F-1). Payment is due only after you have received your visa.
What the course fee covers:
Enrolling in any Humanitarian Training Course (HTC) will only cover the course content. None of these courses cover any form of accommodations or travel. Any personal costs will be the sole responsibility of the student.
Scholarship:
There is no funding available to support students for any of the upcoming Fall 2026 Humanitarian Training Courses. Whether you are enrolling as a certificate student (no academic credit) or a credit-bearing student, you will be fully responsible for paying your tuition fees.
Important Information for International Students:
The program is self-funded. Covering tuition, fees, and living expenses in New York for 12 months is the sole responsibility of the incoming student. Scholarships and graduate assistantships are not available for this program. Attending this program does not qualify for a student visa; therefore, visa assistance is not provided by the university.
“Establishing mental health programs in challenging environments necessitates a multi-sectoral approach. However, it is essential to first understand the operational context, the fundamental principles of mental health support, and the specific needs of the populations we serve. This understanding is critical to ensuring that our interventions do not cause harm and, in alignment with humanitarian principles, deliver high-quality support.”
Fall 2024 MHCE Alumna
Senior GBV Associate at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
Assistant Provost for Corporate Relations at Fordham University
Holly Curtis is an accomplished education leader, currently serving as the Assistant Provost for Corporate Relations at Fordham University. In this role, she fosters partnerships between academia and industry, driving innovative collaborations and advancing strategic goals. Prior to this, Holly was the Chief of Staff at Ascend Public Charter Schools, where she oversaw strategic planning for one of New York’s largest charter networks, and she also led MBA Admissions at NYU Stern School of Business.
With a strong background in strategic leadership, education management, program development, and recruitment, Holly’s career began in international development with Pencils of Promise in Laos. Her work there shaped her expertise in strategic planning and talent development.
Holly holds an MBA from NYU Stern and a BA in International Political Economy from Fordham University. She is deeply committed to advancing diversity and inclusion, and is a certified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). She is also an alumna of NYU’s Global Inclusive Leadership Management Institute.
Helen Hamlyn Humanitarian Fellow and Global Program Director
Martine van der Does is a Dutch national and humanitarian expert with over 15 years of international experience. With a background in architecture she started her career working on humanitarian shelter at Delft University of Technology but soon moved to the field with Médécins sans Frontières (MSF) as a Construction Logistician. In 2010 Martine joined the Netherlands Foreign service where she worked in the Africa Department, Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid Department and served as a Diplomat in Afghanistan and Jordan. In 2018 joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Myanmar where she worked in remote areas on protection and water and habitat issues. Until recently Martine was the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Netherlands Government in Amman, Jordan.
Martine is academically involved as a lecturer at Delft University in the Netherlands and Fordham University in New York. In the past years she also ran the prestigious International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance (IDHA) as a Course Director in Geneva. Martine holds a Master of Science Degree in Architecture from Delft University of Technology and a Masters of Arts Degree in International Humanitarian Action from Fordham University. In her time off she is an active cyclist, runner, and enjoys ultraraces.
She accepted a position as Helen Hamlyn Humanitarian Fellow at the IIHA in 2024.
Seriously considering the IDHA and want to learn more? Book an appointment with Martine on the left.
Martine hosts Corporate Humanity, a podcast produced by Fordham University’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs.
Master of Science in Architecture (MSc) and Master of Arts in International Humanitarian Action (MIHA) and IDHA 24
With the IIHA since: 2008
Current courses: IDHA and non-academic courses
In my free time I enjoy: Traveling, mountains, playing guitar and endurance sports such as long (distance) running, cycling, skiing and swimming.
“In a world you can be anything, be kind to yourself and the people you work for and with. ”
