Humanitarian Affairs
The cross disciplinary humanitarian affairs minor provides students with a global perspective on the major issues facing the human community today. Students will investigate the impacts of natural disasters, disease, poverty, conflict, and local, national, and international policies on the welfare of human communities around the world. They will also explore solutions to various humanitarian crises and some of the organizations that address these crises. Finally, students will acquire knowledge and skills that prepare them for careers in governmental or non-profit organizations that address humanitarian issues such as poverty, hunger and malnourishment, conflict, human rights violations and natural disasters.
The minor is open to all undergraduate students at JMU.
Three of the required 18 hours must include HUMN 201; students are strongly encouraged to choose GEOG 491.
The international experience must be one that will enhance the student's knowledge of humanitarian affairs and must be approved by the humanitarian affairs coordinator. This experience can be completed abroad or with an international organization in the U.S.
Required Courses
| Core Requirements | Credit Hours |
| HUMN 201. Introduction to Humanitarian Affairs | 3 |
| Choose five of the following, with no more than two from any single discipline: | 15 |
| GEOG 215. Geospatial Tools I – Cartography and GIS | |
| GEOG 300. Population Geography | |
| GEOG 322. Agricultural Systems and Global Food Production | |
| GEOG 345. Geography of Poverty | |
| GEOG 350. Topics: The Geography of Human Genetics and Infectious Disease | |
| GEOG 366. Introduction to Geographic Information Science | |
| GEOG 375. Political Geography | |
| GEOG 491. International Studies | |
| JUST 235. Justice in the Global Community | |
| JUST 341/WMST 341. Gender and Justice | |
| JUST 375. Genocide in the 20th Century | |
| JUST/POSC 392. Peace Studies | |
| NUTR 380. Global Nutrition | |
| POSC/JUST 331. Human Rights in Theory and Practice | |
| POSC 340. Political Development in the Third World Development | |
| POSC 347. Comparative Public Policy | |
| POSC 348. The Politics of Cultural Pluralism | |
| POSC 395. International Law | |
| POSC 396. International Organizations | |
| POSC 397. The Politics of International Economic Relations | |
| PSYC 460. Community Psychology in Developing Societies | |
| SOWK 288. Social Welfare | |
| SOWK/SOCI 348. Introduction to Developing Societies | |
| SOWK 375. Grant Writing for Agencies | |
| WRTC 322. Making a Difference: Service Learning Writing | |
18 |
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Note: When used for credit in the humanitarian affairs minor, the international experience must be approved and supervised by the minor coordinator or designated faculty.
