Humanitarian Affairs
The cross disciplinary humanitarian affairs minor provides students with a global perspective on the major humanitarian crises facing the human community today. Students will investigate the impacts of natural disasters, disease, hunger and famine, poverty, conflict, and national and international policies on the welfare of human communities around the world. They will also explore solutions to various humanitarian crises and evaluate the problems of practicing humanitarian in the world today. Students will become acquainted with the organizations that address these crises and the challenges they face. Finally, students will acquire knowledge and skills that prepare them for careers in governmental and non-governmental organizations that address humanitarian issues.
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 complete an international field experience.
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.
| 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 |
| HUMN 300. Introduction to Natural Disasters | |
| HUMN 401. GIS for Humanitarian Assistance | |
| HUMN 490. Humanitarian Affairs Field Experience | |
| ANTH 313. Processes of Social and Cultural Change | |
| ANTH 366. Anthropology of War | |
| ANTH 373. Anthropological Perspectives on Environment and Development | |
| BIO 354. Global Climate Change and Life: Ecological and Biological Impacts | |
| of Climate Variability | |
| BIO 420. Medical Parasitology | |
| ECON 270. International Economics | |
| ENGR 360. Water in Africa, Technology, Education and Reciprocity | |
| GEOG 215. Geospatial Tools I – Cartography and GIS | |
| GEOG 280. Human Geography: The Cultural Landscape | |
| GEOG 300. Population Geography | |
| GEOG 322. Agricultural Systems and Global Food Production | |
| GEOG 335. Geography of Africa | |
| GEOG 345. Geography of Poverty | |
| GEOG 366. Introduction to Geographic Information Science | |
| GEOG 375. Political Geography | |
| GHUM 252. Cross-Cultural Perspectives | |
| ISAT 459. Awareness and Understanding of Chemical, Biological, | |
| and Radiological Weapons of Mass Destruction | |
| JUST 341. Gender and Justice | |
| JUST 345. Restorative Justice | |
| JUST 357. Environmental Justice | |
| JUST 375. Genocide in the 20th Century | |
| JUST 377. Global Futures | |
| JUST/POSC 392. Peace Studies | |
| NPS 300. Introduction to Nonprofits | |
| NUTR 380. Global Nutrition | |
| GPOSC 200. Global Politics | |
| POSC/JUST 331. Human Rights in Theory and Practice | |
| POSC 340. 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. 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 314. Writing in the Public Sphere | |
| WRTC 318. Intercultural Professional Communication | |
| WRTC 484. Writing for Nonprofits | |
| WRTC 486. Writing in the Community | |
| 18 | |
1 When used for credit in the humanitarian affairs minor, the international experience must be approved and supervised by the minor coordinator or designated faculty member.
