Humanitarian Disaster Institute

HDI 504. Foundations of Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership. (4 Credits)

An introduction to evidence-based and informed psychosocial care skills, programs, and interventions in context to disasters, crisis, and other trauma-inducing events. Cross-listed with HDI 404.

HDI 506. Foundations of Nonprofit Leadership. (4 Credits)

An introduction to evidence-based skills, best practices, interventions, programs, theological frameworks, and faith formation for nonprofit leaders.

HDI 514. Foundations of Disaster & Humanitarian Assistance. (4 Credits)

An introduction to evidence-based and informed psychosocial care skills, programs, and interventions in context to disasters, crisis, and other trauma-inducing events.

HDI 524. Preparedness Planning, Mitigation, & Continuity Management. (4 Credits)

The course focuses on understanding evidence-based leadership best practices, procedures, and policies for disaster operations that strengthens disaster resilience in affected communities.

HDI 534. NGO Leadership. (2 Credits)

This course seeks to develop effective humanitarian and disaster non-profit leaders. This course will review the history, theoretical underpinnings, and practice of social entrepreneurship and program and project planning in non-profit and official development organizations. It also covers the corresponding grant-writing, fundraising, business planning and marketing methods, and tools, strategies and techniques used in these activities. Heavy emphasis is placed on a hands-on learning approach, while stressing the importance of understanding and critiquing the conceptual frameworks on which these practices rely from a Biblical perspective.

HDI 544. Organizing Emergency Humanitarian Assistance. (2 Credits)

Leadership principles for effective emergency management and humanitarian response will be taught for responding to a wide range of potential humanitarian crises, with an emphasis on evidence-based practices. Cross-listed with HDI 443.

HDI 554. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning. (2 Credits)

This course focuses on understanding critical issues in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) related to the fields of disaster, relief, and development. These are essential tools for these fields today, both for those who will produce this kind of data and those who will use it in their work.

HDI 564. Disaster Management. (2 Credits)

This course focuses on the role leadership plays in guiding disaster operations and policy across all phases of the disaster life cycle (preparedness, response, recovery, and risk reduction). Capabilities and challenges to effective response for a broad range of governmental and non-governmental organizations will be discussed. Each organization active in crisis and disaster has a different role to play in preparedness and response, and students will use their study of different organizations to gain a better understanding of humanitarian and emergency response field. Students will examine operational frameworks commonly in used by national and international emergency response organizations. Cross-listed with HDI 464.

HDI 574. NGO Leadership. (4 Credits)

This course seeks to develop effective humanitarian and disaster non-profit leaders. This course will review the history, theoretical underpinnings, and practice of social entrepreneurship and program and project planning in non-profit and official development organizations. It also covers the corresponding grant-writing, fundraising, business planning and marketing methods, and tools, strategies and techniques used in these activities. Heavy emphasis is placed on a hands-on learning approach, while stressing the importance of understanding and critiquing the conceptual frameworks on which these practices rely from a Biblical perspective. Cross-listed with HDI 474.

HDI 584. Anti-Human Trafficking and Gender-Based Violence. (2 Credits)

This course focuses on understanding issues in human trafficking and gender-based violence and best-practice interventions for prevention, awareness, and care for victims. Cross-listed with HDI 484.

HDI 594. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Program Design. (4 Credits)

This course will introduce students to each of the components within a program design, monitoring, evaluation and learning system, the Christian foundations of MEL, how frameworks are integrated into evaluation, ethics, design, stakeholder analysis, and the implementation of MEL. Cross-listed with HDI 497.

HDI 614. Transformational Development. (4 Credits)

This course prepares leaders to actively engage government and public leaders through policy interventions and advocacy to advance the global struggle for human rights. Students are prepared to advocate for biblical justice by developing the skills necessary to assess and intervene in the policy process as well as to develop and implement advocacy campaigns. Cross-listed with HDI 414.

HDI 624. Refugee and Forced Migration Issues. (2 Credits)

An introduction to various historical and contemporary cases of forced displacement, integrating diverse disciplinary approaches, including legal, political and moral analysis. Cross-listed with HDI 424.

HDI 634. Fieldwork/Special Project. (4 Credits)

Students will participate in an approved supervised field practicum placement with a humanitarian or disaster-related organization; students with advance standing gained from significant prior field experience may opt to complete an applied professional or research project. Graded pass/fail.

HDI 636. Strategic Leadership for Change. (4 Credits)

This course develops learners' personal capacities and provides practical tools to lead others and manage leadership development and organizational change from a Christian perspective.

HDI 646. Financial and Project Management. (4 Credits)

This course introduces the concepts, language and reporting methods of financial analysis and the effective management of projects for nonprofit organizations, utilizing a Christian perspective.

HDI 654. Disaster, Crisis, & Trauma Intervention. (4 Credits)

An introduction to evidence-based and informed psychosocial care skills, programs, and interventions in context to disasters, crisis, and other trauma-inducing events.

HDI 664. Vocation & Professional Development I. (1 Credit)

Students will think rigorously, biblically, and practically about their personal vocation in the humanitarian and disaster fields, and will develop skills and resources in preparation for their careers. Prerequisite: HDI 504.

HDI 674. Vocation & Professional Development II. (1 Credit)

Students will think rigorously, biblically, and practically about their personal vocation in the humanitarian and disaster fields, and will develop skills and resources in preparation for their careers. Prerequisite: HDI 504 and HDI 664.

HDI 676. Fundraising in Nonprofit Organizations. (4 Credits)

As leaders in nonprofits, NGOs and congregations, we seek to grow the virtue of generosity, both in our own lives, and in the communities we lead. We accept responsibility to raise the necessary resources to pursue our missions. This course teaches students to cultivate the virtue of generosity and apply evidence-based fundraising practices within nonprofits and congregations. Its scope is any organization that accepts donations (from individuals, foundations or government grants) and is accountable to stakeholders. International contextual considerations are provided.

HDI 684. Field Operations. (6 Credits)

A capstone intensive residence field lab course involving multi-day domestic and international field-simulations and practice in leadership and evaluation duties that will be supplemented with classroom learning experiences. Additional course fee required: $600.

HDI 686. Fundraising in Nonprofit Organizations and Congregations. (2 Credits)

As leaders in nonprofits, NGOs and congregations, we seek to grow the virtue of generosity, both in our own lives, and in the communities we lead. We accept responsibility to raise the necessary resources to pursue our missions. This course teaches students to cultivate the virtue of generosity and apply evidence-based fundraising practices within nonprofits and congregations. Its scope is any organization that accepts donations (from individuals, foundations or government grants) and is accountable to these donors. International contextual considerations are provided.

HDI 687. Vocation and Professional Development. (2 Credits)

Students will think rigorously, biblically, and practically about their personal vocation in the nonprofit sector and will develop skills and resources in preparation for their careers.

HDI 695. Independent Study. (1 to 4 Credits)

Department approval required.

HDI 696. Internship. (0 to 4 Credits)

An opportunity to apply coursework and engage in practical experiences at an organization related to the work of refugee response, humanitarian relief, disaster response, or transformational community development.

HDI 697. Crisis Leadership in Action. (2 Credits)

An intensive three-day, in-person course with post work that will involve simulation and learning to activate leadership skills, vocational reflection, and next steps in career development planning. Additional course fee required: $250.