The DAS in Humanitarian Action is a full-time course, taught over 13 weeks.

The DAS is suitable for humanitarian professionals wishing to step back from their careers to reflect on their professional experience and gain new insights and analysis skills, as well as for professionals who wish to deepen to their understanding of the contemporary humanitarian enterprise.

The DAS delivers postgraduate-level education focused on providing students with in-depth understanding of both the conceptual and operational questions of humanitarian action. Through an analysis of major humanitarian crises students acquire the tools needed to understand the challenges facing contemporary humanitarian operations. Students are helped to train their analytical skills in order to strengthen the strategic contribution they can deliver to humanitarian institutions.

Teaching on the DAS is multidisciplinary and interactive, and is based on established and new approaches to emergency and development aid. Case studies and analyses of armed conflicts, 'natural' catastrophes and social exclusion - the three key sources of humanitarian disasters - are carried out throughout the course in seminars and lectures limited to a small number of students.

DAS students become part of CERAH’s intercultural, social and intellectual community, which fosters exchange between fellow students, researchers and humanitarian experts. CERAH students have an unequalled opportunity to develop an impressive network among Geneva’s international and humanitarian community.

The DAS has two key components:

• 13 intensive weeks of courses on humanitarian concepts, contemporary challenges to humanitarian practice, and methodology that take place during the Swiss autumn semester (September-December);
  
  
• Research work conducted throughout the course through to end of January, when the thesis is due.

The detailed programme will be available in June 2012.