University of Warwick

What you'll study

This flexible postgraduate programme is offered as a Postgraduate Award (PGA), Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert), Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) or MSc. Study combines core modules on the technical, social and ethical dimensions of humanitarian practice with optional modules that allow you to specialise. Teaching blends lectures, seminars, case studies, design studios and project work, often using real-world problem briefs and stakeholder engagement.

• Core topics: principles of humanitarian engineering; humanitarian design and appropriate technology; research methods and evaluation; ethics and protection in humanitarian contexts; disaster risk reduction and resilience.
• Technical streams: water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); shelter and settlements; energy and sustainable infrastructure; transport and logistics for humanitarian response.
• Operational skills: humanitarian logistics and supply chains; project and programme management; monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL); community engagement and participatory design.
• Professional practice and project work: a supervised individual or group project is a central component for PgDip and MSc routes, with options for an industry- or NGO-linked field project, laboratory-based design project, or a dissertation with applied research.
• Optional modules: depending on pathway, you can choose from modules in systems thinking, social entrepreneurship, policy and governance, climate change adaptation, or advanced engineering subjects to tailor the programme to your career aims.

Entry requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold a good honours degree (typically a 2:1 or equivalent) in engineering, a related physical science or a discipline demonstrating substantial quantitative skills. Applicants with a lower-class degree and relevant professional experience in humanitarian, development or engineering roles may also be considered.

For the MSc and diploma routes, some demonstrable background in engineering, technical design, fieldwork or project delivery is desirable. Part-time and distance learning options may be available for practising professionals.

International applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency through an accepted test or qualification; the programme typically requires a standard comparable with mainstream UK postgraduate study. Candidates should check the University of Warwick’s English language guidance for the precise acceptable tests and scores.

Career prospects

Graduates enter a range of careers across humanitarian response, international development and the wider engineering sector. Typical roles include:

• technical specialist or engineer with international NGOs and humanitarian agencies;
• programme manager or project engineer in emergency response, resilience and reconstruction projects;
• logistics and supply chain advisor focusing on disaster relief operations;
• consultant in development engineering, sustainable infrastructure or climate adaptation;
• policy, advocacy or research roles in think-tanks, multilateral organisations or government departments; and
• continued academic research or PhD study in humanitarian engineering, disaster risk reduction or related fields.

Alumni typically work for a mix of international NGOs, UN agencies, government donor bodies, engineering consultancies, social enterprises and academic or research institutions.

Why study at University of Warwick

The programme draws on Warwick’s interdisciplinary strengths, combining engineering expertise with social science, management and organisational practice. Teaching is informed by applied projects and close engagement with practitioners, giving students opportunities to work on real problems alongside NGOs, industry partners and research groups.

Students benefit from Warwick’s campus facilities, technical laboratories and professional networks, as well as a supportive environment for entrepreneurship and knowledge exchange. The course is designed to develop not only technical competence but also the contextual understanding, ethical awareness and project skills needed to work effectively in complex humanitarian and development settings.