The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree Programme in International Humanitarian Action (NOHA) is an inter-university multidisciplinary postgraduate programme providing high-quality academic education and professional competencies for personnel working or intending to work in humanitarian action.

Established: 1993
Total Graduates: Over 3,500 professionals
Faculty: 150+ in-house experts and field-experienced guest lecturers
Duration: 4 semesters
Total Cost: 16,000 EUR (4,000 EUR per semester)

Programme Overview

As Europe’s first Master’s programme in humanitarian studies, NOHA combines theoretical and analytical knowledge with a hands-on approach. The programme was created in 1993 through collaborative efforts with the European Commission’s DG for Humanitarian Action and Civil Protection (ECHO) and DG for Education and Culture, responding to the growing need for higher educational qualifications suited to addressing complex humanitarian emergencies.

In 2025, the NOHA master was selected as an Erasmus Mundus programme for continued funding, ensuring the availability of Erasmus Mundus scholarships. The programme features interdisciplinary, multicultural, and multilingual teaching. Graduates work in humanitarian relief and international cooperation for organizations and institutions globally, functioning at both field and headquarters levels.

Nearly three decades of experience has demonstrated the programme’s commitment and capacity to educate highly committed and interdisciplinary professionals who can act at all levels of humanitarian relief operations and enhance the delivery of humanitarian assistance and sustainable actions.

Application Deadlines for 2026-2028 Cohort

Critical Application Deadlines:

• Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Applications: December 15, 2025 at 23:59 GMT. Applicants must have completed their undergraduate degree by this date to be eligible for Erasmus Mundus scholarships.
• Self-Funded Ordinary Candidates: April 1, 2026
• Non-EU Citizens Without Valid EU Residence Permits: July 1, 2026

Application Opens: October 1, 2025

Eligibility Requirements

Academic Requirements

Applicants must have obtained, as a minimum, a university first cycle degree (Bachelor’s degree, EQF level 6 with a minimum workload equivalent to 180 ECTS) in a discipline of relevance to humanitarian action. Relevant disciplines include:

• Medical sciences
• Food sciences
• Economics and management
• Engineering
• Law
• Social sciences
• Education sciences
• Humanities

Important for Erasmus Mundus Applicants: Candidates must have completed their undergraduate degree by December 15, 2025 to be considered eligible for Erasmus Mundus scholarships. Candidates who have not completed their Bachelor’s studies by this deadline will not be eligible for the scholarship.

Language Requirements

Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) of instruction at their chosen universities. English is the language of instruction at all universities during all semesters except for Aix-Marseille (French – 1st and 2nd Semester) and Deusto (Spanish – 1st semester only).

English Language Requirements

Candidates must provide one of the following:

• TOEFL iBT (internet-based, no HOME version accepted): C1 level minimum score of 93 with a minimum of 24 in the written test and no other component under 20 (scale 0-30)
• IELTS (no HOME version accepted): C1 level; minimum overall score 6.5, with no component under 6.0
• CAE or CPE: Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE), C1 or Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE), C2

Exemptions from English Testing: Candidates are not required to take an English language test if they are native speakers of English from English-speaking countries, or if the language of instruction during their entire BA programme was English. In the latter case, the language of instruction must be clearly stated on the diploma or transcripts. Alternatively, candidates can submit a letter from the Academic Registrar’s Office, the Examinations Office, or the equivalent office that issues official documents of records at their university.

Spanish Language Requirements

For applicants planning to study during the first semester at the University of Deusto: B2 certificate according to CEFR. If a certificate is unavailable, a personal interview will be held to verify adequate Spanish language proficiency.

French Language Requirements

For applicants wishing to study at Aix Marseille University: C1 certificate according to CEFR.

Mobility Requirements

All enrolled students must carry out a compulsory physical mobility consisting of a minimum of two study periods in two countries, of which at least one must be an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme. These two countries must be different from the country of residence of the student at enrollment stage. Each of the two mandatory study periods must correspond to a workload of at least one academic semester. Compulsory mobility periods cannot be replaced by virtual mobility.

Special National Requirements: Some NOHA universities (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Universidad de Deusto, Uppsala universitet) have specific national requirements that must be met to conclude the admission procedure. These requirements apply to all students undertaking mobility to these universities during any semester. Applicants should review specific national requirements before applying.

Selection Criteria

Candidates are chosen based on the following criteria:

• Type and level of academic qualifications
• Type and level of research experience
• Type and level of professional experience, such as practical experience in the area of humanitarian action in governmental, inter-governmental, and non-governmental organisations and institutions
• Motivation and concern for humanitarian issues
• Multicultural sensitivity
• Level of linguistic abilities
• Recommendations
• Results of interviews (if applicable)
• Nationality and gender balance

Programme Costs and What Is Included

Participation Cost: 4,000 EUR per semester
Total Programme Cost: 16,000 EUR (4 semesters)

The fee can be paid either in full or in instalments, as described in the supporting payment documents distributed at the admission stage.

Included in Participation Costs

The participation costs cover all costs related to and including:

• Tuition fees
• Library and laboratory costs
• Any other mandatory cost related to student participation in the Joint Master’s Degree Programme for the standard duration of the degree programme
• Support in administrative and organisational issues by the consortium partners
• Costs for enrollment at the consortium partner institutions
• All examinations
• Issuing the final diploma
• Insurance scheme for the duration of the studies

Not Included in Participation Costs

Student participation costs do not cover:

• Accommodation
• Subsistence
• Travel to and from partner universities
• Travel documents (visa, passport) included within the framework of the mobility programme
• Any costs beyond the standard duration of the degree programme

Required Application Documents

All applications must be submitted online through the NOHA Application portal. No printed application documents should be submitted unless requested or authorised by NOHA.

Compulsory Documents

• Passport Copy: Only the main pages including full name, passport number, date and place of issue, and expiry date
• Diploma: Scan of original diploma (if not in English, an official translation must be attached) and, if available, the Diploma Supplement. If offered a place on the programme, students must present the original documents or submit a certified copy when arriving at the NOHA universities chosen for the first and second semesters
• For Candidates Who Have Finished Bachelor’s Studies But Have Not Yet Received Their Degree: Official document confirming successful completion of studies and that a degree will be awarded. The document must be issued through and signed by a representative of the Academic Registrar’s Office, the Examinations Office, or equivalent
• For Candidates Who Have Not Completed Bachelor’s Studies: Official document stating current enrollment and participation in the last year of studies. The document must be issued through and signed by a representative of the Academic Registrar’s Office, the Examinations Office, or equivalent. Note: These candidates will not be eligible for Erasmus Mundus scholarships
• Academic Transcripts: Scan of original transcripts (if not in English, an official translation must be attached). Candidates who have not completed Bachelor’s studies must still submit transcripts for all courses passed so far
• Curriculum Vitae: In English, preferably in Europass format
• Language Proficiency Certificates: Official proof of language abilities where applicable for the universities selected
• Reference Letters: Two reference letters in English. These must be written on official letterhead paper and signed in original ink (no electronic signatures). Family members may not serve as referees. Applicants may submit two academic references, two professional references, or one of each. Where possible, both an academic and professional reference is preferable. Letters must be dated and cannot have been written longer than 1 year prior to the date candidates submit their application
• Proof of Residence: One of the following documents:
  • A residence certificate issued in accordance with the candidate’s municipality’s normal registration rules, issued within 12 months before the submission deadline. Municipality certificate must be submitted in Dutch, English, French, German, Maltese, Polish, Spanish, or Swedish
  • A certificate from the candidate’s place of work, study, or training issued by the employer or institution, issued within 12 months before the submission deadline. Work, training, or study certificates must be submitted in English; otherwise, a certified English translation must be provided with the original
  • A document confirming the applicant’s place of residence issued by a notary (in English)
• Publications: If any

Critical Requirement for Erasmus Mundus Applicants: Applicants wishing to apply for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship must comply with all requirements and submit all necessary documents by December 15, 2025. This means that candidates who have not completed their undergraduate degree by this deadline will not be considered eligible for the scholarship.

Application Process Timeline

October 1, 2025

Opening of the call for all applications to the programme for the 2026-2028 cohort.

December 15, 2025 (23:59 GMT)

Deadline for Erasmus Mundus scholarship applications.

January 2026

Ineligible candidates will be informed about their status at the beginning of January 2026 and will have 7 days from the moment they receive notification to submit an appeal.

March 2026

Selected candidates will be notified once the Selection Committee has evaluated all candidatures and the final student list has been adopted. Non-selected candidates and candidates in the reserve list will receive notification at this time. Rejected candidates may appeal to the Joint Admissions Board within 7 days from receipt of the decision notice. Non-selected candidates will be given the option to change their candidature to self-funded status.

April 1, 2026

Central application deadline for all ordinary self-funded candidates.

July 1, 2026

Application deadline for those without EU citizenship or valid EU residence permits.

July 2026

Selected and non-selected self-funding candidates will receive official joint notification. However, most universities will contact their selected candidates beforehand.

Selection Process

Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Applicants

Admission to the degree programme is determined by the Joint Admissions Board, which has one representative from each university, has the Joint Programme Coordinator as its chairperson, and is supported by the Secretariat.

The Secretariat at the Coordinating institution and the Secretariats at the partner universities assess the applications to check whether the application is complete and meets the minimum set of requirements to make the candidate eligible. The corresponding NOHA selection committee at each Network university will make a preliminary selection of the candidates. The final list of admitted students will be adopted by the Joint Admissions Board which meets a few weeks after the application submission deadline and after evaluation of all eligible applications. Applicants are informed in writing regarding the decision of the Joint Admission Board, which includes information for the student about the possibility to appeal within 7 days of receiving notification.

Final results of successful and unsuccessful candidates can only be released by the end of March. The selection results will be sent to candidates by email.

Self-Funded Applicants

Each university evaluates the applications of self-funding applicants that have applied to the university as their first choice home university. The university selects their own candidates based upon their own national criteria and procedures. The Master Secretariat compiles a joint network student list which is adopted by all universities to clarify mobility paths.

Students who are not selected by their first choice of home university may be selected by their second or third choice universities or may be asked if their application can be passed along to another university.

Final results of successful and unsuccessful candidates can only be released in summer 2026, although most universities will contact their selected students beforehand. The selection results will be sent to candidates by email. For specific questions on applying as a self-funding student, applicants should directly contact the coordinator at their first choice home university.

Appeal Procedure

Rejected candidates may appeal to the Joint Admissions Board within seven days from the receipt of the decision notice. In the event of an appeal, the Joint Admissions Board may reconsider its decision on the basis of additional information.

Important: The procedure of appeal is not an opportunity to submit documents that should have been included in the application. No additional documents will be accepted at this stage.

The Appeal Form can be downloaded from the NOHA website under the documents section. It must be sent to the NOHA Consortium at the following address: nohamasters@deusto.es

Non-selected candidates will be given the option to change their application to a self-funded candidature.

Learning Outcomes and Competencies

After completion of the NOHA Joint Master’s course, graduates will have acquired the following learning competencies:

Vision: Global and Comprehensive Vision of the Humanitarian World

• Capacity to develop global and comprehensive visions of conflict, disaster, and related vulnerable situations, in terms of theoretical approaches, as well as the responses and their effects
• Capacity for critical thinking, conceptualising, analysing, assessing, and judging complex humanitarian situations
• Ability to integrate knowledge and handle complexity responding to new humanitarian challenges and paradigms with innovative approaches
• Capacity to identify and investigate new trends in humanitarian action and do applied research to create new knowledge and thinking, promoting new ideas, developments, and solutions

Strategic Management: Capacity to Manage High Impact Organisations and Complex Humanitarian Responses

• Capacity to apply knowledge and understanding to manage humanitarian operations in complex and uncertain environments, including risk assessment
• Capacity to manage policies, strategies, and programmes according to humanitarian principles and values
• Capacity to understand and promote constructively global coordination of humanitarian efforts in a set of multiple and diverse actors on global, national, and local level
• Capacity to make humanitarian action accountable to beneficiaries and other humanitarian stakeholders
• Excellent communications skills and ability to build and lead diverse teams, moving them to the highest collective performance

Personal Integrity: Capacity for Self-Management and to Inspire and Provide Humanitarian Strategic Leadership

• Knowledge of key international humanitarian principles and values and professional codes of conduct, and commitment to their implementation in practice
• Capacity to make informed and reasoned complex decisions and take action upon them
• Ability to deal with ethical and moral dilemmas and take responsibility for decisions on them
• Ability to cope with humanitarian crises on a personal level in relation to oneself and to those one is responsible for: being flexible, adaptable, and dealing with stress
• Sensitivity to culture, gender, and diversity in humanitarian action

About the Programme Structure

One of the most unique elements of the programme is mobility, which is central to the NOHA experience. Students study at different universities and benefit from rich cultural interaction and exchange of ideas and languages. It is an integral part of the NOHA teaching-learning process. The partner universities have gradually integrated the joint training and research programme into their respective curricula, achieving a high degree of cooperation and integration, while preserving their speciality and traditions.

NOHA students come from all over the world and register in the NOHA network. They are admitted following a highly competitive selection process agreed by the Network and can therefore enrol for courses jointly recognised by each of the participating universities, with the assurance of good communication links between them.

Graduates of the NOHA Joint Master’s Programme in International Humanitarian Action have the capacity to act at all levels of humanitarian relief operations and to function in a variety of ways to enhance the professional delivery of humanitarian assistance and sustainable actions.

Additional Information

For specific questions on applying as a self-funding student, applicants should directly contact the coordinator at their first choice home university. For general information about the programme, visit the official NOHA website.

Data collection is conducted in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18.12.2000 on the protection of individuals with regards to processing personal data.

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