Humanitarian Relief and Development

This program will educate and equip students to deliver and lead compassion-based care that elevates and empowers the lives of the impoverished, hungry, and hurting. This degree prepares students to deliver humanitarian care based on the foundation of God’s compassion and to apply biblical theology to the practice of humanitarian care. Students learn principles to be effective in a variety of domestic and international settings, including nonprofit leadership, volunteerism, disaster response, holistic self-care, community development, public policy, partnership cultivation and advocacy. Curriculum emphasizes the best practices and real-world experience while establishing a strong academic knowledge base and culminates with a capstone experience.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Compare diverse worldviews and explain how they influence intercultural studies and missions.
  2. Explain theoretical frameworks and purposes of nonprofit social enterprise organizations.
  3. Summarize the theology of compassion and explain and defend the role of the church in compassionate actions.
  4. Discuss administrative and financial strategies for leading and supporting humanitarian projects.
  5. Identify basic practices of crisis intervention specific to relief, development strategies, and procedures to support compassion services.
  6. Summarize physical, psychological, and spiritual methods of helping the poor and suffering.
  7. Evaluate a plan for relief, development, and long-term sustainability to disaster scenarios in domestic and international settings. Include strategies for collaboration with local, regional, international religious, relief, and government organizations.

Degrees and Certificates

Classes

HRDV 100 : University Seminar

Acclimatizes new Evangel students to the University. Encourages the intellectual and practical orientation to the challenges and opportunities of University life and learning. Students learn about the mission of the University and EU20 themes while learning to build relationships within the department, and by attending campus-wide events.

Credits

1

HRDV 325 : Theology of Compassoin

Examines the biblical foundations of compassion as an essential element of Christian faith. Topics include: how compassion relates to the people of God in the Old and New Testaments, a biblical approach to compassion within a clear Pentecostal framework and the survey of compassion in expression and thinking of believers today.

Credits

3

HRDV 332 : Disaster Services

Presents the foundational principles and skills necessary to plan and conduct services for the four phases of disasters: Preparation, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery. Emphasis includes the coordination of services between governmental, non-governmental, and religious-based organizations.

Credits

3

HRDV 334 : Principles of Relief and Development

Explores practical and applied principles of relief and development to include disaster response and long-term sustainability efforts. topics include: practice of crisis intervention, rehabilitation and development, the role of the church in compassionate action and biblical justice.

Credits

3

HRDV 340 : Conflict Management and Negotiation

Develops a biblical and practical understanding of conflict. Topics include:  conflict cycle, styles of conflict management, and intervention strategies for resolving conflict. Special focus is given to the leader’s pivotal role in managing conflict, using conflict for positive change, and setting the cultural climate conducive for addressing conflict.

Credits

3

HRDV 356 : International Disaster Relief

Presents the foundational principles and skills necessary to plan and conduct services for the four phases of disasters: Preparation, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery. Emphasis is upon coordination of services between international governmental, non-governmental, and religious-based organizations.

Credits

3

HRDV 410 : Working with Refugees and Migrant Populations

Examines the history, dynamics and impact of human migration with special attention given to effective strategies for aiding refugee and mirgrant populations. Topics include: challenges these populations face, effective relief and development strategies.

Credits

3

HRDV 426 : Affecting Change through Advocacy

Offers students a biblical framework and holistic approaches to assess and apply methods of advocacy, aligned with both the beneficiary and the intended outcome. Topics include methods of strategic advocacy, spheres of influence, and stages of effective action, all within a kingdom-centered framework of ethics.

Credits

3

HRDV 433 : Care and Wellness for Humanitarian Context

Provides students with the knowledge and skills to function from a state of integrated health in an humanitarian context. Emphasis will include ownership of personal wellness, collaboration for community wellness and application for wellness of those served. Topics include psychological first aid, evaluation and interventions for physiological health, biblical frameworks for self-care and wellness, compassion fatigue, and interventions for personal and community health.

Credits

3

Prerequisites

Junior or senior standing.

HRDV 436 : Children in Crisis

Introduces developmental and biblical worldview of children, providing basic relief actions and strategies for children in crisis. Topics include: how to identify stress symptoms, . (This course is not intended for professional or trained counselors, but for those who are on site immediately following natural or human caused disasters, or who conduct outreaches where children and youth may be in crisis.)

Credits

3

HRDV 440 : Monitoring and Evaluation in a Humanitarian Context

Introduces students to program theory, tools, and methods of monitoring and evaluation, equipping them to design and adjust effective protocols, adapting to the various factors of their context, all for the purpose of Kingdom impact. Students will also learn how to interpret the data they collect and report upon their findings.

Credits

3

HRDV 468 : Leading Compassion Projects

Providing disaster and humanitarian relief is a complex process involving individuals from diverse backgrounds, locations, languages, preparation, involvement, and commitment. Leadership in these settings requires both skills in leading multifaceted projects, delegating responsibilities, inspiring volunteers, and managing funds. This course prepares students for leadership within the field of community relief and development.

Credits

3

HRDV 498 : Practicum/Internship

Supervised field experience in a nonprofit, humanitarian-focused service organization(s) for practical application of the nature and scope of humanitarian relief and developmental theories and skills.

Credits

3