Develop the knowledge, ethical grounding, and applied leadership skills required to understand and respond effectively to emerging humanitarian challenges.
This course prepares learners to recognize and analyze emerging challenges within the humanitarian field. It explores the ethical and professional principles that guide humanitarian responses to refugee crises.
To prepare students for this vision of humanitarian policy, the curriculum prioritizes learning within and across three areas:
Address the significant challenges posed by population movements and prepare a new generation of professionals to manage the intersections of migration, displacement, and policy-making.
Build the knowledge and skills required to understand, respond to, and positively affect the lives of people on the move.
Advocate for global change and human rights in the field of migration.
Review the application requirements carefully. Combine the requested materials into one PDF and upload that document with your application.
Contact Sheraz Tariq for support with the application requirements and admissions process.
Start ApplicationLength: approximately 500 words or two double-spaced pages. Describe how an education with the Zakat Foundation Institute will further your professional and personal goals. Your response should reflect ZFI's focus on improving understanding and practice in global aid and development, particularly in relation to regions that are part of the historically Muslim world.
Students are expected to maintain the academic standards and completion requirements established for the Graduate Certificate program.
Students must complete 18 credit hours of approved coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
Failure to meet the completion and GPA requirements results in automatic dismissal from the certificate program.
Transfer credit, course substitutions, and course waivers are not accepted.
Admission to or successful completion of the certificate does not guarantee subsequent admission to a Philanthropic Studies graduate degree program.
Certificate students applying to Philanthropic Studies graduate degree programs must meet all existing admission requirements.
Students must complete the certificate within one year.
Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership
| # | Milestone / Activity | Date / Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Admission Application Opens | April 15, 2026 (Wednesday) |
| 2 | Application Submission Deadline | June 15, 2026 (Monday) |
| 3 | Admission Committee Review & Interviews | June 20 – July 10, 2026 |
| 4 | Issuance of Provisional Admission Offers | July 15, 2026 (Wednesday) |
| 5 | Commitment Deposit Due | July 25, 2026 (Saturday) |
| 6 | Issuance of Admission Confirmations | August 5, 2026 (Wednesday) |
| 7 | Orientation | August 20, 2026 (Thursday) |
| 8 | Fall 2026 Term Commences | August 30, 2026 (Sunday) — Tentative |
Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership
| # | Course Name | Credits | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Realizing the Localization Agenda | 3 credits | ZFI |
| 2 | Understanding the Global Institutions of Aid and Development | 3 credits | ZFI |
| 3 | Muslim Humanitarianism * | 3 credits | Indiana University |
| 4 | Muslim Philanthropy * | 3 credits | Indiana University |
| 5 | Muslim Humanitarianism (Capstone) * | 3 credits | Indiana University |
Generously funded by the Zakat Foundation of America and offered in collaboration with the Center on Muslim Philanthropy, the ZFI Fellowship equips students with the knowledge and practical skills to lead meaningful philanthropic initiatives. Participants receive education and applied training designed to help them address global humanitarian challenges effectively.
The semester is organized into two eight-week sessions.
| # | Activity | First 8 Weeks | Second 8 Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orientation(s) | August 29 & 30, 2025 | — |
| 2 | First Day of Classes | Sunday, August 31, 2025 | Sunday, October 26, 2025 |
| 3 | Last Day to Drop Course Without Grade of “W” | Saturday, September 6, 2025 | Saturday, November 1, 2025 |
| 4 | Commitment Deposit Deadline | Wednesday, September 10, 2025 | Not specified |
| 5 | Student Engagement Feedback Activity | — | November 20–21, 2025, 10:00–11:00 AM EST |
| 6 | Workshop / Webinar Alumni Talk Series | Between September 14 & 20, 2025 | Between November 9 & 15, 2025 |
| 7 | Last Day of Classes | Saturday, October 25, 2025 | Saturday, December 20, 2025 |
| 8 | Final Grades Entry Deadline | Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | Wednesday, December 24, 2025 |
| 9 | Transcripts Available with Official Grades | Saturday, November 1, 2025 | Saturday, December 27, 2025 |
Prepare your supporting documents and submit your Graduate Certificate application through the ZFI admissions portal.