Course

International Humanitarian Law - 2025

May 27, 2025 - Jun 13, 2025

$1,768 Enroll

Full course description

*The total course cost indicated on this page includes the course value and all application and administrative fees.

The Academy of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law presents the summer course: "International Humanitarian Law".

Explore International Humanitarian Law with the guidance of these two experts: Jamie Williamson, Executive Director, of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers' Association (ICoCa) in Geneva, Switzerland; and.

Dive into the development and application of international humanitarian law and examine the origins of this body of international law. In this course, you will be able to recognize the challenges posed to the application of International Humanitarian Law by contemporary armed conflicts and the changing nature of warfare by analyzing present case studies. 

This course will explore the development and application of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), also known as the jus in bello or the law of armed conflict. It will examine the origins of this derivative of international law, and trace its codification from the mid-19th century to the present day. The class will consider the challenges posed by the application of International Humanitarian Law in contemporary armed conflicts and the changing nature of warfare. Topics to be discussed include: the principles underpinning International Humanitarian Law, the qualification of armed conflict, targeting, the notion of direct participation in hostilities, the regulation of private military and security companies, humanitarian action during armed conflict, the law of occupation, and the protection of persons hors de combat. Questions to consider throughout the course include: What is international humanitarian law / the law of armed conflict? What are its purposes? How is it created, interpreted, applied, and enforced, and how does it evolve? To what extent does it differ from other bodies of international law in this regard?

Policies and Processes

Refunds:

The following is the refund policy for courses registered through our Professional and Lifelong Learning Portal (https://american.catalog.instructure.com/).

Learners will be eligible for a refund (minus any non-refundable fees) if they drop a course and request a refund no later than a week before the start of the course. If a learner registered for a course after the start date, they will be ineligible for a refund.

Learners registered for on-demand courses without a start date will be eligible for a refund if the course is dropped and a refund is requested within 24 hours of registration and when there is no record of page views or participation in the Canvas Platform.

Refund requests will be denied if requested after a course’s start date, or when there is a record of page views or participation in the canvas Platform.

Payments and fees:

For payments with credit cards, debit cards or bank accounts, the tuition cost includes a non-refundable 4% administrative fee. In case an eligible refund is requested, the net funds returned will be the tuition minus 4%. 

Notice about AU Non-Credit Courses:

 

Non-credit courses are not recorded in American University transcripts. No credit is earned from these courses and grades are not posted. Learners enrolled in Non-Credit courses will not receive an AU ID or have access to services and or facilities reserved for AU students. Access to the AU library system will be available to all members of the greater Washington DC area through visitor services. See the link for more information https://www.american.edu/library/services/visitors.cfm

For Information about this course:

Please contact

Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

 

(202) 274-4295