Disaster Management – (M.Sc.)

The last three decades have seen a substantial rise in the number and frequency of disasters. Global warming, together with its associated extreme weather events make it likely to see this trend continue.
It is becoming increasingly important to foster resilience and a capacity to withstand disaster events, as a part of reducing and managing risk within a broader context of sustainable development.
The course aims to provide students with the research skills, knowledge and management expertise to deal with future crises, emergencies and disasters in the developed and developing world.

Qualified disaster professionals are in high demand. Our part-time students are often sponsored by their employers and our graduates are much sought after by a range of organisations, including, governments, NGOs and private sector organisations.
The Programme’s goal is to enhance graduates’ employability by giving students the knowledge and skills necessary to critically evaluate and apply key elements of disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, including the ability to conduct assessments of hazards, risks, vulnerability and capacity. Also, through providing students with an understanding of approaches that may be used internationally to reduce and manage risk, the Programme aims to prepare students for employment in a wide range of careers focused on disaster intervention.

Modules are taught as 1 week ‘face-to-face teaching’ at the University (including lectures, workshops, seminars and exercises) followed by several weeks of directed and self-directed study, which may be undertaken off-campus.
Assessment for all modules is by 100% coursework. As well as satisfying the required standards for an academic research project, the dissertation provides an opportunity for students to focus their learning on their own particular professional development needs.
Full-time students, who start their programme in October of each year, normally research and write their dissertations between June and September of the following year. Part-time students also generally start in October. It is possible, however, for either full or part-time students to start their programme in February of each year.