Program Overview

This course is aimed at those with little or no experience of the sector but with a strong vocation to work to improve the capacity and capability of those at risk and supporting organisations.

• Disaster and emergency management professionals play a critical role in lessening the impact of human, technological and environmental catastrophes. Professionals work with numerous partners to quickly and accurately assess situations and communities affected, advising on all aspects of response and recovery, as well as future prevention or management strategies.
• Multi-disciplinary in nature, this course draws on aspects of technology, physical science, engineering, sociology and human geography.
• We place considerable emphasis on the acquisition of practical skills – from table-top or virtual emergency response scenarios, to laboratory exercises and field-based management of disaster, both in the UK and overseas through two mandatory international field trip modules2 (see Fees and Funding section for more details).
• This course is designed to equip you with the necessary knowledge to identify, critically analyse, assess, respond to and recover from, a growing range of crisis, emergency and disaster situations and to operate confidently in practitioner, policy and management sectors.

Why you should study this course

We work collaboratively with agencies across a variety of sectors (subject to availability) to develop exciting practical emergency and disaster simulation exercises in our unique Simulation Centre4 and our classrooms. These exercises and other interactive sessions form a major part of the teaching and learning, with sessions running in every year of the course in this manner.

• Course features can include guest lectures (subject to availability), site visits and field trip practical activities in the UK and internationally, offering you the chance to witness disaster risks and reduction measures in a range of contexts, from a variety of organisations who are undertaking this work in the field2.
• Have an opportunity to participate in or design an emergency exercise in the university’s Simulation Centre4.
• Participate in a variety interactive classroom sessions2.
• Undertake fieldwork to better understand the risks and challenges faced by communities and disaster and emergency responders in the face of a range of natural and anthropogenic risk situations2.
• Be supported by a scheduled series of academic personal tutorials.
• Be supported to develop your employability and self-marketing skills.