Master of Disaster Management

The curriculum, with a research-based framework for Disaster Management, combines professional and hands-on skills with a multidisciplinary academic understanding.

The Master of Disaster Management is relevant for all professions working with Disaster Management. It is aimed at providing the appropriate skills for disaster management at a national and international level in areas of natural and man made disaster, climate change, terrorism, etc.

The programme will provide the student with a new interdisciplinary mind set balancing the three main processes in Disaster Management: Disaster Risk Reduction, Response and Recover, the student will be able to effectively prevent and manage disaster situations.

The graduates of the Master of Disaster Management will be able to:

• Analyse, evaluate and manage the dynamic factors of disasters on an individual- and society level, locally and globally.
• Work theoretically and practically in all three main processes of Disaster Management, Disaster Risk Reduction, Response and Recovery, and understand how these are interconnected.
• Analyse and evaluate the underlying physical/environmental, social/political/cultural, economical, legal/institutional/organisational and health related/psychological aspects that influence the vulnerabilities and capacities of individuals and societies.
• Work strategically and operationally with all 3 main processes of Disaster Management, and be able to: Analyse and evaluate risks, as well as plan, implement and evaluate risk reduction and preparedness actions. Analyse and evaluate the needs of disaster struck individuals and societies, and prioritise, implement and coordinate response activities. Analyse and evaluate recovery needs, and implement, coordinate and evaluate activities for sustainable recovery.
• Collect, document, analyse and communicate information regarding for example risks, humanitarian needs, or lessons learned from earlier disasters in order to mitigate future ones.

Modules:

The Master of Disaster Management consists of three modules:

1. Core Module (20 ECTS) includes four mandatory interdisciplinary Core Courses, offered September-December:

• Core Course I - Introduction and Disaster Management Theories: Introduction, team building and personal safety, Disaster management theories and principles.
• Core Course II - Disaster Risk Reduction: Risk analysis and evaluation (including hazard analysis and vulnerability analysis), risk reduction (prevention and mitigation) and preparedness.
• Core Course III - Disaster Response: Basic relief needs. Food, Water, Sanitation, Health, Hygiene and Shelter. Issues of coordination. Field assessment and evaluation.
• Core Course IV - Disaster Recovery: Reconstruction and sustainable development.

2. Advanced Module (20 ECTS) consists of one mandatory Short Course: Research Design and three elective Short Courses.

You tailor your own programme by selecting the three elective Short Courses. Please note that the Short Courses in the same period will be taught simultaneously. Therefore choose one course per period.

You may choose elective courses from those offered at the University of Copenhagen and Lund University as well as those offered at other accredited academic international institutions (subject to review by the Master of Disaster Management academic board).

Elective Short Courses

Spring

• Risk Assessment Methods
• Geoinformation in Disaster Situations
• Risk Reduction and Preparedness
• Health in Emergencies and Refugee Health
• Disaster Response Management
• Water Supply and Sanitation in Emergencies

Autumn

• Shelter and Settlements in Disasters

3. Thesis Module (20 ECTS): The Master of Disaster Management degree will be conferred upon completion of the Thesis Module.

See prospective classes in the Danish description of the course.

The programme is offered by University of Copenhagen, Denmark, in cooperation with Lund University, Sweden.

As full-time programme the duration is 1 year.

As part-time programme Master of Disaster Management has to be completed over a period of max 3 years (equivalent to 1 year of full-time study). N.B: due to the dynamics of the group work the individual Core and Short course cannot be taken part time. The master can therefore only be split up in chunks consisting of single courses of approximately one month each.

External students may follow the courses as individual Short Courses.

The programme is rated at 60 ECTS or a full-time student's work of one year. Each module is rated at 20 ECTS.

Applicants must comply with one of the following requirements:

• A relevant bachelor's degree
• A relevant professional bachelor's degree
• A relevant qualification at degree level
• A relevant diploma degree

In addition you need:

• Two years of relevant working experience
• Adequate English language skills.
• Basic computer skills

Relevance is determined by the university. Applicants with other backgrounds may be considered on an individual basis. Contact the university for details.

Tuition fee

For students from the European Community, the European Economic Community, and the Erasmus Mundus Programme the tuition fee is:

• The full Master of Disaster Management Programme: DKK 112,500
• The Core Module: DKK 41,000
• The Thesis Module: DKK 32,000
• The Short Course Research Design: DKK 6,000
• All other Short Courses: DKK 18,500

For all other students the tuition fee is:
The full Master of Disaster Management Programme: DKK 150,000. The Core Module: DKK 52,000. The Thesis Module: DKK 41,000. The Short Course Research Design: DKK 8,000. All other Short Courses: DKK 25,000.

The programme is graded at level 7 in the Danish Qualification Framework for Lifelong Learning. The Qualification Framework contains levels 1-8 and defines the expected learning outcome of an education programme. Read more about Qualification Framework for Higher Education.

You can find information on practical issues related to your study visit in Denmark with Danish Agency for International Education, using either of the following links:

www.studyindenmark.dk

www.iu.dk