Overview
The fields of humanitarian action, disaster risk reduction, community resilience, climate change adaptation and sustainability increasingly overlap. Professionals working with those most vulnerable to the impacts of conflict and disaster must have an integrated understanding of policy and practice across these themes to ensure a holistic approach.
This course could be for you if you a looking to start your career in disaster management and humanitarian action or currently work in a local or national government disaster management agency, an NGO or civil society organisation and need to further your career. The course comprises four modules which aim to provide you with the essential high-level knowledge needed for successful future careers in these areas.
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
To ensure an optimised and continual student experience, the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses. For courses due to start in September 2020, in light of Covid-19, we are currently preparing for courses to be delivered in a variety of forms, subject to Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority will be staff and student safety.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedStudent experience
All the support you need, in a top student cityCourse information
Disaster management has been taught at Coventry for over 20 years. Recently reviewed and revised through consultation with the sector, this postgraduate course is designed to provide you with the essential high-level knowledge and skills needed to demonstrate your credibility in the sector.
Our goal is to advance your skills in evaluating risks, vulnerabilities and capacity in complex socio-economic and political situations. The sector appropriate module content and assignments provide you with opportunities to evaluate current policy and practice and make recommendations for improvement in humanitarian response, community participatory approaches, accountability and organisational change. There will be opportunities to take part in simulated disaster response scenarios in our state-of-the art, immersive Simulation Centre.
Upon successful completion of the course, you should have an understanding of concepts, theories, policy and practice within the areas of risk, humanitarian practice, development, disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation so that you are better able to evaluate the activities of NGOs, government organisations, multilateral agencies and institutions and drive necessary transformation.
Modules
In more detail...
- Coventry University is currently one of the few higher education institutions that provides 4.5-day face-to-face postgraduate-level modules that provide the depth and rigour required for development, reflection and networking in this sector.
- A curriculum designed and mapped to industry standards.
- Coventry University is a leader in digital learning. This expertise is applied to our campus delivery, which is supported by our innovative online social learning platform, allowing you to undertake substantial parts of your study at home where you can revisit classroom delivery.
- Opportunities for recognition of prior learning and experience (RPL/RPEL) on a case-by-case basis (evidence required). Please see the course specification for further information.
- All assessments are designed to be of value to both you and your employer – no examinations.
- Our student-centred approach: Coventry University has been rated 5 Stars for Teaching Excellence and Employability (QS Stars 2020) and has been rated a top 15 UK university 5 years running (Guardian University Guide 2016-2020).
- Access to our library's electronic resources 24/7, including thousands of books, ejournals and newspapers.
- Dedicated support for those who are new to Higher Education, or returning after a long break, with additional modules designed to transition you into postgraduate study and support you as you learn to research.
- Optional opportunities to participate in exercises and site visits (may be subject to additional costs and limited availability)
- Be supported by expert staff, researchers and our wide-ranging alumni network who are currently active in the field, with extensive industrial and consultancy experience working for Category 1 and 2 responders, government agencies, businesses and NGOs.
- Choose or switch to study either full-time (one year) or part-time (two years). Please see the course specification for further information.
- Option to progress from the Postgraduate Certificate to the full MSc, taking into account the credits already achieved. Please see the course specification for further information.
- Learn from guest speakers (subject to availability) who are experts in their field, providing insight into real-life scenarios.
- Access to our award winning Simulation Centre with its 10m curved-screen immersive virtual training environment with XVR Simulation platform. Eight break-out rooms connected with audio and CCTV to the control room for operational, tactical and strategic simulations.
- Enhance your career prospects and extend your professional network by studying with international development, disaster risk reduction, health and humanitarian practitioners from across the world.
Further develop your knowledge of relevant policy sectors - disaster risk, resilience, adaptation and sustainability, evaluate and apply humanitarian and human rights, principles and law.
Develop organisational preparedness and coordination capacity for humanitarian response to regions likely to experience acute disaster impacts or rapid deteriorations in stability.
Design, develop, implement and manage appropriate disaster risk interventions, undertake effective monitoring and evaluation for accountability and learning. Develop a portfolio of skills and knowledge for working effectively with communities to develop resilience and ensure sustainable programmes.
Modules are delivered as 4.5 day face-to-face events that provide the depth and rigour required for development, reflection and networking in this sector. Campus delivery is supported by our innovative online social learning platform, allowing you to undertake substantial parts of your study at home where you can revisit classroom content and find additional materials. You also have access to our library's electronic resources 24/7, including thousands of books, ejournals and newspapers.
As an innovative and enterprising institution, the University may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods
On this course you will be taught via:
1. seminars and discussion
2. practical sessions and workshops
3. simulation exercises
4. study visits*
Please note that if you are an international ‘Tier 4’ student, you will be required to take the course on a full-time basis. You must attend academic skills seminars during intervening weeks to fulfil UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements. For more information, visit our page on Tier 4 compliance.
* May be subject to availability, limited places and additional travel costs.
Assessment for all modules is by 100% coursework.
This course is be assessed using a variety of sector-appropriate methods which vary depending upon the module. All written assignments are submitted online and presentations can be recorded. Assessment methods include reports, proposals and business cases, presentations, posters etc. There are no exams.
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes.
On successful completion of this course, you will have knowledge of:
- Risk, its components and influencing factors, approaches to assessment, and prioritisation and organisational role in planning, managing and recovering from humanitarian crises and disasters.
- Policy and approaches for mitigating, preparing for, managing and recovering from crises, conflict and disasters for responding agencies, organisations and affected communities.
- Approaches to assessing complexity and interaction and developing, monitoring and evaluating resilience in processes, systems, organisations and communities at risk from known and emergent threats in a sustainable way.
- Stakeholder analysis and multi-stakeholder engagement, communication, co-operation and governance in all aspects of policy and strategy development, implementation and management, at all scales in disaster contexts.
- Challenges and approaches for information management, evaluating uncertainty, ambiguity and complexity in knowledge, appropriate and defensible decisions for managing complex disaster situations.
- Issues and challenges at the forefront of research and practice in disasters and resilience.
This course focuses on emergency management within a global context, drawing on case studies and the experience of agencies working in the UK, Europe, US, Canada and Australia.
International, EU and UK students (dependant in intake of students each year) take classes together, participating in discussion-based seminars and workshops, so all students have the opportunity to benefit from the personal experiences of other students, as well as staff, from other parts of the world.
Global ready
Did you know we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, HESA?
In 2016/17, we were able to provide a total of 3,482 student experiences abroad that lasted at least five.
Much of this travel is made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which enables students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as strengthening and developing their broader personal and professional skills.
Explore our international experiences1st for
international experiences
Sending more students overseas than any other UK uni (HESA 2016/17)
3,482
Student experiences
The number of student trips abroad for at least 5 days in 2016/17
21,000
and counting
The number of students we’ve helped travel internationally so far
12
global programmes
As well as trips, we offer other opportunities like language courses
Entry Requirements
Tuition Fees
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, which could include (but is not limited to) travel, accommodation and activities. This course may incur additional costs associated with any equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire.
EU student fees
EU nationals and their family members starting in the 2020/21 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.
For tuition fee loans
EU nationals must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
For maintenance loans
EU nationals must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
Our part-time students are often sponsored by their employers. Successful completion of this postgraduate level qualification should provide the credibility needed to progress in your organisation and career.
When you graduate, you can pursue or further a career in sectors including national and local government, NGO’s, UN organisations and other regional organisations, healthcare or consultancy.
Our current teaching staff and the university’s Talent Team can support your search for employment in the UK or overseas by making use of our 25 years of alumni network industrial contacts, careers events, recruitment fairs and individual advice.
Where our graduates work
Previous graduates have gone to work in the UK and in countries all over the world, including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, UAE, the United States and Canada. Some have taken up roles as international humanitarian coordinator, country officers; DRR specialists, risk analysts and deployable response managers, policy developers and analysts, public administration or pursued research and lecturing within education.
Employers of our previous graduates have included: UNICEF, UNEP, WFP, Action Centre La Faim (Toronto, Canada), the Institute for Risk Management and Climate Change (Bogota, Colombia), WWF, Danish Refugee Council, Deutsche Bahn, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai, India), United Nations Population Fund (Jakarta, Indonesia), the British and German Red Cross, The Netherlands Institute for Safety, Medecins Sans Frontieres and the Military.
Opportunities exist globally within:
• Non-Governmental Organisations
• Multi-lateral organisations
• National and Local government
• Health services and epidemiology
• the Military
• (Re)insurance and risk management
• City resilience
• Risk and resilience consultancy
• Security and safety sector
• Research and further study
Disclaimer
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2020/21 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
