Disaster Risk and Resilience PGCert

Study level: Postgraduate
Conversion course
Temporary tents set up for refugees

Designed with input from sector experts, this course aims to equip you with the skills and knowledge to assess risks, enhance climate resilience and build expertise in disaster and risk management.

Year of entry

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

1 year full-time

Course code

EECT018

Start date

September 2025
January 2026
May 2026


Course overview

Learn how to assess risks, vulnerabilities and capacity in complex contexts and develop sector-relevant skills to enhance humanitarian response, participatory approaches, accountability and organisational change.

Key course content includes:

  • Opportunities to take part in simulated disaster response scenarios in our immersive Simulation Centre.4
  • Preparation to understand the 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.
Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

A hand clicks a button with a person on

Ranked 9th Modern University in UK by the Times

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

Icon of person sharing information with three others

Ranked 8th for Overall Satisfaction in PTES

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2024

Why you should study this course

  • Coventry University is a still a leading provider of higher education courses and consultancy services in emergency and disaster management capabilities. Benefit from access to our global network of alumni and industry connections.2
  • There is dedicated academic writing support available for those who are new to higher education or returning after a long break.

What you'll study

Explore disaster risk, resilience, adaptation and sustainability, with a focus on applying humanitarian principles and law. Gain skills in organisational readiness, disaster interventions, and monitoring and evaluation for accountability. Develop practical expertise to work with communities, build resilience and create sustainable programmes for effective, coordinated disaster response.

Modules

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

Teaching and learning methods may include:

  • seminars and discussion
  • practical sessions and workshops
  • simulation exercises
  • study visits.2

Prefer to study 100% online? Click here to view our 100% online course.

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time postgraduate student, you will study modules totalling 180 credits each academic year. A typical 30-credit module requires a total of 300 hours of study. Study hours are made up of teaching contact hours, and guided and independent study.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours may vary, depending on where you are in your studies, but on average you will have between 8 and 12 teaching and learning hours each week. You will also have the opportunity to attend optional sessions including time with a Success Coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback.

Guided and independent study

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You will be digging deeper into topics, reviewing what you’ve learnt and completing assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress to the end of your studies, you’ll spend more time on independent learning.

Online learning

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods, including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which could vary depending on the module. Assessment methods may include:

  • reports
  • proposals
  • business cases
  • presentations
  • posters
  • coursework.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

An undergraduate degree 2:2 or above (or international equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Applicants with a lower class of degree and/or professional experience only will be individually considered and will usually be interviewed prior to being offered a place on the course.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications; speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:


You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Some international students may require an ATAS certificate to study this course. For further information see our ATAS certificates page.

Typical requirements

An undergraduate degree 2:2 or above (or international equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Applicants with a lower class of degree and/or professional experience only will be individually considered and will usually be interviewed prior to being offered a place on the course.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 overall, with no component lower than 5.5.

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.


Fees and funding

Student Full-time Part-time
UK £3,733   Not available
International £6,200   Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page and see the university's Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.


Facilities

Our Simulation Centre uses an interactive screen and real-life scenarios to create a ‘virtual’ training environment. Role-play exercises are part of the course to help prepare you for situations in the workplace.

People walking in front of a building which has a big library sign

Lanchester Library

The library is usually open 24/7, in term-time. It’s where you can access your course’s specialist Academic Liaison Librarian. It’s also home to specialist teams which can support you with your academic writing and maths and statistics questions.

Glass modern building with a spire in the background

The Hub

The Hub is the centre of student life on campus. Facilities include a food court, convenience store, multi-faith centre, medical centre, hairdresser, coffee shops and the Your SU offices. It has fully licensed function spaces and a bar.

Two people working together with a laptop in front of them

Careers and employability

Get one-on-one career and employability guidance lasting up to 36 months from the end of your course. We’ll help you find placements and graduate roles, offer CV and application checks, mentoring, skills workshops, employer events and more.

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.


Careers and opportunities

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.

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 sectors.

Where our graduates work

Previous graduates have gone to work in countries including the UK, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, the UAE, the US 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.


How to apply

You may also like

Coventry University (Coventry) Close up of an erupting volcano with molten lava and smoke

Disaster Management and Resilience MSc

Coventry University (Coventry) A woman crossing a wide New York street wearing a mask

Emergency Preparedness and Management PGCert

Coventry University (Coventry) Police cordoned of street

Emergency and Incident Management PGCert