Disaster and Emergency Management BSc (Hons)

The aim of this module is to further develop your research methods and skills for geography, energy and disaster management students, specifically focussing on the skills and understanding necessary to undertake your final year research project. The module is designed to challenge you to think critically, independently and work as part of a team. You will develop key research and practical fieldwork skills necessary for collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data. We will explain the components of a good project and provide opportunities to practise the required skills. In addition, this module also features the first of two mandatory field trips² on the course (at no extra cost to you); it aims to provide further opportunities to gain experience of research and fieldwork methods and techniques. The module will support you in making an informed decision about the proposed topic of your final year project.

Compulsory

Modern society has faced a growing number of complex and interconnected challenges from climate change, natural hazards and wars, to a range of anthropogenic industrial, economic and environmental threats. This module attempts to address the causes and perceptions of risk and the notion of risk appetite and acceptability of risk. It also covers theoretical principles of risk management, including risk assessment methods and tools. In addition, you will learn to analyse the statutory duties, alongside the statutory and non-statutory guidance relevant to emergencies and planning approaches. You will apply the knowledge acquired so you can review and improve approaches to integrated arrangements for dealing with emergencies.

Compulsory

In this module, you will examine business continuity and crisis management practices, principles and terminologies. You will explore leading industry practice and the research on how to manage security threats to digital and physical assets. The practical sessions² will help you to review and appreciate traditional and emerging challenges within the scope of complex adaptive systems, and growing research into systems and complexity modelling challenges. Key guidance, standards and legislative requirements from respected international sources will help guide and hone the knowledge and skills required.

Compulsory

The aim of the module is to facilitate your understanding of theories and approaches to training and exercising in the context of UK emergency management. The module aims to teach you how to critically assess and evaluate generic principles of training and apply them to training needs for emergency management in the UK. In addition, approaches to exercising emergency response and recovery plans will be evaluated. You will be given the opportunity to observe, participate in and develop your own emergency management training events and exercises².

Compulsory

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the relationship between the built environment and the dynamics of communities. It will engage you to think critically about place, space and community from a historical, ethical, economical and design perspective. The module will explore the processes of physical developments in settlements of various sizes, with a particular focus on urbanisation and urban development, nationally and internationally. The module familiarises you with the most influential theories of urban design in relation to architecture, geography and sociology, and aims to develop your ability to conceptualise, practice and critically evaluate the design of urban sites for sustainable and resilient communities.

Compulsory

In this module, you will undertake a critical analysis of a specified location and an associated project that has been influenced by the UN's SDGs. Your analysis of the project will explore the impact, success or failure, alongside possible solutions that will be fundamental to the positive future development of the location.

You will research, appraise, critique, develop and then communicate to a wider audience, the impact and implementation of the identified SDGs for the location and project. The focus of the review will be linked to your academic discipline within the built and natural environment and draw upon prior learning from your previous cognate knowledge.

Compulsory

This module provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved placement² undertaken during your programme. A placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

This module provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved international study/work placement² undertaken during your programme. A work/study placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

This module aims to evaluate the chronological development of our understanding and use of the terms 'community', 'resilience', 'recovery' and 'reconstruction', and relate them to concepts and practice in disaster and emergency management. You will evaluate relevant models and theories associated with ‘community’ and participatory practice, and their importance in disaster preparedness and recovery planning. You will also assess case studies from contrasting global contexts with a view to identifying good practice in recovery and reconstruction.

Compulsory

Our world is changing rapidly and the future is uncertain. This is a time of disruption: disruption to global climate, disruption to established systems, disruptive technology. This module considers where we are now and what the future could bring. You will explore questions such as: 'how do we navigate uncertain times to develop sustainable and fair ways of doing things and implement appropriate longer-term plans?, 'what are the emerging solutions to age-old problems?' and 'what else could be around the corner?'.

We will focus on varied and emerging means of meeting and predicting the challenges of the future, e.g. what is the role of social enterprise in meeting humanitarian and development challenges both in the UK and globally? What are the techniques for predicting and then planning future actions to address complex, evolving and interconnected issues? How can you change the world?

Compulsory

The module aims to equip you with the capacity to understand, evaluate and analyse key concepts and debates regarding governance systems associated with emergencies and humanitarian response. You should acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for policy formulation and development, to be able to critically assess issues relating to systems for emergency preparedness and humanitarian response in a range of contexts, e.g. the UK, middle-income and developing countries. The module prepares you to acquire a range of analytical skills necessary for policy formulation, decision-making, inter-agency cooperation and coordination, and to familiarise yourself with macro factors that have been instrumental in shaping practice, and direction(s) of travel for disaster organisations (agencies).

Compulsory

This module aims to help you gain a theoretical and conceptual understanding of the way crises and disasters happen, and of the patterns of behaviour and communication that emerge in response to them. You will be able to contextualise crisis and disaster, and their causation in terms of economic, technological, managerial, cultural, social and political consequences. The module further aims to develop your appreciation and understanding of the complex arrangements needed to manage disasters and emergencies, both nationally and internationally.

Compulsory

The aim of this module is to enable you to develop your research skills by conducting primary or secondary research focused on a specific problem of relevance to your discipline. You should use different methods and research skills, gained over previous years of study, to effectively communicate research novelties and ideas to the academic and non-academic communities. It will contribute to the research training aim appropriate to your level of study and requires you to demonstrate an understanding of the principles of research and to show an appropriate level of competence in the design, execution, and reporting of a research project. It will enable you to understand the importance of correct and critical analysis of all the factors involved in a problem and develop your initiative as you pursue and execute the investigation, demonstrating originality and creativity.

Compulsory

This module aims to introduce you to critical thought and methods as applied in an overseas field location through your final mandatory field trip (at no extra cost to you)². The module aims to extend your fieldwork skills and your grasp of contemporary methodologies and techniques. Emphasis (in the classroom and the field) is placed on experiential learning, whilst also ensuring the continuation of transferable field and academic skills development. Experiences and skills that should be developed include undertaking research in the field; making observations, collecting and collating data; critically debating previous research, taking responsibility for one’s own learning though individual and teamwork, and formulating hazard and risk assessments for fieldwork.

Compulsory