Skip to main content Skip to footer

Search

Made for disaster management professionals.
Recognised globally.

Postgraduate studies in Disaster Management and Resilience

  • Disaster Management and Resilience MSc
  • Disaster Management and Resilience PGCert

Our 100% online postgraduate studies are designed for careers in disaster management and humanitarian action, and perfect for those in a local or national government disaster management agency, an NGO, or civil society organisation.

 

Enquire today

Next intake
  • January 2026
  • 3 intakes per year (Sep, Jan, May)
Study options
  • 100% online study
  • Part-time
Duration
  • 2 years part-time
Get in touch
a man with a grey beard and glasses and a young woman looking at a screen showing a graphical image of the map of the world

Designed by industry experts and tailored for today’s global challenges

Our Disaster Management and Resilience MSc and Disaster Management and Resilience PGCert courses are designed to help you advance your skills in evaluating risks, vulnerabilities, and capacity in complex socio-economic and political situations.

You will work on sector-specific content and practical assignments to help you assess current policy and practice, while learning to make recommendations as part of assignments to improve humanitarian response, community participation, accountability and organisational change.

Why study these programmes

You will have the opportunity to develop skills and learn techniques that could be useful to prepare for a career in disaster management and resilience.

Learn in the company of other working professionals

Gain the opportunity to build valuable connections through our online learning platform, including exchanging ideas and collaborating with fellow students. From day one, you are placed in a learning environment which can put your real-world needs into practice, driving new ways of thinking alongside your fellow working students and academics.

Latest industry content

Focusing on practical, cutting-edge content, our programmes ensure that you stay at the forefront of disaster management. You will engage with industry trends, risk assessment strategies, and innovative methods for disaster planning, response, and recovery, making you well-prepared to address the complex challenges of today and tomorrow in the disaster management field.

Consistent student support

At Coventry University Online, we offer you extensive student support for your degree and your postgraduate studies. We can help you with academic skills and career support, wellbeing and personal development opportunities.

Awards and rankings

Just a few of Coventry University's many accolades.

5 Stars

QS Stars
for Teaching and Employability

QS Stars University Ratings

QS 5 stars logo

Top 100

 

in World for
‘international outlook’

THE World University Rankings 2025

The Higher Education world rankings 2025

Ranked 4th

for Overall Satisfaction

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2025

PTES logo

Why choose Coventry University Online

Coventry University has been awarded 5 QS Stars Overall by QS Stars University Ratings for areas including teaching, employability, global engagement and research. 

Learn from experts

Learn from experts

Gain insights from industry experts and academics. Our courses are designed for today's professional challenges and your career development.

Real-world application

Real-world application

Designed for working professionals, our programmes are built to be practical and innovative. Learn skills you can immediately apply in professional environments.

Build your network

Build your network

Our expert-focused curriculum is shaped by tutors with in-depth knowledge of the field, with a keen focus on building career connections and establishing a network with other students.

Excellent support

Excellent support

Receive comprehensive support with access to academics, career advisors, writing tutors, and wellbeing services.
Employer's choice

Employer's choice

Tap into Coventry University's alumni network and long history of established employer relationships across major industry sectors.

Made for your success

Made for your success

Learn at a UK university, recognised globally. Have the chance to study alongside other professionals and access industry insight for your current or future roles.

About these courses

Disaster Management and Resilience MSc

This 100% online disaster management course could provide you with the advanced skills and knowledge you would need to advance your career and build connections in this industry.

Some of the highlights of this 100% online course can be found below.

  • Develop the knowledge and skills needed to anticipate, assess, plan for and manage complex disasters. You will also learn how to develop policies and implement disaster management strategies.
  • Understand how community, professional, organisational, national and international capacity deal with complex multifactorial disasters. Within this expert-led course, you could have the opportunity to develop strategies that could increase resilience to acute and chronic threats to both economies and societies.
  • Examine how modern society is creating increasingly complex risks and interdependencies. Topics may include societal inequalities, social tension, extremism, global supply and economic instability, reliance on technology, severe weather conditions, pandemic disease and climate change. Understanding these issues can help you to develop knowledge and skills that may be relevant to a range of career paths in this field.

Disaster Management and Resilience PGCert

This 100% online PGCert is designed to help you develop essential knowledge and skills to prepare for a role in the disaster management sector.

Some of the highlights of this 100% online PGCert can be found below.

  • Develop advanced knowledge in evaluating risks, vulnerabilities, and capacity in complex socio-economic and political contexts. You could also have the opportunity to critically assess current policy and practice and propose improvements in humanitarian response, accountability, and organisational change.
  • Understand concepts, theories, policy and practice across risk, humanitarian efforts, disaster risk reduction, development, and climate change adaptation. You could learn how to evaluate the activities of NGOs, government bodies and multilateral agencies in order to help drive transformation.
  • Explore key concepts through four sector-appropriate modules. These include Disaster Risk, Resilience, Adaptation and Sustainability; Humanitarian Principles, Preparedness and Response; Community Preparedness, Recovery and Resilience; and Disaster Interventions, Evaluation and Learning.

What you will study

Disaster Management and Resilience MSc modules

  • Disaster Risk Reduction – 15 credits
  • Training and Exercising – 15 credits
  • Foresight, Insight and Strategy – 15 credits
  • Community Resilience and Preparedness – 15 credits
  • Humanitarian Principles and Action – 15 credits
  • Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning – 15 credits
  • Critical Incident Leadership – 15 credits
  • Recovery and Reconstruction – 15 credits
  • Disaster and Emergency Management - Research Project – 50 credits
  • Leading Diverse Workforces – 10 credits

Disaster Management and Resilience PGCert modules

  • Disaster Risk Reduction - 15 credits
  • Humanitarian Principles and Action - 15 credits
  • Community Resilience and Preparedness - 15 credits
  • Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning - 15 credits

Disclaimer

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 will learn

older man with balding head and grey hair looking down and smiling

Study 100% online and get the same qualification, along with many of the same benefits and support as a campus student.

  • Our 100% online courses offer the same high-quality modules as on-campus.

  • Your learning activities are available on-demand through our innovative social learning platform, so that you can learn at the best time and location for you.

  • Enjoy 24/7 access to electronic resources, including thousands of books, e-journals and newspapers.

  • Receive guidance from a tutor who will lead live sessions (recorded for those unable to attend) to support and add depth to your learning.

  • The tutor will be available for further support through email and the learning platform.

Fees and funding

MSc: £10,000 (180 credits)

PGCert: £3,333.33 (60 credits)

Our tuition fees are calculated for the entire duration of the programme. You also have the option to pay fees by credit hour, rather than making a full upfront payment. A variety of payment options exist including instalments through the duration of the programme.

Career opportunities

National and local government

NGOs and multi-lateral organisations

UN organisations and other regional organisations

Health services and epidemiology

Military

(Re)insurance and risk management

City resilience

Risk and resilience consultancy

Security and safety sector

Research and further study

How to apply