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Master of Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development

The University of Newcastle, Australia (UON)

Program Overview

This program is delivered through CIFAL Newcastle, a United Nations training centre with a focus on disaster resilience and sustainable development, which is hosted at the University of Newcastle. The United Nations has partnered with the University to develop the Master of Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development. Students in this program develop the best practice knowledge and skills needed to implement the new UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Sendai framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Master of Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development equips people from diverse backgrounds to understand resilience and sustainable development principles, and systematically apply them to avoid disasters, operate through extreme events and emerge better placed to face the future.

Organisations around the world are realising that by championing sustainable development, they can not only save lives and revenue, but also achieve a competitive advantage and lead the way within their industry. They seek to become more resilient in the face of disasters by mitigating risks and reducing their impact. If your role involves identifying, mitigating and managing business, safety or environmental risks – or if you aspire to such a position – this program will place you at the forefront of your field.

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  Location

CallaghanAustralia

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  Course Duration

24 Months

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  Tuition Fee

AU$ 37,730

 Score

IELTS: 6.5 TOEFL: 79

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This the first and only degree to contain UN co-certification in the use of tools and frameworks central to resilience building and achieving sustainable development.

It contains core elements related to disaster resilience and sustainable development that are underpinned by a practical grounding and application of the UN-SDGs and Sendai Framework and the development of disaster risk reduction and management skills.

Core courses include:
 

  • Theory and Practice of Disaster Management
  • Policy and Social Considerations in Disaster Management
  • Disaster Resilient Economics
  • Government Approaches to Disaster Risk Reduction
  • Private Sector Approaches to Disaster Risk Reduction
  • Sustainable Development and the 2030 Development Agenda
  • Professional Practice in Disaster Risk Management
  • Professional Practice Research Project


Depending on your entry level, you will also complete between one and eight courses from a list of directed courses. These include courses in community development, sustainable development, and related areas of:
 

  • project management
  • law
  • business management
  • environmental management
  • social sciences

Admission Requirements

There are four pathways into the Master of Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development (MDRSD) program:

Direct entry into the MDRSD program (120 units) is available for applicants who have:
 

  • a three year bachelor degree and a minimum of one year of work experience in a role that is deemed to be disaster-relevant


Direct entry into the MDRSD program (80 units) is available for applicants who have:
 

  • a three year bachelor degree and five years' work experience in a role that is deemed to be disaster-relevant; or
  • a four year honours bachelor degree, or a three year bachelor degree plus a relevant graduate certificate or graduate diploma


Direct entry into the MDRSD program (80 units) is available for applicants who have:
 

  • a three year bachelor degree and five years' work experience in a role that is deemed to be disaster-relevant plus the UON Graduate Certificate in Disaster Risk Reduction
  • a four year honours bachelor degree, or a three year bachelor degree plus the UON Graduate Certificate in Disaster Risk Reduction


Direct entry into the MDRSD program (160 units) is available for applicants who have:
 

  • an advanced diploma or associate degree and five years' work experience in a role that is deemed to be disaster-relevant; or
  • a three year bachelor degree which is not accompanied by employment in a disaster-relevant role or work experience


Indirect entry into the MDRSD program via the Graduate Certificate in Disaster Risk Reduction (GCDRR). Upon completion of the GCDRR, students would be eligible for admission into the MDRSD program (160 units) with 40 units of credit. This entry path is available for applicants who have:
 

  • an advanced diploma or associate degree which is not accompanied by employment in a disaster-relevant role or work experience.


Relevant work experience will be assessed using the following information:
 

  • An applicant statement detailing current role and work experience that is disaster-related
  • A statement of service relating to disaster-related employment
  • A comprehensive curriculum vitae

Fees

AUD 37,730 (indicative annual fee)
Indicative annual fees are based on a full year full time load (80 units). 

The Master of Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development is designed to appeal to those in management positions in private and public sector organisations, as well as those in NGOs and civil society, whose work involves resilience-building through the mitigation of impacts arising out of extreme events, which can be as varied as natural disasters, data breaches, political instability, terror attacks or health epidemics.

The term 'Resilience Officer' is being increasingly used by organisations to describe this role, though many have yet to embrace the terminology. Nevertheless, elements of this job role will be familiar to those who work in local government, planning and implementing strategies for town planning, urban and rural development, community safety and service continuity in times of emergency.

In the private sector this is mirrored by business continuity, environmental protection, risk management, disaster recovery planning, emergency and crisis management and workplace health and safety functions. Given the financial implications posed by risk, this program is also highly relevant to those managing and minimising risk and insurance cover.

There is also clear alignment between those employed in the emergency services and the planning and implementation of risk mitigation programs, and this is mirrored in the NGO and voluntary sectors including community-based organisations.

Following the recent disasters in Australia and globally, the need for expanded professional roles to support resilience building has become important and this program prepares graduates for such roles.

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