Course summary

Global warming, climate change, environmental disasters, and terror threats present significant and growing threats to societies. Disasters, crises and risks cause social, economic, financial, natural and physical disruption that often most severely affect the poor and vulnerable. The ‘messiness’ that risks, crisis and disasters create requires complex solutions to mitigate impact. Being able to manage and mitigate these threats is now seen by the United Nations as a globally valuable skill, enshrined in their three frameworks - the Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030), the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) and the Paris Protocol (2015-2020). Identifying interconnections between these frameworks and putting them into practice to achieve sustainable outcomes in complex situations can be challenging for practitioners and responders. This highly inter-disciplinary degree aims to develop your confidence, as a frontline practitioner/responder, to improve practice, alleviate poverty, reduce systemic risk, and in so doing, assert leadership in this field. Within your programme you'll undertake various methods of assessment individually such as reflective essays and reports and also work with peers to undertake compulsory group work such as article reviews and an emergency response plan. In addition to learning the risk, crisis and disaster management theories that underpin the UN’s Frameworks, the course will provide you with the skills and confidence to plan and execute research and engage in global debates with confidence. To achieve this, you will be supported in developing skills in evaluating information critically, communicating ideas clearly, undertaking advanced conceptual analysis, using information sources effectively, reporting and interpreting research critically, and developing new approaches to problem-solving. We have over 30 years experience of offering distance learning education that gives you the flexibility to fit your study around existing commitments and enhance your career prospects without having to leave employment, as well as the opportunity to build your global network. With our programme you have the choice of completing your studies in two or two and a half years. In the standard two and half year model you will study all of the modules sequentially before moving onto your dissertation. In our accelerated two-year model you will study module one before studying modules two and three simultaneously, before going on to study to your fourth module and then your dissertation.