Course details

Summary

Master of Disaster, Risk and Resilience (MDRR) students will gain:

• an understanding of the natural and societal causes of disasters
• the ability to analyse and critique strategies for disaster reduction
• experience in applying learning to specific disaster-reduction-related situations
• practice in formulating risk communication, risk reduction and resilience strategies and communicating concepts to a wide audience
• an understanding of methodologies to build resilience.

Joint delivery by two Canterbury tertiary institutions:

This master's will be collaboratively taught by members of Lincoln University’s Department of Environmental Management and the University of Canterbury’s Department of Geological Sciences. Both universities have experienced and learned much from the recent Canterbury earthquake sequence, and have been involved in national-level design of research programmes on Resilience to Nature’s Challenges. The programmes will allow students to access the complementary knowledge and expertise sets of each university, as well as increasing the scope of research projects. Currently UC has strong expertise in hazard processes, risk assessment, risk management and risk reduction, while Lincoln has strengths in environment, planning, socio-economic factors, community engagement, policy and resilience.

Summary of Regulations
This 180-point degree is made up of: five compulsory courses (75 points), three optional courses (45 points - selected from an approved list of 400 (UC) and 600 (LU) level courses in which the student has specific interests) plus either a 60-point dissertation (DRRE 691 completed over summer) or a third semester of coursework (60 points).

Career opportunities:

Graduates of this degree could find themselves working in regional or national level roles within Civil Defence and Emergency Management positions in New Zealand or internationally. For example the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC), Western Australia’s peak emergency management body.

Graduates could also find themselves working in local government or private sector consultancies advising how to reduce the vulnerability of people and communities to disaster, or with international agencies like the UNISDR, or progressing to PhDs and research roles in organisations like GNS.

Entry criteria

A relevant degree with at least a B grade average in the 300 level and final year (full-time equivalent) courses. They should also have obtained an overall CAE score of 176, with no individual component less than 169; PTE of 58 overall score - with no communicative skill less than 50; Lincoln University English Language of GCAE or LU EL 70%; NZCEL of Level 5 (Academic or Professional Endorsement).