Master of Disaster and Emergency Response
Course code L70
This unique course has been designed for multi-disciplinary professionals who are involved in the overall management of, and response to disasters.
This includes people currently working in areas like emergency services, healthcare services, military, NGO’s, volunteer groups, disaster response agencies or emergency telecommunications.
The course is the shortest of its kind in Australia and is available entirely online. It will provide you with a complete introduction to the challenges associated with the management of mass casualty incidents and disasters and providing leadership and support to those involved.
The course explores disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. You’ll also study the psychological effects of disaster and be introduced to the concepts of disaster health and humanitarian. The course also gives you the opportunity to develop research skills, including developing a systematic review on a topic of your choice, which some students have gone to publish.
Each week you’ll benefit from the expertise of renowned national and international guest speakers through interview-style podcasts.
Speakers have included professionals from organisations such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, the Australian Institute of Disaster Resilience and the International Committee of the Red Cross. As well as speakers who survived terrorist attacks like the London and Bali bombings and 9/11.
Entry requirements
ECU admission and English language requirements apply.
See Course Entry for further information.
Course code
L70
Admissions
Fees
Domestic fee paying - estimated 1st year indicative fee AUD $20,550
See Fees and Scholarships for further information
Availability & Campus
| JO | ML | BU | OL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||||
| Part-time |
See Course Details for further information.
Entry requirements
ECU admission and English language requirements apply.
See Course Entry for further information.
Course code
L70
Fees
See Fees and Scholarships for further information
Availability & Campus
| JO | ML | BU | OL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||||
| Part-time |
See Course Details for further information.
Course Entry
Admission requirements you'll need to meet for this course.
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Academic admission requirements (Band 8) may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- Bachelor degree in a cognate discipline; or
- Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience.
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English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- IELTS Overall band minimum score of 6.5 (no individual band less than 6.0);
- Bachelor degree from a country specified on the English Proficiency Bands page;
- Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at postgraduate level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent);
- Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience; or
- Other tests, courses or programs defined on the English Proficiency Bands page.
Course Details
Choose student typeSemester availability
Semester 1: Study full-time Online
Semester 1: Study part-time Online
Semester 2: Study full-time Online
Semester 2: Study part-time Online
Semester availability
Semester 1: Study full-time Online
Semester 1: Study part-time Online
Semester 2: Study full-time Online
Semester 2: Study part-time Online
This course is not offered for study on-campus to international students with a student visa.
Course Structure
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| DER6101 | Introduction to Emergency Management | 20 |
| DER6102 | Disaster Preparedness & Mitigation | 20 |
| DER6103 | Major Incident Management | 20 |
L70|3
For more detailed unit information for this course take a look at our Handbook. To organise your life for next semester visit the Semester timetable.
Student handbookCourse notes
Important course notes
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The course can be studied entirely online when suitable agreements have been established to provide supervision of the practical components of the course. However, if suitable supervisors and/or facilities are not available, attendance at the Joondalup Campus will be required. In the absence of clinical placement settings, on-campus intensive workshops will be provided to meet the learning outcomes of individual units.
Course Learning Outcomes
- Apply advanced risk and emergency management knowledge and understanding to lead disaster and emergency response incidents.
- Apply cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, evaluate and synthesise complex ideas, concepts and theories in authentic community paramedical and emergency response contexts.
- Communicate and collaborate with diverse stakeholders in complex risk and emergency situations to facilitate effective responses.
- Demonstrate leadership and management skills by planning, implementing and evaluating disaster and emergency response projects.
Fees and Scholarships
Choose student typeAUD $20,550 *
* Domestic fee paying - estimated 1st year indicative fee
The 'Estimated 1st year indicative fee' is provided as a guide only, based on a typical enrolment of students undertaking the first year of this course. At ECU, you pay for the individual units you enrol in, not an overall course fee, so the total cost of your course will vary, depending on what units you choose. An indicative fee will be provided with your course offer, however you can use our Course Fee Calculator to estimate the amount you’ll need to pay. ECU fees are adjusted annually.
Scholarships
ECU has a scholarship program that provides many opportunities each year to students undertaking studies here.
Find a scholarshipCareer Opportunities
The course focuses on developing the advanced skills necessary to meet the requirements of employment in a disaster and emergency response role. Graduates can use their disaster and emergency response qualification in a range of multidisciplinary settings, both nationally and internationally, including emergency response agencies and non-governmental organisations.
Similar courses to consider
- Graduate Diploma of Disaster and Emergency Response
- Graduate Certificate of Disaster and Emergency Response
Courses you can consider if you are interested in progressing further in this area.
- Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated)
Students interested in completing a PhD in Disaster & Emergency Response should consider the Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated).
Quick guide to uni-speak
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ATAR is the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate university courses in Australia. The ATAR is a percentile score which denotes a student's ranking relative to their state-wide peers upon completion of their secondary education.
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CRICOS is the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. A CRICOS code is allocated to education institutions (like ECU) who are approved to recruit, enrol and deliver education to overseas students. Courses with a CRICOS code are available to international students who meet the entry requirements.
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A major, or unit set, is your chosen area of in-depth study in an undergraduate course. It usually involves 8 units of study, or one-third of the units in a 3-year degree. Talk to your Student Information Office if you need help choosing a major subject.
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Minors include between 4 and 6 study units in a specific discipline. Not all courses require you to complete a minor. Your minor subject doesn't appear on your printed degree (parchment), but is part of your academic transcript.
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If you're enrolled in 3 or more units in a semester this is considered full-time study. To complete most 3-year degrees studying full-time you'll need to complete 4 units per semester, i.e. 24 units over 3 years.
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If a course is available to study part-time you can generally expect it to take twice as long to complete as it would in full-time mode. Part-time students are enrolled in 1 or 2 units maximum per semester.
Note: International students who hold a student visa can only choose the full-time study option for our courses. This is to ensure the course is completed within the duration of the student visa.
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Most courses start in Semester 1 each year, usually in the last week of February. Some courses can be started in Semester 2 (we call this mid-year). There's a week of Orientation before each semester to help you get used to uni life.
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A lot of our courses start in Semester 2 each year, usually in the last week of July. We call this mid-year. There's a week of Orientation beforehand to help you get used to uni life.
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We use a points system to make it easier for you to understand your study progress. Most Bachelors degree study units are allocated 15 credit points. If you're studying a 3-year full-time degree you'll need to successfully complete 360 credit points – that's 24 units x 15 points per unit.
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These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.
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An elective is a unit you choose to study that counts towards your course requirements, but isn't compulsory. For some courses we recommend elective units. In some situations, a course coordinator may approve an elective unit as a replacement for a compulsory one.
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