Disaster Management

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The experiences of recent major disasters, such as the Indian Ocean tsunami and the massive earthquake in Pakistan, and the discouraging trend of disasters around the world have made it clear that a holistic approach to Disaster Management is needed to substantially reduce disaster losses.

It is not only the response to deal with the consequences of disasters that has to be more effective andprofessional, but even more so the efforts to assess and reduce risks beforehand and to recover after.

These three main processes of Disaster Management - Disaster Risk Reduction, Response and Recovery - all have distinctive objectives and are equally important and overlap each other, and will have to be incorporated in all Disaster Management decisions. Further should Disaster Management decisions be based on a socially, politically, culturally, economically and environmentally sustainable foundation.

In order to meet these needs for a more holistic approach to Disaster Management, the University of Copenhagen and Lund University are offering their joint multidisciplinary expertise in the form of a master programme, based on the above philosophy - a Master of Disaster Management.

The Master programme is designed to offer students the opportunity to take advantage of over 870 years of research and experience of the two leading Scandinavian universities.

Target Group
The aim of the Master of Disaster Management is to provide national and international aid workers, government officials and other professionals interested in any or all parts of Disaster Management with a solid and holistic interdisciplinary background so that they can respect and understand the complex context of acting and working before, during and after a disaster.

The Master of Disaster Management is relevant for all professions (doctors, engineers, military officers, social scientists, nurses, logisticians, risk managers, decision makers etc) working with Disaster Management. This means a broad array of people working in national authorities, international organisations (UN, Red Cross/Crescent Movement, EU etc), public services (health, energy, water) and relief/aid organisations.

The Master of Disaster Management consists of 60 ECTS earned through six intensive courses and a thesis. The programme starts in September and ends in August the following year. The courses from September through February are mandatory. The two elective courses will typically be followed between March and June.

Mandatory Courses
The two first mandatory courses of the Master of Disaster Management is designed around the three main processes of Disaster Management and will introduce the student to all disciplines involved in Disaster Management.

This first of them - Introduction to Disaster Management Theories and Risk Reduction - consists of a general introduction, student team building and personal safety, qualitative and quantitative research methods, disaster management theories and history of disaster studies. It also introduces the students to risk analysis and evaluation (including hazard analysis and vulnerability analysis), risk reduction (prevention and mitigation) and preparedness.

The second mandatory course - Introduction to Disaster Response and Recovery - will introduce the students to themes such as basic relief needs, food, water, sanitation, health, hygiene and shelter. It also touches upon issues of coordination, field assessment and evaluation, and reconstruction and sustainable development.

The third mandatory course is the Research Design course in January, which will kick-start your thesis writing process.

The last mandatory course will follow up on the Introduction to Disaster Response and Recovery with a focus on coordination aspects of Disaster Management.

Elective Courses
Below is a list of the elective courses offered as part of the Master of Disaster Management. Each Master of Disaster Management student must choose two elective courses (for a total of 10 ECTS).

Spring

Risk Assessment Methods

Geo Information in Disaster Situations

Health in Emergencies and Refugee Health

Water Supply and Sanitation in Emergencies

Fall

Shelter and Settlements in Disasters

Courses from other institutions

The elective courses may be chosen among those offered at the University of Copenhagen and Lund University, as well as courses offered by other accredited academic international institutions (subject to review by the Master of Disaster Management study board).

Thesis writing
As a student of the Master of Disaster Management programme, you are required to submit a final thesis in order to be awarded a Masters degree. The thesis will be graded by your supervisor and an external examiner.

The thesis process consists of the following components:
1. Draft Thesis Proposal (submitted before the programme starts)
2. Synopsis
3. Research Proposal
4. Data Collection
5. Thesis

Thesis objectives
Your Masters thesis should demonstrate that you are able to address complex problems/issues, which demand the integration of empirical data, theory and rigorous methods. The thesis may be based on primary or secondary data and material.

The thesis must:
* be based on a clearly formulated research question;
* have specific objectives;
* be based on relevant and clearly-described materials and methods;
* present clear findings;
* present a balanced and critical discussion of materials, methods and findings, relating these to other relevant literature within the field;
* fulfil the formal requirements for scientific presentations and include a front page, an abstract, a table of contents, references, etc.

On completion of the thesis project, the student should be able to:
* transform an international health/disaster management issue into a research question, identifying the nature of the problem, as well as the process needed to solve it;
* choose appropriate research methods;
* collect necessary data/information and critically analyse, review and interpret one's own research and the relevant literature;
* draw conclusions as to the nature of the problem and how to solve it;
* present well-argued and referenced recommendations as to future practice(s) in the given field;
* manage and plan the thesis writing process within the given timeframe;
* where relevant, include feedback and practical policy implications for local authorities (if research is based on local data) to contribute to improvements at the local level
* give a short thesis presentation, highlighting aims, main findings, conclusion and possible recommendations - as well as discussing critical questions and remarks regarding the findings and conclusions;
* provide critical and constructive feedback to fellow students on their theses.

To apply to the Master of Disaster Management, students must meet the following admission criteria: * A Bachelors degree in a relevant field (e.g. engineering, medicine, social sciences, science, journalism, etc.) or an equivalent qualification from a recognized higher education institution An applicant must submit certified copies of the degree certificates/diplomas and transcript of records. If the document is not in English, it must be accompanied by a certified English translation. A certified copy is a copy of the academic document with an original stamp from the higher education institution or any other recognized legal/public body. Only copies of academic documents bearing original stamps are accepted. * At least two years of relevant work experience This may be a paid or unpaid employment (regular employment, internship, volunteer work, practicum, job placement, etc.) obtained after your qualifying degree and relevant to Disaster Management. Work experience obtained before or during your qualifying degree can in special circumstances be taken into consideration. * Proof of English proficiency Applicants for whom English is not the first language must submit results of either the International English Language Testing System (IELTS/Academic) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable score for the IELTS is 6; the minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 on the paper test, 213 on the computerized test, or 79-80 on the internet-based test. * Basic IT/computer Skills The applicant must be able to use word processor, e-mail, use programmes such as PowerPoint, Excel, etc., save files in various formats (pdf, rtf, doc, etc.); download files, explore the internet, multi-task on the computer, and do research online. * A draft thesis proposalApplicants with other backgrounds may be considered on an individual basis.Admission to intensive coursesSince all courses are followed by both students pursuing the Master of Disaster Management degree and student just enrolled for that particular course, it is required that the students applying for intensive courses also live up to the criteria listed above, with exception of the draft thesis proposal. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6 TOEFL paper-based test score : 550 TOEFL iBT® test: 79 Work Experience At least 2 year(s) of work experience is required.