Gain the skills to tackle increasingly complex disaster risks, both now and in the future, and research a topic of your interest.
Develop advanced disaster risk management knowledge and skills to reduce disaster risks, build community resilience, and manage disaster response and recovery.
The Master of Disaster Risk Management and Development aligns with global and national best practice, and is ideal if you’re passionate about sustainable development, community resilience or humanitarian response. It’s also a good fit if you’re already working in the field and need a tertiary-level qualification.
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Completed one of the following; or equivalent:
International student entry requirements
Explore topics like disasters and development, environmental change and humanitarian action, building community resilience, and communications in emergency and disaster.
You also research a topic of your interest and complete either a thesis, or a dissertation or practice project.
The programme focuses on diverse themes like socially and culturally appropriate approaches to disaster risk management, resilience-building in the face of climate change, as well as improved building codes and better ecosystem protection to reduce disaster risk and support sustainable development.
All courses are offered via flexible learning, which involves block course on campus and online, or blended learning.
*Choose one 15-point course if you're completing the thesis or three 15-point courses (or one 30-point course and one 15-point course.) if you're doing the dissertation. Other relevant optional courses may be available, with the approval of the programme leader.
The outcomes for graduates of the Master of Disaster Risk Management and Development are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.
Find out how you can enrol in the courses and classes for your programme, whether you’ve just joined AUT as a new student or you’re already studying with us. If you’re looking for more info on a specific course use our course search.
Practice as a health professional in New Zealand is governed by legislation and a number of ‘Responsible Authorities’ (such as the NZ Psychologist Board, Physiotherapy Board and the Nursing Council who register practitioners). Overseas qualified health professionals who wish to practise in New Zealand should communicate directly with the relevant Responsible Authority. Qualifications recognised for professional registration at AUT are undergraduate; study at postgraduate level is not considered equivalent recognition for NZ Board certification.
We recommend you take the following courses as part of your programme so you can graduate with a focus on public health and resilience:
And two from:
As a graduate of this programme you could work in disaster preparedness, humanitarian response or recovery for:
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.