Campuses and locations
The University of Newcastle is a multi-campus institution offering programs in a number of locations.
The multidisciplinary Master of Disaster Risk and Resilience equips graduates from diverse backgrounds to understand resilience and sustainable development principles, and systematically apply them to avoid disasters, operate through extreme events and emerge better placed to face the future.
Organisations around the world are realising that by championing disaster resilience, they can not only save lives and revenue, but also achieve a competitive advantage and lead the way within their industry. By seeking to become more resilient, disaster risks can be mitigated and reduced.
If your role involves identifying, mitigating and managing business, safety and/or community and environmental risks – or if you aspire to such a position – this program will place you at the forefront of your field.
Speak one-on-one with expert staff
This the first and only degree to provide UN co-certification in the use of tools and frameworks central to resilience building and thereby achieving sustainable development.
It contains core elements related to disaster risk reduction and resilience building that are underpinned by a practical grounding and application of the Sendai Framework and UN-SDGs and the development of disaster risk management skills.
Core Courses
Directed Courses
Depending on their entry level, students will also complete between two and eight courses from a list of Directed Courses. These include courses in community development, sustainable development, and related areas of project management, law, business management, environmental management, social sciences.
The Master of Disaster Risk and Resilience is designed to appeal to those in management positions in private and public sector organisations, as well as those in NGOs and civil society, whose work involves resilience-building through the mitigation of impacts arising out of extreme events, which can be as varied as natural hazards, climate change, data breaches, political instability, terror attacks or health epidemics.
With the recent disasters in Australia, and also globally, the need for expanded professional roles to support resilience building has become important and this program prepares graduates for such roles.
Roles include
United Nations Institute for Training and Research
This program includes courses that are certified by the Centre International de Formation des Autorites et Leaders (CIFAL) Newcastle, in accordance with the requirements of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
Listen to our students talk about their degree and life at the University of Newcastle.
Applications to study are now open. Submit your application now..
Both students and education agents can submit applications online. This is our preferred way of application. You can save your application after you have started, and come back to it later.
To ensure that the process goes smoothly for you, you should complete the following steps before applying:
You will be considered for entry based on criteria such as your undergraduate studies and/or equivalent prior learning and/or relevant work experience.
Make sure you double check the special entry requirements, assumed knowledge or recommended studies for the degree:
Entry and structural progression within the Master of Disaster Risk and Resilience is outlined below.
Students who have completed an:
Students who have commenced the Graduate Certificate of Disaster Risk and Resilience are eligible to transfer to the Master of Disaster Risk and Resilience upon successful completion of 75% of their Graduate Certificate coursework.
You can look at Uni prep for options to brush up on knowledge before you start.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.