Why study a Master of Disaster Risk and Resilience at UC?

Aotearoa New Zealand is located on the Pacific ‘rim of fire,’ and has one of the most dynamic environments in the world. Floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and tsunami threaten a rapidly-growing, high income economy, driving collaboration between policy, practice research, and local communities, and increasing demand for disaster risk reduction. This makes Aotearoa New Zealand an outstanding laboratory for the study of multi-hazard disaster risk and resilience.

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury is situated in the centre of New Zealand’s South Island, Te Tai Poutini, where the 2010-2011 Canterbury Earthquakes and the 2016 Kaikōura-Hurunui Earthquakes have had extensive and complex impacts in the central and north-east of the island. This has created considerable scope for highly integrated, cutting-edge disaster risk and resilience research.

The Professional Master's programme is taught by a multi-disciplinary team drawn from the Disaster Risk and Resilience Group in UC's Te Kura Aronukurangi | School of Earth and Environment and from Te Pū Ao | GNS Science. This partnership increases the breadth of teaching expertise, student research projects, and industry practice connections.

The programme has won awards for its innovative content and delivery modes, including from the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM).

Entry requirements

To apply for the Master of Disaster Risk and Resilience (MDRR), you will need to have:

• a bachelor's degree which is relevant to Disaster Risk and Resilience, normally with a B Grade Point Average or higher in the final year; and
• 15 points from STAT 100-level courses, or equivalent.
  Note: This prerequisite may be waived at the discretion of the Programme Coordinator.
• If you are an international student and need help meeting these requirements, study one of UC’s International Pre-Master’s pathways to gain entry into this degree.
• If you are a domestic student and need help meeting these requirements, study UC’s Diploma in Advanced University Studies to gain entry into this degree.
• If English is not your first language, you are also required to meet UC's English language requirements. If you need help meeting these requirements, or would like to practise your English skills before studying, UC offers English for Academic Purposes (EAP) language programmes.

For the full entry requirements, see the Regulations for the Master of Disaster Risk and Resilience or use the admission requirements checker.

It is recommended you apply at least a month before the start of the programme in February or July to complete the enrolment process. For more information please contact Te Kura Aronukurangi | School of Earth and Environment.

You can apply online at myUC.

See Admission and enrolment for all information on enrolling at UC.

Subjects and courses

Master of Disaster Risk and Resilience (MDRR) courses draw disaster risk and resilience content from social, physical, and geospatial sciences, as well as planning, law, and engineering disciplines. Innovative teaching methods include role play disaster simulation exercises, field trips to major infrastructure assets/systems and disaster hotspots, and leading guest lecturers from science, government, and industry.

MDRR students gain an understanding of:

• current disaster risk and resilience research and practice fields
• disaster risk drivers, risk communication, and disaster risk reduction strategies
• disaster resilience-building theory and practices.

• DRRE401 Introduction to Disaster Risk and Resilience
• DRRE402 Natural Hazard Risk Assessment
• DRRE403 Disaster Risk and Resilience Applications
• GISC422 Foundations of Geographic Information Systems and Science (unless prior work in GIS has been approved)

You will also need to complete either:

• DRRE691 Professional Project in Disaster Risk and Resilience (60 points)
• 60 points of approved elective courses. These courses are strongly recommended.

Further study

The MDRR is part of a suite of postgraduate qualifications at UC at the intersection of cutting-edge physical and social sciences, exploring interactions between geophysical and human environments with a focus on resilience and geophysical/social environmental dynamics – a growing area of expertise at UC.

See also the Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Disaster Risk and Resilience, led by Te Kura Aronukurangi | School of Earth and Environment.

Career opportunities

MDRR graduates are in a position to choose between proceeding into funded doctoral programmes, or pursuing careers in disaster reduction, risk assessment, hazard assessment, and environmental management and consulting, as well as in local and regional government.

Graduates have found work in consultancies locally and internationally, in NZ Crown Research Institutes, in the National Emergency Management Agency, Toka Tū Ake EQC, in regional Civil Defence and Emergency management Groups, and in the private sector.