Disaster Management BSc (Hons)

" Disaster Management BSc (Hons)

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— Coventry University (@covcampus) February 9, 2015 OVERVIEW

This Disaster Management course runs in 2016/17.

Effective disaster management is a global priority. This course develops your understanding of the causes of disasters, and how to minimise their impact. It brings to life the challenges of managing crises when they happen, anywhere in the world.

WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE?

You will learn about all aspects of the disaster cycle – prepare, respond, recover, prevent - and key management principles of planning, organising, coordinating and leading so that you can develop into the role of a disaster management professional. These professionals actively lessen the impact of human and environmental catastrophes. They are astute practitioners who work with numerous partners to quickly and accurately assess situations or communities and turn the recovery phase of a disaster to their advantage to secure long-term sustainable development.

We believe in learning by doing and this course gives you the chance to undertake a year of professional training with, for example, a national agency or humanitarian or training organisation, such as World Mission or Petrofac.

If you choose this course you will benefit from:

• a wealth of experience. Coventry was the first UK University to offer courses in disaster management; Coventry pioneered the professional training year for disaster managers; and Coventry graduates form one of the largest bodies of disaster management alumni in the world (source: LinkedIn 2014);
• opportunities to undertake site visits, practice field operations and attend international field courses;
• experienced teaching staff who bring their professional and research expertise to their teaching;
• training exercises in a state-of-the-art Crises Simulation Centre to develop your skills in responding in ‘real-time’ to emergencies;
• the opportunity to specialise in the widest variety of disaster management subjects on offer in the UK: from water, sanitation and environmental engineering, to community resilience, natural hazards, humanitarian aid and relief systems, business continuity management, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and shelter and construction;
• recent graduates have gone on to work for Asia Disaster Preparedness Centre, RedR India, Oxfam GB, Halcrow Group Ltd, All Hands, Lloyds Register, the Catholic Overseas Development Agency (CAFOD) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

The BSc Disaster Management shares a common first year with BSc Disaster Management and Emergency Planning, enabling you to choose either course in later years.

You will start by developing an understanding of the causes of disasters, their impacts on people and critical infrastructure through the analysis of real case studies and the role of emergency management. As part of these studies you will be introduced to environmental systems, humanitarian operations and organisational management.

In the second year you will form a deeper understanding of hazards, risk and vulnerability by analysing factors such as poverty, environmental change and community resilience. In addition, you will develop practical skills in GIS, project management, crises management and logistics.

In the final year you will assess a range of risk reduction interventions, investigate how disaster risk reduction can be mainstreamed into public policy and implement a systematic approach to disaster management. You will also have the opportunity to carry out an independent piece of research of your choosing.

Contributing to the work of the International Disaster Concern Society or other charities established by our students you can gain real experience of working in the humanitarian sector.

HOW WILL THIS COURSE BE TAUGHT?

Your course will be based on a series of lectures, field exercises, seminars and practical classes. In addition, your personal tutor will review and discuss your progress with you and be available with expert advice.

If you are interested in part-time study (which is taught during the day) please contact the Part-time Admissions team on +44 (0) 24 7765 4321 or email part-time.uni@coventry.ac.uk for further information, but please note that not all courses have a part-time option.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

An estimated percentage breakdown of how your final grade is assessed is as follows: formal examinations 25%; coursework reports, essays, exercises, presentations, posters 60%; project work 15%.

A compulsory Add+vantage module must also be completed: please see the page on the Add+vantage scheme for more details.

TEACHING CONTACT HOURS

Site visits and training exercises mean that no two weeks will be the same but in a ‘typical’ week you will have up to 16 contact hours of teaching and this will break down as:

Personal tutorial/small group teaching: 4 hours of small group teaching each week

Medium group teaching: 6 hours of practical classes, workshops or seminars each week

Large group teaching: 6 hours of lectures each week

Personal study: 20 hours each week studying and revising in your own time

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