Postgraduate Diploma in Disaster Risk Management and Development
Learn how to reduce disaster risks, build community resilience, and manage disaster response and recovery.
Passionate about sustainable development, community resilience or humanitarian response? Do you want a career in emergency and disaster risk management, or are already working in the field? The Postgraduate Diploma in Disaster Risk Management and Development prepares you for managing increasingly complex disaster risks, now and in the future.
Topics you’ll study include disasters and development, environmental change and humanitarian action, building community resilience, and communications in emergency and disaster.
Download programme guides
Minimum entry requirements
Completed one of the following; or equivalent:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Relevant professional qualification or experience approved by the Dean (or representative) to be equivalent to a bachelor’s degree
International student entry requirements
Other requirements
- Submit evidence of ability to study at postgraduate level in this field
- Provide evidence of current professional practice
- May be required to complete relevant prerequisite courses as specified by the Board of Studies
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with no band less than 6.0
The programme aligns with global and national best practice, and is committed to advance community wellbeing by reducing risks. It focuses on 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, with block courses on campus and online teaching and learning. This is convenient if you live in Auckland and prefer flexible learning modules. It may also work if you live outside of Auckland, or balance your studies with your work.
International students must adhere to the requirements of their student visa and enrol in the on-campus offerings of courses.
Complete the following courses
- EMGT807 Environmental Change and Humanitarian Action (15 points)
- EMGT808 Disasters and Development (15 points)
- EMGT809 Building Community Resilience (15 points)
And choose five courses from*
- COMH805 Mauri Ora – Holistic Healing from Trauma (15 points)
- EMGT806 Communications in Emergency and Disaster (15 points)
- ENSE881 Digital Transformation and Change Management (15 points)
- EPMY801 Social Epidemiology (15 points)
- EPMY802 Advanced Epidemiology (15 points)
- GEOL801 Environment, Hazards and Society (15 points)
- HEAL803 Special Topic (30 points)
- HEAL811 Research Design and Methods (15 points)
- HEAL816 Special Topic (15 points)
- MAOH801 Māori Health Research Practice - Te Rangahau Hauora Māori (15 points)
- MAH804 Te Hau o te Ora - Hauora Māori Development (15 points)
- PUBH803 Global Health (15 points)
- PUBH804 Public Health Policy and Systems (15 points)
- PUBH810 Pacific Health Research and Design (15 points)
- PUBL801 International Public Relations (15 points – City Campus and online)
*Choose five 15-point courses, or one 30-point course and three 15-point courses. Other relevant optional courses may be available, with the approval of the programme leader. Optional courses may be selected from other relevant subject areas.
Skills you will develop
The outcomes for graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma in Disaster Risk Management and Development are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.
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.
Interested in public health?
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:
- Local or international NGOs
- Emergency management agencies
- Ministries
- International organisations
($10,630 tuition fees + $1,221.60 student services levy)
($45,300 tuition fees + $1,221.60 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.