Master of Planning and Management of Natural Hazards

Natural hazards like bushfires, floods, cyclones and pandemics can cause social and economic disaster in any city or region across the globe. UNE’s Master of Planning and Management of Natural Hazards offers a multidisciplinary, high-level exploration of natural hazards — through coursework and your supervised dissertation — to prepare leaders in the field of hazard mitigation and disaster reduction. You will learn advanced skills for researching and responding to natural hazards, the disasters they cause, the contexts in which they occur, and methods of disaster reduction. You will build critical-thinking and problem-solving capacities through robust coursework and guided, independent research. These skills are in demand across a range of professions and will help you become future fit for a career in planning and hazard management.

Why study the Master of Planning and Management of Natural Hazards with UNE?

Gain expertise in the field of natural hazard mitigation, in Australian and international contexts, at a time when skills in disaster reduction are particularly vital. Through a comprehensive coursework program plus your supervised dissertation, you will gain practical, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to succeed as leader in the field of natural hazard mitigation.

The coursework program within the Master of Planning and Management of Natural Hazards includes four core units plus four elective units in special interest areas.

The core units cover topic areas that are fundamental to planning and managing natural hazards:

• environmental factors that combine to produce natural hazards
• the ecological, social and economic consequences of natural hazards and disasters
• methods relevant to studying aspects of natural hazards and disasters
• mitigation strategies
• challenges and opportunities for policy development in the natural hazards field
• future trends in planning for and managing natural hazards.

Choose four electives from a comprehensive, multidisciplinary suite of units. This is your opportunity to focus special interest areas from options that include (but are not limited to) the environment, economics, population, public policy, globalisation and sustainability.

Your research dissertation, on a topic that you choose in consultation with your supervisor, will enable your professional expertise. Plus, this is an opportunity to gain advanced skills in academic research.

What makes our course different?

UNE's Master of Planning and Management of Natural Hazards is designed to enable high-level understanding of natural hazards and disasters and their mitigation through planning and policy. Through this course you have the opportunity to:

• gain a postgraduate qualification to enable you as an industry leader with expert knowledge and skills in natural hazard mitigation
• build critical-thinking and problem-solving capacities through robust coursework and guided, independent research
• enable specialised knowledge via your supervised dissertation, and by choosing specialist elective units from the extensive range of multidisciplinary options
• study flexibly either on campus or online and complete your course in either 1.5 years (full time) or up to six years (part time).

UNE has been the leading innovator of flexible study for over 60 years. We are committed to helping busy adults to study from anywhere. In fact, we're rated 5-star by our students for Overall Experience in The Good Universities Guide, year after year.

Study online

Most of our students choose to study online across three study periods with 24/7 tutor support* and fit study around work and family commitments. Uniquely, our online students are mostly over 30 and bring valuable experience with them. They form a community of adults juggling the same challenges and priorities and who bring their life and work experience together at UNE in order to become future-fit and better respond to a rapidly changing world.

Study on campus

Many of our students choose to take advantage of the on-campus lifestyle in Armidale, in the beautiful New England region, with access to unparalleled support, accommodation and sporting facilities. These students are often starting their first degree and have left school recently. Through access to academic and career support they get a fantastic start to their careers.

24/7 tutor support includes: essay feedback (within 24 hours); live chat 24/7 for generic feedback on academic writing; and subject-specific help at a foundation or first-year level for subjects including mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, business, accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics. There are also a wide range of workshops, resources and courses available in academic skills support to assist you and help you to succeed.

UNE is one of Australia’s oldest universities with a 85 year reputation for excellence in teaching, learning and research. The University of New England (UNE) was the first Australian university established outside a capital city. With a history extending back to the 1920’s UNE has a well-earned reputation as one of Australia’s best teaching, training and research universities. Many graduates of UNE have gone on to hold senior positions around Australia - and overseas - in business, government, education, research and community development. UNE has over 22,000 enrolled students with the majority studying their course online. There are over 4,500 students that study on the University’s traditional Armidale campus, including over 1,200 international students from over 70 different countries. Choose to study in Armidale, Sydney, Adelaide, or online.

At the University of New England, we work hard to give you the best possible learning and research environment.

If you decide to live on or near our main campus in Armidale, a regional city on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, you will find your second home. If you want to live in a major Australian city, our Sydney campus is an ideal choice.

Like many international students, you might decide not to study on campus at all. UNE offers many flexible and online learning options.

No matter how you prefer to study, our academic and professional community will be on-hand to provide advice and support.

Come to UNE to improve your English, make lifelong friends and build a professional network. UNE is also an excellent choice if you are looking for a research centre with more than 700 PhD candidates. Our researchers are pursuing world-class fundamental and applied research in their fields.

While UNE offers a range of courses and study options, you will leave here with so much more than a degree. We will help you master the skills you need to make a real difference in the world.

One of Australia’s most respected universities

UNE is one of Australia’s oldest universities, with a reputation for excellence in teaching, learning and research.

We have over 22,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate coursework, as well as Higher Degree Research programs across fields of study such as:

• Arts and humanities
• Education
• Health and Nursing
• Business and Law
• Environmental and Rural Science
• Science and Technology

An affordable, truly Australian lifestyle

UNE's primary campus is nestled into the city of Armidale, in the heart of the picturesque New England Tableland region of New South Wales.

The New England region is famous for its magnificent gorges, waterfalls and rivers. Our area has a rich history and vibrant culture and is loved for the contrasting beauty of the four distinct seasons.

The Armidale community is proud of its diverse, multicultural society. We have students from over 70 nations studying here. The engagement of international students with the broader community is an important aspect of life at UNE. We know our students enjoy the warm welcome they receive when they arrive. They also appreciate the lower cost of living here compared to capital cities.

Read more about life in Armidale.

UNE has a second campus located in Parramatta, Sydney that offers International students a vibrant city experience. UNE Sydney has a range of courses designed to help students meet the future needs of business, computer science, and the healthcare sectors globally.

Students who choose to study at UNE Sydney will have opportunities to network and explore career paths with Australia’s largest and leading companies, along with easy access to countless restaurants, bars and clubs, retail outlets, the scenic outdoors, and accessible public transport to keep them busy outside of their studies.

Read more about life in Sydney.

Close interaction with teaching staff

With one of the lowest staff-to-student ratios among Australian universities, we give you the chance to interact more easily with your classmates and academic staff.

When you have this close contact with your teachers and peers, you can have in-depth discussions and ask questions more freely.

Smaller class sizes also mean that you are not just a number at UNE. One of the things international students like most about our university is that lecturers and academic staff know their names.

Flexible and distance study options

In addition to UNE's on-campus degrees, we also offer an extensive range of programs via the online mode.

We have an outstanding reputation for our commitment to distance education, and for setting standards for academic learning across the world.

UNE is Australia's longest continuous provider of online education. We have more than 17,000 online students. The flexibility offered by this mode of study allows you to arrange your study around work, family and other commitments.

Browse UNE courses (full-time, on-campus and online programs).

A modern English language centre

The English Language Centre (ELC) at UNE provides a range of English language courses as well as a direct pathway to tertiary study.

The ELC is a fully accredited, modern language centre. Whether you are just beginning to learn English, or you are preparing for entrance into the highest levels of university study, there’s an English language study option for you here.

Read more about our English language programs.

Support when you need it

When you start looking for a university, you have lots of questions. You might be wondering if you are eligible to study here or want to know more about visas and fees.

Maybe you need to find a supervisor to support your Higher Degree research proposal.

There’s plenty of information online, but sometimes you want to speak to someone from the university. Find a full list of UNE International team contacts here.

If you are ready to apply, you will find the online application process is easy. We also have a list of approved education agents in your country who can help you.

We wish you a happy and rewarding time at UNE and look forward to seeing you soon. View our Welcome to UNE brochure for a quick look around before you arrive.