MSc in International Disaster Management
Manchester, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
05 Jul 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 30,700 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* stage 4| due to high demand for this course, we operate a staged admissions process with multiple selection deadlines throughout the year, to maintain a fair and transparent approach
** international students full-time fees
Key Summary
Critically analyse key concepts in disaster management theory, research, policy and practice.
Course overview
- Develop skills and knowledge to critically analyse and apply key concepts in disaster management theory, research, policy and application, such as vulnerability, resilience, governance, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.
- The University of Manchester is a world-leading institution, ranked in the top-50 globally across all of Arts and Humanities by Times Higher Education 2025 .
- Learn from an interdisciplinary team, drawing on ideas and methods in geography, history, politics, development studies, the arts and medicine.
- Develop knowledge and critical thinking skills to help prepare for a career in disaster management.
Each year the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures offer several School Awards and Subject-Specific Bursaries (the values of which are usually set at Home fees level), open to both Home and international students.
The deadline for these is early February each year.
HCRI special bursary each year HCRI offers a themed bursary (set at the value of Home fees) open to postgraduate students.
Manchester Alumni Bursary offers a £3,000 reduction in tuition fees to University of Manchester alumni who achieved a 1st within the last three years and are progressing to a postgraduate taught master's course.
Manchester Master's Bursary is a University-wide scheme that offers 100 bursaries worth £3,000 in funding for students from underrepresented groups.
Equity and Merit Scholarship offers a full-time scholarship for academically excellent students from Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Postgraduate 1+3 funding is available from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for students to pursue postgraduate study through a master's (one year) leading into a PhD (three years). It requires a project proposal as part of the application.
All countries face a wide range of hazards that have the potential to result in catastrophic societal impacts.
Despite actions taken by local emergency management professionals, international trends show that the economic and social impact of disaster is increasing around the world.
This is especially true in lower-income contexts, where large-scale disasters can result in enormous loss of life as well as considerable economic damage.
The MSc in International Disaster Management is aimed at students interested in critically analysing key concepts in disaster management theory, research, policy and application, including vulnerability, governance, disaster risk reduction, and enhancing resilience to disasters through prevention, preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
Students undertake interdisciplinary study at HCRI, focusing on the critical analysis of current trends in academic research and policies, particularly those related to international disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, and humanitarian action tools commonly used by disaster risk reduction professionals.
Students engage with a core curriculum that brings together the spheres of disaster risk reduction, sustainable development and humanitarian action.
HCRI's interdisciplinary team of researchers support critical exploration of disaster resilience, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, equipping students to work professionally in disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.
The MSc in International Disaster Management is unique as it incorporates units and lecturers from a wide variety of disciplines, including business and management, systems thinking, geography, history, politics, development studies, the arts and medicine.
This course is suitable for developing initial capacity in disaster risk reduction and/or supporting continuing education for disaster risk reduction professionals.
Aims
- On completion of the course, students demonstrate a critical understanding of the following.
- Key issues and debates related to the theory and application of disaster risk reduction. Students will demonstrate familiarity with different theoretical approaches, practical problems and an appreciation of the diversity of polices at international and national levels, including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
- Reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals.
- The range of environmental, health and social science topics which influence disaster risk reduction and management (including geographical, political, historical, anthropological understandings). Students will be familiar with the methodological underpinnings of these disciplines.
- The analytical and policy literature concerning the related issues of disaster risk reduction including environmental studies, emergency management, the role and perspectives of the state, multilateral and bilateral agencies, international and domestic NGOs and other civil institutions.
- An understanding of common approaches to disaster risk reduction, including an awareness of the problems and critiques associated with disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery in both high- and low-income countries.
- The development of a range of intellectual and professional skills through both independent and group-based work.
- A detailed understanding of a specific conceptual and/or policy-related area of disaster risk reduction along with implications and limitations of research findings on this subject, and of how to produce an original piece of academic research in the form of a dissertation.
Special features
Study at HCRI
The Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI) at the University of Manchester is inspired by the need to conduct rigorous research and to support both undergraduate and postgraduate training on the impact and outcomes of contemporary and historical crises.
Established in 2008 by Dr Rony Brauman, Professor Bertrand Taithe and Professor Tony Redmond, HCRI is recognised as a leading international research institute focusing on the study of humanitarianism, conflict response and peacebuilding.
Our work is driven by a desire to inform and support policymakers and practitioners, to optimise joint working between partner organisations and to foster increased understanding and debate within the field.
Bringing together the disciplines of medicine and the humanities, including International Relations and Political Science, to achieve these goals, HCRI facilitates improvement in crisis response on a global scale while providing a centre of excellence for with the study of emergency, conflict and peace.
We embrace this opportunity to develop a scholarly and professional agenda for humanitarians and peacebuilders around the world.
Teaching and learning
Students learn through face-to-face teaching at The University of Manchester. This will be supported by lectures, discussion boards and other eLearning elements, in line with government and university COVID guidance.
Coursework and assessment
Graduation requires completion of 180 credits. A total of 120 credits of unit coursework are required for students to progress to the dissertation project.
A passing dissertation results in the final 60 credits needed for MSc completion.
The MSc in International Disaster Management first and foremost provides students with a grounding in critical disaster studies a skill set for which humanitarian organisations express an ongoing need.
Knowledge and critical thinking skills gained on the course have prepared graduates for national and international careers in emergency management and planning, programme management, consultancy, data migration, defence primary healthcare, and research.
Organisations our graduates have worked for include:
- NGOs such as German Red Cross, International Committee of the Red Cross (IFRC), Refugee Council, Shelter, Oxfam, and Age UK Manchester;
- Security and Defence/Intelligence Fusion;
- National Health Service;
- Local and Central Government/Civil service.
The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that is available to students while studying and for two years after graduation. At Manchester, there are a number of opportunities to boost your employability .