Why Study/Key Benefits

• The Postgraduate Diploma in Emergency Management (PGDipEmergMgt) is an advanced postgraduate coursework qualification focused on disaster and emergency management at both operational and strategic levels.
• It covers emergency-management theory, research, policies and professional practice, including disaster preparedness, response, recovery and resilience.
• The programme is particularly designed for people who already have relevant professional or industry experience and want to strengthen their emergency-management competencies, research capability or leadership skills.
• Students can study areas including natural hazards, disaster coping, emergency management practice, development management, climate-resilient planning and evaluation research.
• Students can engage with professionals from the Joint Centre for Disaster Research, a collaboration between Massey University and GNS Science based at Massey's Wellington campus.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The 120-credit programme consists of 60 credits of compulsory study and 60 credits selected from the approved course schedule.

Compulsory component:

Students choose 30 credits from:

• 130705 Emergency Management – 30 credits
  • Social, psychological, community and organisational dimensions of disaster management
  • All-hazards emergency management
  • Comprehensive and integrated emergency-management approaches
  • Case studies and readings
  • Response to social, psychological, community and organisational issues

Students choose at least another 30 credits from:

• 130701 Natural Hazards – 30 credits
  • Natural hazards and their effects
  • Earthquakes
  • Windstorms
  • Flooding
  • Volcanicity
  • Tsunamis
  • Landslips
  • Effects on people and the environment
  • New Zealand-specific hazards
• 130702 Coping with Disasters – 30 credits
  • Human issues involved in disaster preparation and response
  • Disaster impacts on people
  • Human behaviour during disasters
  • Rehabilitation interventions
  • Stress-related issues following disasters.

Schedule/subject component:

Students select 60 credits from the approved courses, including:

• 130701 Natural Hazards – 30 credits
• 130702 Coping with Disasters – 30 credits
• 130706 Emergency Management in Practice – 30 credits
  • Application of emergency-management theory
  • Current trends
  • Reduction, readiness, response and recovery
• 131701 Rethinking Development – 30 credits
  • Development theory
  • Development paradigms
  • Contemporary international-development practice
• 131702 Development Management – 30 credits
  • Planning, implementation and evaluation of development programmes
  • Management processes
  • Analytical tools
  • Policy and operational practice
• 132751 Planning for Natural Hazards and Climate Resilient Development – 30 credits
  • Natural-hazard planning
  • Hazard exposure and vulnerability
  • Risk reduction
  • Disaster readiness and response
  • Recovery
  • Climate-resilient development
• 230703 Techniques and Methods in Evaluation Research – 30 credits
  • Qualitative research
  • Quantitative research
  • Mixed methods
  • Innovative evaluation methods
  • Practical evaluation questions.

Disciplines/Specialisations

• The PGDipEmergMgt does not currently list formal specialisations or endorsements.
• Instead, students customise their studies through the approved course selection.
• Key academic areas include:
  • Emergency management
  • Natural hazards
  • Disaster preparedness and response
  • Disaster recovery
  • Climate resilience
  • Development management
  • International development
  • Evaluation research
  • Community and organisational aspects of disasters.

Programme Highlights

• NZQF Level 8 postgraduate qualification.
• 120 credits.
• Normally completed in one year full-time.
• Part-time study available.
• Wellington campus option.
• Distance and online option.
• International students can study on campus in New Zealand or online from outside New Zealand.
• Advanced emergency-management knowledge at operational and strategic levels.
• Strong focus on real-world disaster and emergency-management issues.
• Interaction with professionals associated with the Joint Centre for Disaster Research, a Massey University and GNS Science collaboration based at Wellington.
• Course options cover natural hazards, disaster coping, emergency-management practice, climate-resilient development and evaluation research.
• Suitable for applicants seeking progression into advanced emergency-management leadership or research-oriented roles.

Career Outcomes

Massey states that graduates normally move into mid- to senior-level management positions in organisations such as:

• Local government
• Central government
• Public safety agencies
• International humanitarian aid organisations.

The programme is particularly relevant to professional areas such as:

• Emergency and disaster management
• Disaster risk reduction
• Emergency planning
• Public safety
• Government emergency management
• Humanitarian and disaster-response organisations
• Community resilience
• Natural-hazard management
• Climate-resilience planning
• Emergency-management policy and strategy

Latest Updates/Special Requirements

• The current programme is available to international students both on campus in New Zealand and through online study outside New Zealand.
• The programme accepts several entry pathways, including relevant professional experience, a relevant bachelor's degree with the required B average, or prior Massey emergency-management qualifications.
• Applicants using the professional-experience admission route must provide a CV.
• Applicants who studied outside Massey must provide official academic transcripts.
• The current programme page does not state a compulsory portfolio, interview or professional registration requirement.
• Individual courses may have their own prerequisites or enrolment restrictions.
• Recognition of prior learning may be available under Massey's general regulations, but any specific credit outcome must be assessed by Massey.
• The supplied IPU programme link is currently a Master of Global Business page rather than a PGDipEmergMgt page. Consequently, programme-specific IPU information is Not publicly specified – please confirm with IPU.

International Student Visa Requirements

For an international student coming to New Zealand to study the campus-based version, the relevant visa is generally the Fee Paying Student Visa.

Current Immigration New Zealand information states:

• Cost: from NZD 850
• Maximum stay: up to 4 years
• Processing: 80% within 8 weeks
• Applications must be submitted online.
• Immigration New Zealand recommends applying at least 3 months before planned travel.

The applicant generally needs:

• An offer of place from an approved education provider.
• Evidence of sufficient tuition funding or an applicable scholarship.
• Evidence of sufficient living funds or an acceptable sponsor.
• Acceptable medical and travel insurance.
• Evidence of good health and character where required.
• Genuine intentions to study.
• Evidence that they can leave New Zealand at the end of their stay.

Living-funds requirement:

• For tertiary study lasting one year or more: NZD 20,000 per year.
• For study shorter than one year: NZD 1,667 per month.

Work rights:

• Eligible student visa holders may work up to 25 hours per week while studying.
• Eligible students may work full-time during scheduled holidays and/or the Christmas and New Year holiday period, subject to their individual visa conditions.

Other important visa conditions:

• Students must attend their approved course unless they have a good reason for absence.
• Students must make satisfactory academic progress.
• Insurance must cover the required period and meet the applicable requirements.
• Visa conditions should be checked on the individual eVisa/visa letter because work and travel conditions can vary