Skip to main content
Start of main content
Humanitarian, emergency and disaster management
Postgraduate Coursework

Graduate Certificate of Emergency and Disaster Management

Not available to international students.

Update your personalisation settings to view information about this course.

This course is only available to Domestic students and your preference is currently set to International.

This course is only available to International students and your preference is currently set to Domestic.

Key details

Duration

Not available full-time
1 year/s part-time

Intake

Semester 1, Semester 2
Important Dates

Locations

Casuarina campus, Online
Not available to international students.

Credit points required

40

Course code

UEMDM1
SATAC codes

Overview

Based in the capital of Australia's Northern Territory, at the centre of the 'Top End' and Australia's gateway to Indonesia and Southeast Asia, this highly unique postgraduate program focuses on a geographic region that is unarguably the most prone to, and affected by various types of disasters.

The Graduate Certificate of Emergency and Disaster Management will equip you with the skills and ability to apply your knowledge and experience appropriately, collaboratively and productively in this vulnerable region and other parts of the world.

You will graduate with the essential knowledge and skills required to manage all phases of the disaster management cycle, as well as the confidence to apply your academic studies to practical responses and report on your professional experience into the academic sphere of this rapidly evolving sector.

This in-depth course promotes its uniqueness in three areas:

  • its focus on Asia-Pacific Region
  • its informed practice and research
  • its multi-sectoral approach.

Along with the necessary technical skills and experience, you will also develop your managerial and leadership skills to either assist in your current career or help with new career pathways.

This course is a pathway for advanced studies and is supported by nationally and internationally respected industry partners.

The Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate in Emergency and Disaster Management are entry and exit pathways for the master's degree course.



Credit transfers and advanced standing

Pathways


Pathways for Higher Education to Higher Education

For information about credit transfer available to students with complete or incomplete study at this or other Institutions refer to Pathways for Higher Education to Higher Education

Credit transfer

For further information on credit transfer and how to apply visit ASK CDU

Credit transfers and advanced standing

Credit transfer

For further information on credit transfer and how to apply visit ASK CDU

Fees

Both Commonwealth supported (CS) and full fee (FF) places are available for this course. If you would like to apply for a CS place use the SATAC code 1GC016 or UAC code 821050. If you would like to apply for a FF place you will need to use the SATAC code 1GC516 or UAC code 871050.

Commonwealth supported places

Commonwealth Supported places are available in this course to students who meet one of the following residency requirements:

(a) be an Australian citizen, who will complete some of your course of study while resident in Australia; or

(b) a New Zealand citizen; or an Australian permanent visa holder; or an eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder; who studies the entire course while living in Australia.

Further information about fees and charges can be found at Fees and Payments.

Non-Commonwealth supported places

Full fee paying places are available in this course.

Information about fees and charges can be found at Fees and Payments.

Menzies Public Health Julie

Why study a postgraduate degree at CDU?

Study a postgraduate course at Charles Darwin University to upskill at work, fast-track your career, increase your job prospects or explore a new interest. We offer flexible study options so you don't have to put your life on hold while you learn.

  • #2 Australian uni for postgraduate employment outcomes (GUG 2024)
  • Top 100 university globally for quality education
  • Our graduates enjoy higher than average employment rates and starting salaries
Humanitarian, Emergency and Disaster Management

Why study humanitarian, emergency and disaster management at CDU?

There is growing demand for skilled humanitarian and development aid professionals in today's world. Study humanitarian, emergency and disaster management at CDU to learn how to help those affected by natural disasters, man-made conflicts, social injustice and poverty.

  • Gain hands-on experience with intensives and placements
  • Learn from academics and industry professionals
  • #2 Australian university for postgraduate employment outcomes (GUG 2024)
Menzies Public Health Julie

Why study a postgraduate degree at CDU?

Study a postgraduate course at Charles Darwin University to upskill at work, fast-track your career, increase your job prospects or explore a new interest. We offer flexible study options so you don't have to put your life on hold while you learn.

  • #2 Australian uni for postgraduate employment outcomes (GUG 2024)
  • Top 100 university globally for quality education
  • Our graduates enjoy higher than average employment rates and starting salaries
Humanitarian, Emergency and Disaster Management

Why study humanitarian, emergency and disaster management at CDU?

There is growing demand for skilled humanitarian and development aid professionals in today's world. Study humanitarian, emergency and disaster management at CDU to learn how to help those affected by natural disasters, man-made conflicts, social injustice and poverty.

  • Gain hands-on experience with intensives and placements
  • Learn from academics and industry professionals
  • #2 Australian university for postgraduate employment outcomes (GUG 2024)

What will I study?

The Graduate Certificate in Emergency and Disaster Management provides an introduction to core and specialist knowledge in emergency and disaster management in the Asia-Pacific region.

Course structure

You may choose from a range of specialist elective subjects in health, engineering, environment, management, and Indigenous knowledges.

When you graduate, you may be eligible to continue on a pathway to a Graduate Diploma of Emergency and Disaster Management or a Master of Emergency and Disaster Management.


A candidate must successfully complete units totalling 40 credit points (cp) as detailed below. All units are valued at 10 credit points unless otherwise indicated.

Unit typeCredit PointsSpecific requirements
Core Units 
(2 units)
20cp

Compulsory Core units totalling 20 credit points as detailed below. 

DEM511 Emergency and Disaster Management in Context 
DEM512 Interdisciplinary Aspects of Emergency and Disaster Management 
 

Specialist Elective 
(2 units)
20cp

Unit totalling 20 credit points selected from one or more of the specialisation groups listed below:

Humanitarian Aid and Development 
DEM516 Reflective Case Study: Humanitarian, Emergency and Disaster Management (not available Semester 2 2023)

Indigenous Knowledges 
IAS530 Neo-Colonialism, Advocacy and the Critique of Development (replaced ATI501 2020) 
IAS531 Indigenous Policy Agendas in Federal and State Politics (replaced ATI502 2020) 
IAS532 Indigenous Knowledges, Property Rights and Economic Participation (replaced ATI503 2020) 
IAS533 Indigenous Knowledges and Epistemologies (replaced ATI504 2020) 
IAS534 Partnerships and Engagement in Indigenous Land and Sea Management 
IAS539 Intercultural Mediation 
IAS547 Indigenous Knowledges and Wellbeing 
IAS548 Healthy Country, Health People

Health 
PHM523 Health Promotion 
PHM536 Health Systems, Planning and Evaluation 
PHM554 Public Health Economics and Decision Making 
PHM567 Public Health 
PHM570 Epidemiology and Control of Communicable Diseases 
PHM592 Global Health 
PHM593 Tropical Child and Adolescent Health 

Engineering and Information Technology 
ENG519 Sustainability 
ENG573 Communication Systems 
PRT551 Project Management Risk and Reliability 
PRT571 Asset Security and Risk Management 
ENG462 Water Resources Engineering (no longer available from 2022) 
ENG473 Communication Systems (no longer available from 2022) 

Management 
BUS504 Sustainable Enterprise (replaced MAN508 2022) 
BUS506 Global Megatrends (replaced MAN506 2022) 
BUS508 Business Analytics (replaced BUS501 2022) 
ECO505 Economics of Sustainability (replaced ECO504 2022) 
ENT501 Sustainable Entrepreneurship
MAN514 Management for the Executive 
MAN515 Operations Management (no longer offered 2022) 
MAN516 Resilience Management and Leadership
IBM501 International Business (no longer offered 2019) 
MAN501 Cross Cultural Management (no longer offered 2019) 
HRM503 International Human Resource Management (replaced MAN504 2018) (no longer offered)

Environment 
ENV501 Tropical Invaders and Biosecurity 
ENV502 Remote Sensing 
ENV506 Environmental Monitoring and Modelling 
ENV507 Fire Ecology and Management 
ENV508 Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Thinking (new title 2018) 
ENV513 Environmental Planning and Policy 
ENV516 Ecosystem Function: Field Studies in North Australia (recoded from ENV504 2016) 
ENV517 Natural Resources and Indigenous Livelihoods (not offered 2024) 
ENV518 Applied Spatial Analysis for Real-World Problems (title changed 2023) 
ENV520 Wildlife Management 
ENV521 Community Engagement for Bio-Security and Natural Resource Management 
ENV511 Spatial Methods for Impact Analysis (no longer offered 2022

Public Policy 
HGE501 Topics in Human Geography a 'Remote' Perspective 
MPP501 Theoretical Approaches to Public Policy in Northern Contexts 
MPP502 Evidence-Based Policy Development in Northern Indigenous Contexts (not offered 2024) 
MPP505 Ethnography and Policy

Social Work 
SWK521 Analysing Social Work Foundations (compulsory intensive) 
SWK522 Co-creating Social Justice in Practice (compulsory intensive) (not offered 2024) 
SWK523 Social Work Theory for Advanced Professional Practice  
SWK524 Communities, Social Change and Development (no longer offered from 2025)
SWK525 Loss, Grief and Mental Health 
SWK526 Leadership in Social Policy 
SWK527 Critical Partnerships for Practice: Individuals, Groups and Families (no longer available from 2024)

 40cpTotal Credit Points

Course Rules (unless otherwise indicated in the above course structure)



COURSE CHANGES AND TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS - 2022

From 2022, the course structure has changed as follows: 
- Two additional specialisations, Public Policy and Social Work, have been added to the Specialist Electives 
- Addition of more Specialist Elective choices

Unit Changes: 
The following units are no longer available as part of this course. Students who completed these units prior to 2022 may continue to count the units towards Specialist Electives.

Unit CodeTitle
ENG462Water Resources Engineering
ENV511Spatial Methods for Impact Analysis
IBM501International Business
HRM503International Human Resource Management
MAN501Cross Cultural Management

ENG473 Communication Systems has been replaced by ENG573 Communication Systems. Students that have completed ENG473 should not complete ENG573. 
ECO504 Business Economics has been replaced by ECO505 Economics of Sustainability. Students that have completed ECO504 should not complete ECO505. 
BUS501 Decision Making has been replaced by BUS508 Business Analytics. Students that have completed BUS501 should not complete BUS508. 
MAN506 Organisational Behaviour has been replaced by BUS506 Global Megatrends. Students that have completed MAN506 should not complete BUS506. 
MAN508 Organisational Strategy and Leadership has been replaced by BUS504 Sustainable Enterprise. Students that have completed MAN508 should not complete BUS504. 



COURSE CHANGES AND TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS - 2019

ECO501 has been replaced by ECO504 and is equivalent. Students who have completed ECO501 should not complete ECO504.

 

COURSE CHANGES AND TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS - 2018

MAN504 has been replaced by HRM503 and is equivalent. Students who have completed MAN504 should not complete HRM503. 
ECO502 has been replaced by BUS501 and is equivalent. Students who have completed ECO502 should not complete BUS501. 
ENV508 Applied Geographic Information Systems is now Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Thinking. 
ENV518 Advanced Spatial Science is now Analysing and Synthesising Spatial Data.

 

COURSE CHANGES AND TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS - 2016

Previous Unit CodeNew Unit Code (2016)Unit Title
ATI410ATI501Neocolonialism, Advocacy and the Critique of Development
ATI420ATI502Indigenous Policy Agendas in Federal and State Politics
ATI430ATI503Indigenous Knowledges, Property Rights and Economic Participation
ATI440ATI504Indigenous Knowledges and Epistemologies
ENV401ENV521Community Engagement for Bio-security and Natural Resource Management
ENV504ENV516Ecosystem Function: Field Studies in North Australia
PRBE001ECO501 Economics for Managers
PRBE002ECO502Decision Making
PRBM009IBM501International Business
PRBM016MAN501Cross Cultural Management
PRBM021MAN504Human Resource Management
PRBM022MAN506Organisation Behaviour
PRBM030MAN508Organisational Strategy and Leadership
PRBM034MAN515Operations Management

Study plan


STUDENTS COMMENCING IN SEMESTER 1

The Recommended Study Plan provided below is suitable for a student enrolling in a part-time study load. Students entering this course with advanced standing, or wishing to vary their study plan due to work, personal, financial or other reasons should use the table as a guide to create an individual study plan.

When designing an individual study plan:

  • maintain the basic order in which units are to be attempted; and
  • check the prerequisite and assumed knowledge for each unit as some units assume you have completed foundation unit/s in the unit area at a lower level.   
     
Legend:CO = Core UnitSE = Specialist Elective

Part-Time Study Plan

Semester 1Semester 2
Year 1
DEM511 Emergency and Disaster ManagementCODEM512 Interdisciplinary Aspects of Emergency and Disaster ManagementCO
Specialist electiveSESpecialist electiveSE

 

Specialist Elective Availabilities
Semester 1Semester 2Intensive Periods (INT)Summer Semester
BUS504 Sustainable Enterprise   
BUS506 Global Megatrends   
ECO505 Economics of Sustainability   
ENG519 Sustainability   
ENV501 Tropical Invaders and Biosecurity   
ENV502 Remote Sensing   
ENV508 Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Thinking   
ENV513 Environmental Planning and Policy   
ENV520 Wildlife Management   
IAS531 Indigenous Policy Agendas in Federal and State Politics   
IAS533 Indigenous Knowledges and Epistemologies   
IAS547 Indigenous Knowledges and Wellbeing   
MAN514 Management for the Executive   
MPP501 Theoretical Approaches to Public Policy in Northern Contexts   
PHM523 Health Promotion   
PHM536 Health Systems, Planning and Evaluation   
PHM554 Public Health Economics and Decision making   
PHM567 Public Health   
PHM592 Global Health   
PRT551 Project Management   
PRT571 Asset Security and Risk Management   
SWK521 Analysing Social Work Foundations (Compulsory intensive)   
SWK523 Social Work Theory and Advanced Professional Practice (compulsory intensive)   
SWK524 Communities, Social Change and Development (no longer offered from 2025)   
SWK525 Loss, Grief and Mental Health   
SWK526 Leadership in Social Policy
BUS504 Sustainable Enterprise   
BUS508 Business Analytics   
ECO505 Economics of Sustainability   
ENG573 Communications Systems   
ENV507 Fire Ecology and Management   
ENV521 Community Engagement for Biosecurity and Natural Resource Management   
HGE501 Topics in Human Geography: A 'Remote' Perspective   
IAS530 Neo-colonialism, Advocacy and the Critique of Development   
IAS532 Indigenous, Property Rights and Economic Participation   
IAS534 Partnerships and Engagement in Indigenous Land and Sea Management   
IAS548 Healthy Country, Healthy People   
MAN516 Resilience Management and Leadership   
MPP505 Ethnography and Policy   
PHM570 Epidemiology and Control of Communicable Diseases   
PHM593 Tropical Child and Adolescent Health
BUS504 Sustainable Enterprise (INT-2)   
BUS506 Global Megatrends (INT-5)   
BUS508 Business Analytics (INT-6)   
ENT501 Sustainable Entrepreneurship (INT-6) 
ENV506 Environmental Monitoring and Modelling (INT-6)   
ENV516 Ecosystem Function: Field Studies in North Australia (INT-4)   
ENV518 Applied Spatial Analysis for Real-World Problems (INT-6)   
IAS539 Intercultural Mediation (INT-4, INT-6)   
MAN514 Management for the Executive (INT-1)      
MPP501 Theoretical Approaches to Public Policy in Northern Contexts (INT-3)
ECO505 Economics of Sustainability   
ENG519 Sustainability   
PRT551 Project Management Risk and Reliability

Top of Page


_____________________________________

STUDENTS COMMENCING IN SEMESTER 2

The Recommended Study Plan provided below is suitable for a student enrolling in a part-time study load. Students entering this course with advanced standing, or wishing to vary their study plan due to work, personal, financial or other reasons should use the table as a guide to create an individual study plan.

When designing an individual study plan:

  • maintain the basic order in which units are to be attempted; and
  • check the prerequisite and assumed knowledge for each unit as some units assume you have completed foundation unit/s in the unit area at a lower level.   
     
Legend:CO = Core UnitSE = Specialist Elective

Part-Time Study Plan

Semester 1Semester 2
Year 1
  DEM512 Interdisciplinary Aspects of Emergency and Disaster ManagementCO
  Specialist electiveSE
Year 2
DEM511 Emergency and Disaster ManagementCO  
Specialist electiveSE  

 

Specialist Elective Availabilities
Semester 1Semester 2Intensive Periods (INT)Summer Semester
BUS504 Sustainable Enterprise   
BUS506 Global Megatrends   
ECO505 Economics of Sustainability   
ENG519 Sustainability   
ENV501 Tropical Invaders and Biosecurity   
ENV502 Remote Sensing   
ENV508 Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Thinking   
ENV513 Environmental Planning and Policy   
ENV520 Wildlife Management   
IAS531 Indigenous Policy Agendas in Federal and State Politics   
IAS533 Indigenous Knowledges and Epistemologies   
IAS547 Indigenous Knowledges and Wellbeing   
MAN514 Management for the Executive   
MPP501 Theoretical Approaches to Public Policy in Northern Contexts   
PHM523 Health Promotion   
PHM536 Health Systems, Planning and Evaluation   
PHM554 Public Health Economics and Decision making   
PHM567 Public Health   
PHM592 Global Health   
PRT551 Project Management   
PRT571 Asset Security and Risk Management   
SWK521 Analysing Social Work Foundations (Compulsory intensive)   
SWK523 Social Work Theory and Advanced Professional Practice (compulsory intensive)   
SWK524 Communities, Social Change and Development (no longer offered from 2025)   
SWK525 Loss, Grief and Mental Health   
SWK526 Leadership in Social Policy
BUS504 Sustainable Enterprise   
BUS508 Business Analytics   
ECO505 Economics of Sustainability   
ENG573 Communications Systems   
ENV507 Fire Ecology and Management   
ENV521 Community Engagement for Biosecurity and Natural Resource Management   
HGE501 Topics in Human Geography: A 'Remote' Perspective   
IAS530 Neo-colonialism, Advocacy and the Critique of Development   
IAS532 Indigenous, Property Rights and Economic Participation   
IAS534 Partnerships and Engagement in Indigenous Land and Sea Management   
IAS548 Healthy Country, Healthy People   
MAN516 Resilience Management and Leadership   
MPP505 Ethnography and Policy   
PHM570 Epidemiology and Control of Communicable Diseases   
PHM593 Tropical Child and Adolescent Health
BUS504 Sustainable Enterprise (INT-2)   
BUS506 Global Megatrends (INT-5)   
BUS508 Business Analytics (INT-6)   
ENT501 Sustainable Entrepreneurship (INT-6)
ENV506 Environmental Monitoring and Modelling (INT-6)   
ENV516 Ecosystem Function: Field Studies in North Australia (INT-4)   
ENV518 Applied Spatial Analysis for Real-World Problems (INT-6)   
IAS539 Intercultural Mediation (INT-4, INT-6)   
MAN514 Management for the Executive (INT-1)    
MPP501 Theoretical Approaches to Public Policy in Northern Contexts (INT-3)
ECO505 Economics of Sustainability   
ENG519 Sustainability   
PRT551 Project Management Risk and Reliability

Top of Page

Entry requirements

Admission criteria

Successful completion of a recognised bachelor degree, graduate certificate, graduate diploma, masters degree or equivalent international qualification.

Consideration will be given to applicants who have a diploma level qualification or above and at least five years relevant professional experience.

Applicants must provide further documentation detailing their employment experience (i.e. work experience certificate from an employer/s) and outlining their roles and achievements in the form of a curriculum vitae (CV) and a statement of purpose. The statement of purpose should address why you would like to be admitted into the course, career goals and aspirations and benefits the course will provide you.

Essential requirements

English language requirements

To gain entry into Charles Darwin University, all Higher Education applicants must satisfy the University's English Language Proficiency requirements for their chosen course of study. From 2025 ALL applicants will be required to supply evidence of this at the time of application. For further details on the English requirements for CDU courses, please refer to CDU English Language Proficiency Policy.

DOMESTIC STUDENTS   
English language proficiency requirements - Domestic students

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS   
English language proficiency requirements - International students   
Course specific English language proficiency requirements for International students are included below.

The minimum English language requirement for this course is met by either undertaking previous education from an English-speaking country or undertaking one of the following English language tests and obtaining the minimum requirements listed below.

CDU English for Academic Purposes 4 (ZEAP40)Successful completion of EAP004 English for Academic Purposes 4
IELTS Academic Module (including One Skill Retake)A minimum overall score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0.
Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)A minimum overall score of 176, with no skill below 169.
Common European Framework Certificate of English ProficiencyA minimum overall grade of C1, valid for three years from the date of the test to the date of commencement at CDU.
Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic moduleA minimum overall score of 58 with no score lower than 50.
TOEFL Internet-based Test (iBT)A minimum overall score of 79 with a minimum writing score of 21.

* All tests are valid for two years from the date of the test to the date of commencement at CDU, unless otherwise specified.  
* Where applicable, international applicants must also satisfy the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) English language requirements for student visa applications.

Do you have a question regarding English requirements at CDU? Please email: international@cdu.edu.au.  
 

My dream is to be of service to others, especially to the vulnerable people in the community. I'm studying humanitarian aid to broaden my knowledge so that I will be able to be of service and encourage other people as well to serve humanity.

Lloyd

CDU student

International student Lloyd

No other university in Australia would provide you with the unique skill set and professional growth that CDU offers.

Hasan

CDU student

Hasan

My dream is to be of service to others, especially to the vulnerable people in the community. I'm studying humanitarian aid to broaden my knowledge so that I will be able to be of service and encourage other people as well to serve humanity.

Lloyd

CDU student

International student Lloyd

No other university in Australia would provide you with the unique skill set and professional growth that CDU offers.

Hasan

CDU student

Hasan

Course details

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the University in accordance with the Higher Education Standards.

Australian qualification framework

This course is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8.

Additional information

Can offers be deferred?
Yes
Award
Graduate Certificate of Emergency and Disaster Management
Faculty/College
Faculty of Arts and Society
Sector
HE
Area of study
Humanitarian, Emergency and Disaster Management, Health

Contact details

For further information about the course, enrolment procedures, closing dates and other administrative issues please contact Student Central on:

Email:Student.Central@cdu.edu.auPhone:1800 061 963 (free call)

You make CDU

Together we are a positive force for change in our communities and the world.

You make CDU

Our students choose to study with us because we share the same vision – to make a positive change. Whatever your motivation is, we can guide you in the right direction.

You make CDU

Together we are a positive force for change in our communities and the world.

You make CDU

Our students choose to study with us because we share the same vision – to make a positive change. Whatever your motivation is, we can guide you in the right direction.

How to apply

There are many ways to apply to CDU. The method you use depends on your course type, where you live and whether you are a new or returning student to CDU.

Remember to apply early for your best chance at securing an offer to study with us.

SATAC

SATAC is the application channel for residents of NT, ACT, SA, WA, QLD, VIC, NSW or TAS.

SATAC codes

Location
SATAC Code
Casuarina campus (CSP)
1GC016
Casuarina campus (FF)
1GC516
Online (CSP)
1GC016
Online (FF)
1GC516
* CSP = Commonwealth supported place
FF = Full fee

We are here to help

Submit an enquiry and our friendly team will be in touch.

You can unsubscribe at any time. See our privacy notice.
Back to top