The Master of Disaster Health Care is a 54-unit program comprising of two pathways, directed towards Coursework or Coursework and Research, and is offered by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

The Master of Disaster Health Care (Coursework) is nested with the Graduate Diploma in Disaster Health Care and the Graduate Certificate in Disaster Health Care. The Master of Disaster Health Care (Coursework and Research) is nested with the Graduate Certificate in Disaster Health Care. The sequentially developed topics enable progression through the awards.

Students who have completed the Graduate Certificate in Disaster Health Care are normally awarded up to 18 units of credit towards the Master of Disaster Health Care (Coursework or Coursework and Research). Students who have completed the Graduate Diploma in Disaster Health Care are normally awarded up to 36 units of credit towards the Master of Disaster Health Care (Coursework).

If the requirements of the Graduate Certificate in Disaster Health Care have been satisfied, it is available as an exit award from the Master of Disaster Health Care (Coursework or Coursework and Research). If the requirements of the Graduate Diploma in Disaster Health Care have been satisfied, it is available as an exit award from the Master of Disaster Health Care (Coursework).

The program was developed in collaboration with the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC) and is offered in external study mode through Flinders University.

Admission requirements

Applicants must hold an approved bachelor degree or equivalent (AQF level 7) qualification in a health profession from an approved tertiary institution and have not less than two years’ professional experience in the health care sector following completion of the degree or equivalent qualification.

However, the Faculty Board may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature. Credit may be granted for comparable prior studies.

Course aims

The Master of Disaster Health Care is designed to provide students who are working in health care, whatever their professional background, with the opportunity to deepen their specialised/advanced theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in disaster management and response, to apply these in a range of situations, and to contribute to the current and future development of disaster health care and/or disaster response.

Learning outcomes 

Graduates of this course are expected to be able to:

  • perform advanced disaster management and response roles that apply to Australia’s disaster response in national and international settings
  • demonstrate excellence and leadership in their practice, taking into account the nature of interdisciplinary professional practice
  • influence and improve the nature and quality of disaster health care management and response using best available research evidence combined with professional practice knowledge from a variety of disaster settings
  • conduct and critique research into selected areas of disaster response.

Program of study

To qualify for the Master of Disaster Health Care, a student must complete 54 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study specified for their chosen pathway:

The award of a grade of Fail (F) in the same topic on more than one occasion or in 9 units or more, or failure to complete the course within four consecutive years, may constitute prima facie evidence of unsatisfactory progress for the purposes of the University''s Policy on Student Progress.

Except with permission of the Faculty Board:

  • the program must be completed full-time in three consecutive semesters or part-time within eight consecutive semesters
  • a student may not include a topic that repeats work previously undertaken.

Pathways

Students must complete one of the following pathways:

Students undertaking Master of Disaster Health Care (Coursework) will be required to complete core topics, option topics and a capstone project.

Students undertaking the Master of Disaster Health Care (Coursework and Research) will be required to complete core topics, option topics and a minor thesis. This pathway may lead to research higher degree studies.

The pathway that has been completed as part of the requirements for the degree is identified on the student’s transcript of academic record on completion of the course.