Details

Source: https://study.auckland.ac.nz/ords/r/uoa/catalogue/course?p6_code=DISMGT%20701 Parent: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/study-options/find-a-study-option/master-of-disaster-management-mdismgt.html

Content

Course Tabs

• Overview
• Teaching and Learning
• Assessment and Learning Outcomes
• Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Overview

Course Prescription

A broad based understanding of the critical elements of risk and risk management in pre- and post-disaster scenarios. Key elements include risk identification with regard to the forms and types of risk inherent in areas prone to disasters. Risk management approaches are explored and applied to different aspects of disaster management.

Course Overview

Extreme events, such as earthquakes, wild fires, flooding, cyclones and storm surges are on the rise. Over the past two decades, natural events have affected over 4.4 billion people, causing significant human losses, damage to infrastructure and disruption to our society. Disasters and the accumulated impacts of climate change are increasingly threatening vulnerable lives and livelihoods of people in both developed and developing countries. Particularly in the context of rapid urbanisation, knowing how to reduce disaster risks is a matter of core interest to policy makers and scientists to decide appropriate mitigation strategies. On the basis of these needs, this course aims to offer knowledge and experience to help students understand disaster risks and disaster risk management to prepare them as disaster management professionals.\ The paper will have a total of 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials over 12 weeks in semester 2, along with additional workshops and seminars related to the subject matter of this course. The course aims to provide research and practice-based discourse on disaster risk management and disaster risk reduction from a global as well as national context, and is designed to be enquiry-based and conversational allowing students to engage and bring their own experiences to class discussions each week. Students are expected to undertake considerable additional work per week reading and completing assignments.

Key Topics

Disaster Risk and Climate Risk

Assessing Disaster Risk

Introduction to GIS

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) History, Policies and Frameworks

DRR Measures

Risk Attitudes and Risk Responses

Disaster Risk Management Process

Course Contacts

Course Director, Coordinator and Lecturer: Dr. Sandeeka Mannakkara

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.\ For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, 1 hour of tutorials, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and 4 hours of work on assignments on average per week.

Locations and Semesters Offered

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at activities including tutorials, workshops, computer labs, seminars and other scheduled activities to obtain the full experience of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings. The availability of recordings for other learning activities including tutorials, workshops, computer labs, seminars and other scheduled activities cannot be guaranteed.

The course may include live online events including lectures and tutorials depending on COVID alert levels.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Health and Safety

Students must ensure they are familiar with their Health and Safety responsibilities, as described in the university's Health and Safety policy.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

• Honesty - in all aspects of research work
• Accountability - in the conduct of research
• Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
• Good stewardship – on behalf of others
• Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
• Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

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Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

Assessments

Additional Information on Assessment

The following late submission penalties will be applied for assessments:

• <=24 hours (1 day) 10%

• 24 hours but <=48 hours (2 days) 20%

• 48 hours but <=72 hours (3 days) 30%

• 72 hours but <=96 hours (4 days) 40%

• 96 hours but <=168 hours (7 days) 50%

• 168 hours (7 days) 100%

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A passing mark is 50% or higher, according to University policy.

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

Feedback from 2025 SET was as follows (Response Rate: 66.7%).

• Lectures were well-organised, with clear definitions and logical sequencing that balanced theory and practice.
• Tutorials, class discussions, and group presentations encouraged critical thinking and peer learning.
• Case studies and guest lectures helped connect theory to practice and gave students exposure to industry and field applications.
• Assessments and labs (such as GIS mapping and risk matrices) helped students apply concepts to real-life scenarios.
• Students felt encouraged to participate, share diverse perspectives, and develop academic writing and research skills.
• Some students found the reading load and breadth of content intense within a short time-frame.
• Students new to QGIS found it challenging and requested more tutorial support or recorded walk=throughs.
• Balancing schedules with working students in group work was sometimes difficult.

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• Suggestions:
• Add optional tutorials or drop-in sessions for technical topics.
• Include field visits to disaster management centres or local DRR sites.
• Incorporate Indigenous and Māori/Pacific resilience knowledge and practices.
• Offer more practical examples of multi-hazard risk assessment and policy implementation.

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Based on student feedback, the course will try to integrate more structured content on Indigenous and Pacific resilience practices. Where possible, a short field visit or applied activity with local DRR practitioners will be explored.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.

Course - V7

DISMGT 701 - Disaster Risk Management - Level 9 - V3.2 - Effective From: Summer Semester 2026 (Published: 2026-03-03)