Graduate Certificate of Disaster and Emergency Response

At the end of the program, students of the Graduate Certificate of Disaster and Emergency Response can:

1. apply independent judgement when analysing and evaluating complex problems to generate creative solutions
2. demonstrate management skills by initiating, planning, implementing and evaluating tasks in a disciplinary or professional field.

This unique course has been designed for multi-disciplinary professionals who are involved in the overall management of, and response to disasters.

This includes people currently working in areas like emergency services, healthcare services, military, NGO’s, volunteer groups, disaster response agencies or emergency telecommunications.

The course is the shortest of its kind in Australia and is available entirely online. It will help you develop a broad understanding of the challenges associated with responding to mass casualty incidents and disasters.

You’ll explore topics like scene management, mass fatality management and disaster victim identification, along with leadership, communication, and the legal and ethical issues associated with disasters.

Each week you’ll benefit from the expertise of renowned national and international guest speakers through interview-style podcasts.

Speakers have included professionals from organisations such as the United Nations, the World Health Organisation, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, the Australian Institute of Disaster Resilience and the International Committee of the Red Cross. As well as speakers who survived terrorist attacks like the London and Bali bombings and 9/11.

Award requirements

Students are required to complete three units

• DER6101 Introduction to Emergency Management
• DER6103 Major Incident Management
• DER6106 Advanced Emergency Management Response

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $10,800

The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

ECU is ranked one of the world’s best young universities and Australia’s best public university for teaching quality. That quality extends to more than 30,000 students, many studying online through Open Universities Australia. ECU offers the same quality of teaching to you, regardless of where you’re studying in the world. Their flexible study solutions include a huge range of online courses, recognising your need to juggle work, family or other commitments.

Learn more about ECU.

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QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

29

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

24

The following course-specific admission requirements are mandatory and must be satisfied by all applicants. These requirements are in addition to or supersede the minimum requirements outlined within the Academic admission requirements band section below.

All applicants are required to have a Bachelor's degree in emergency response/management or a relevant health related degree such as medical science, paramedicine, nursing, health sciences, health services management, public health, emergency management, with equivalents considered. 

Alternatively applicants can be considered based on a minimum of 5 years relevant work experience.

Academic admission requirements (Band 8) may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

•   Bachelor degree in a cognate discipline; or
•   Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience.

English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

• IELTS Academic Overall band minimum score of 6.5 (no individual band less than 6.0);
• Bachelor degree from a country specified on the English Proficiency Bands page;
• Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at postgraduate level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent);
• Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience; or
• Other tests, courses or programs defined on the English Proficiency Bands page.

If you're applying for a course and have previous study or professional experience, you may be eligible for what we call 'advanced standing'.

For more information and to apply please go to https://www.ecu.edu.au/future-students/course-entry/advanced-standing