Where you can study
International students
International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.
Specialise in Emergency Management for your Diploma in Arts at Massey
Emergency management (also known as civil defence or disaster management) is an exciting and growing global profession. You’ll build knowledge in emergency management and risk management that can be applied to many fields.
Massey is the only New Zealand university to offer an undergraduate emergency management qualification designed for humanities and social sciences students.
Get employable skills
The Diploma in Arts (Emergency Management) is an applied and practical qualification that will give you work-ready skills. You’ll cover the core disciplinary skills and knowledge of emergency management. You’ll also study the key ideas, practices and principles of emergency and risk management. This qualification will give you a broad overview of global and local risk scenarios and issues. This will qualify you to work in a range of contexts.
Learn from experts in the field
This programme is delivered by the Joint Centre for Disaster Research. The centre is a leader in emergency management education. You’ll be taught by expert emergency management professionals and academics. The programme is supported by organisations including the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management. It also includes the Ministry of Health, as well as local government groups such as the Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office.
Study to suit you
The Diploma in Arts (Emergency Management) is available through distance and block mode offerings to fit in with your lifestyle.
Further study
Massey University offers a unique suite of qualifications in emergency management at graduate level, enabling you to do additional graduate and postgraduate study in this field.
A Diploma in Arts in Emergency Management is a good fit if you:
- have no experience in emergency management
- want to prepare for further study
- want a relevant, quality qualification that holds human and environmental wellbeing at its core.
Planning information
If you later proceed to the Bachelor of Arts degree, all of the courses in your Diploma of Arts can be transferred to the Bachelor of Arts.
Official regulations
To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.
You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees, Undergraduate Diplomas, Undergraduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates.
Returning students
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may be no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.
Courses you can enrol in
Course planning key
- Prerequisites
- Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
- Corequisites
- Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
- Restrictions
- Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.
Compulsory courses
Course code: 130202 Introduction to Emergency Management 15 credits
An introduction to principles, theory and practices of emergency management.
View full course detailsCourse code: 130203 Disaster Risk Management 15 credits
A study of the principles and practice of disaster risk management including disaster risk identification and assessment processes, and the use of risk information in decision-making and communication.
View full course detailsCourse code: 130301 Incident Command Systems 15 credits
This course introduces the systems used to manage emergencies, including the New Zealand Coordinated Incident Management System and other international variations. Consideration will be given to operational management concepts and tactics for effective incident response.
View full course detailsElective courses
Course code: 214301 Environmental Health Risk Management for Disasters 15 credits
Advanced theory and practice in environmental health risk management applicable to typical disaster and humanitarian relief scenarios encountered in New Zealand/Pacific Rim.
View full course detailsCourse code: 219312 Risk and Crisis Communication 15 credits
This course critically evaluates ways that organisations can manage reputational risk and communicate in response to crisis situations.
View full course detailsEntry requirements
Admission to Massey
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Specific requirements
There are no specific entry requirements for this qualification, outside of university admission regulations.
English language requirements
To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
English language skills
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.
Can't meet the entry requirements?
If you need to do a course before you start your qualification, there may be options for you in Summer School.
Fees and scholarships
Fees, student loans and free fees scheme
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
- Get an estimate of the tuition fees for your qualification
- View a list of non-tuition fees that may be payable
Already know which courses you're going to choose?
You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.
Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students can find their National Student Number in the student portal.
- Student loans (StudyLink)
- Fees Free
- Student portal
Fees disclaimer
This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.
Careers and job opportunities
With increased global vulnerability to natural hazards and disasters, there is a demand for more skilled emergency managers. With this qualification you’ll be sought-after, not only in the emergency management field, but in other allied areas such as civil defence, business management, policy analysis and health.
Related study options
Bachelor of Aviation Management – BAvMan
If you are passionate about aviation and are interested in the broader picture of the aviation industry, this is the degree for you.
Disaster Management – Master of Sustainable Development Goals
Massey’s Master of Sustainable Development Goals (Disaster Management) will give you an advanced grounding in the theory, practice, and application of the UN Sustainable Development Goals related to disaster management.
Management – Bachelor of Business
Become a manager or entrepreneur that empowers others and makes a real difference to the future.
Management – Master of Business Studies
Gain in-depth specialist business and management skills that will take your career to the next level.
Management – Master of Management
Massey’s Master of Management will increase your business knowledge to help move your career in a new direction. You don’t have to have a qualification in business to undertake this master’s.
Useful planning information
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions. Learn more on careers.govt.nz