Become a crisis-ready leader in risk and emergency management

Risk and emergency management is rapidly evolving as organisations face increasingly complex hazards, cascading incidents and climate-related disruptions. Skilled strategic leaders are always in high demand—professionals who can assess risk, lead crisis response, coordinate across agencies and strengthen community resilience.

UNE has partnered with Risk-e Business Consultants, a leading industry advisory firm, to offer a suite of three nested postgraduate courses in Strategic Leadership in Risk and Emergency Management. The expertise of David Owens APM, Managing Director of Risk-e Business and former Deputy Commissioner of NSW Police, along with Dave Donohue APM, National Risk Consultant and former NSW Police Commander, has been instrumental in shaping the curriculum. Their extensive experience in crisis leadership, emergency response, and organisational risk ensures that the course delivers real-world insights and prepares you for leadership in high-pressure environments.

With flexible online study, UNE makes it easier to balance your education with other commitments. You can connect with a diverse community of peers, sharing experiences and insights that enrich your understanding of AI's global impact. Benefit from personalised support and UNE's consistent 5-star ratings for Overall Experience and Student Support in The Good Universities Guide.

Explore UNE's risk and emergency management courses now.

Courses by study level

Take the next step in your career – or start a new one – with UNE's Master of Strategic Leadership in Risk and Emergency Management. This advanced postgraduate program equips professionals of all levels with the strategic expertise, leadership skills and practical knowledge needed to excel in managing risks and crises in a dynamic global landscape.

Built by industry for industry, this program was developed in consultation with Risk-e Business Consultants, a leader in risk and emergency management advisory. Whether you're building on existing experience in strategic leadership, risk, public safety, intelligence or emergency services, or ready to break into this rewarding field, this program provides a pathway to success. With flexible online delivery, an applied learning focus and tailored specialisations, you'll gain the confidence to lead in diverse sectors while balancing your studies with personal and professional commitments.

Duration
  • 1 or 1.5 years full-time
  • Up to 4 years part-time
Start
  • Trimester 1 - Feb 2026
  • Trimester 2 - Jun 2026
  • Trimester 3 - Oct 2026
View all offering start dates
Mode
  • Online

Expand your leadership capabilities and deepen your expertise in managing complex risk and crises with UNE's Graduate Diploma in Strategic Leadership in Risk and Emergency Management. This postgraduate course equips you with the comprehensive skills needed for strategic leadership in risk and emergency management across diverse sectors, including risk management, public safety, intelligence and emergency services.

Developed in partnership with Risk-e Business Consultants, a leading advisory firm in risk and emergency management, this course reflects real-world industry demands. With flexible online delivery, this program fits seamlessly into your schedule, guiding you towards leadership excellence and providing a clear pathway to our upcoming Master of Strategic Leadership in Risk and Emergency Management.

Duration
  • 0.5 or 1 year full-time
  • Up to 4 years part-time
Start
  • Trimester 1 - Feb 2026
  • Trimester 2 - Jun 2026
  • Trimester 3 - Oct 2026
View all offering start dates
Mode
  • Online

In today’s fast-evolving risk landscape, strategic leadership in crisis and emergency management is essential. Designed for mid-to-senior professionals, the Graduate Certificate in Strategic Leadership in Risk and Emergency Management equips you with critical, analytical, and leadership skills to navigate complex challenges in risk management, public safety, intelligence, emergency services, and beyond. This postgraduate qualification offers a flexible and industry-focused curriculum shaped by leading experts, including consultants from Risk-e Business Consultants.

With expert-led instruction and real-world applications, this course will see you drive strategic outcomes, strengthen organisational resilience, and advance in roles across diverse sectors. Gain valuable skills now, with the option to build on them later through the Graduate Diploma or our upcoming Master of Strategic Leadership in Risk and Emergency Management.

Duration
  • 0.5 years full-time
  • Up to 2 years part-time
Start
  • Trimester 1 - Feb 2026
  • Trimester 2 - Jun 2026
  • Trimester 3 - Oct 2026
View all offering start dates
Mode
  • Online

Design a bespoke course and prepare for a rapidly evolving workplace with the UNE Graduate Diploma in Professional Practice. Whether you want to advance your career, hone your skills or embark on a new career direction, we'll work with you to design a course to match your skills and aspirations.

You will have the freedom to assemble your course from a full breadth of subjects, play to your strengths and draw from your experience to achieve your goals. Learn in a way that suits your timeframe and do it all with the support of an expert academic success advisor — with one-on-one guidance from start to finish. You'll be paving your pathway to the next stage of your career.

Duration
  • 1 year full-time
  • Up to 4 years part-time
Start
  • Trimester 1 - Feb 2026
  • Trimester 2 - Jun 2026
  • Trimester 3 - Oct 2026
View all offering start dates
Mode
  • Online

Adapt to an evolving workplace and open the door to new career opportunities with UNE's Graduate Certificate in Professional Practice. Whether you want to create more career choices, hone your specialist skills, or take a new career direction, we will work with you to customise a course to match your skills and aspirations.

Choose from a full breadth of subjects. Avoid getting bogged down in a lengthy, traditional course, and instead, play to your natural strengths, refine your skills and draw on your experience to prepare for the future. And do it all with the support of an expert academic success advisor with 1:1 guidance from start to finish.

Duration
  • 0.5 years full-time
  • 2 years part-time
Start
  • Trimester 1 - Feb 2026
  • Trimester 2 - Jun 2026
  • Trimester 3 - Oct 2026
View all offering start dates
Mode
  • Online
Doctor of Philosophy

A Doctor of Philosophy is the pinnacle of academic study. Using rigorous and systematic research, combined with critical analysis, you will add to society's understanding of complex issues at the cutting-edge of your discipline or profession.

When you complete your PhD at UNE, you will be recognised as an expert in your area of study. Your original discoveries and innovations will be applied to benefit society and industry in Australia and worldwide.

Duration
  • 4 years full-time
  • 8 years part-time
Start
  • Research Period 1
  • Research Period 2
View all offering start dates
Mode
  • Online
  • On Campus

Practice-based research drives better decisions, stronger services and measurable outcomes. UNE’s Professional Doctorate provides foundational research training with a research thesis, supporting experienced professionals to contribute to the development of original knowledge that improves professional practice in their fields.

Co-design a workplace-embedded project with your UNE supervision team and your organisation, aligning rigorous methods with real-world challenges. Your examinable output is tailored to your discipline — for example, a thesis, a dissertation with artefacts, or an exegesis with a portfolio of creative, technical or performance works.

Duration
  • 4 years full-time
  • 8 years part-time
Start
  • Research Period 1
  • Research Period 2
View all offering start dates
Mode
  • On Campus
  • Online
Master of Philosophy

High quality research and analysis allows us to better understand the complex issues we face in industry and society. With UNE's Master of Philosophy by research, your original findings and insights will add to the body of knowledge and inform decision-making in your specialist area.

You will work independently, with personalised support from recognised experts in your area of study every step of the way. Expand your expertise, hone your research skills, and immediately apply your knowledge in a research topic of your choice.

Duration
  • 2 years full-time
  • Up to 4 years part-time
Start
  • Research Period 1
  • Research Period 2
View all offering start dates
Mode
  • On Campus
  • Online
Non-Award

The world is full of possibilities, with so much to discover and learn. There are endless opportunities to enrich your knowledge to prepare for the future, but what if you don’t want to undertake a full degree? And how can you zero-in on the subjects that matter most to you? That’s what a Non-Award unit with UNE will help you to achieve.

Non-Award study means you can learn without the need to complete entire course requirements or take on a full course load. Whether it’s a language you want to learn, a business unit to enhance your career, an improvement of your IT skills, an update on education principles or developing your management style, Non-Award study gives you the flexibility and control to explore what matters to you.

Duration
  • 1 trimester full-time
  • 1 trimester part-time
Start
  • Trimester 1 - Feb 2026
  • Trimester 2 - Jun 2026
  • Trimester 3 - Oct 2026
View all offering start dates
Mode
  • On Campus
  • Online
Cross-Institutional

If you are enrolled at another university, you can choose to study subjects at UNE that will count towards your course. Apply as a cross-institutional student directly and complete one or several individual subjects (units) from the full scope of UNE's discipline areas.

Duration
  • 1 trimester full-time
  • 1 trimester part-time
Start
  • Trimester 1 - Feb 2026
  • Trimester 2 - Jun 2026
  • Trimester 3 - Oct 2026
View all offering start dates
Mode
  • On Campus
  • Online

Why study with us?

Smiling Bachelor of Agriculture student Greg Kemmett stands on wooden stairwell at UNE Armidale

The most enjoyable part of my studies is the sense of achievement and being part of something bigger than myself.

Greg Kemmett

Find the right major or specialisation for your studies in Risk and Emergency Management

Risk and emergency management is rapidly evolving. Build practical skills in risk assessment, crisis leadership, crisis management, and resilience planning. Advance your career and step into strategic leadership roles with confidence. Explore UNE's risk and emergency management courses now.

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Risk and Emergency Management
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UNE’s industry-designed Risk and Emergency Management programs build advanced skills in strategic leadership, crisis response, and critical analysis. Prepare to lead in a rapidly evolving sector shaped by global threats, new technologies, and…

UNE’s industry-designed Risk and Emergency Management programs build advanced skills in strategic leadership, crisis response, and critical analysis. Prepare to lead in a rapidly evolving sector shaped by global threats, new technologies, and complex emergencies.

  • 1

Why study with us?

5 stars
For Overall Experience and Teaching Quality
Good Universities Guide 2024
Australian Universities
No. 1
For Undergraduate Student Support
Good Universities Guide 2024
Public NSW Universities
No. 1
For Postgraduate Student Experience
QILT Student Experience Survey
NSW Universities

Careers in Risk and Emergency Management

By studying risk and emergency management with UNE, you build the strategic judgment and operational confidence to lead before, during and after critical incidents. Your skills will translate across government, emergency services, defence, business and the private security sector, opening opportunities for roles such as:

  • Emergency management officer
    Plan, coordinate and lead preparedness, response and recovery across incident cycles.
  • Government policy advisor
    Develop evidence-based policy, frameworks and guidance for risk, security and resilience.
  • Police (state or federal)
    Support investigations, critical incident response and interagency coordination.
  • Border operations officer
    Enforce biosecurity and border regulations; manage screening and interdiction activities.
  • Business continuity specialist
    Design and test continuity and crisis management plans to sustain operations.
  • Military leadership
    Lead teams in planning, readiness and operational risk across complex environments.
  • Intelligence analyst
    Collect and assess information to produce actionable threat and risk insights.
  • Investigator (public or private)
    Conduct fraud, compliance and integrity investigations; prepare briefs and reports.
  • Security manager (public or private)
    Protect people, assets and information through threat assessment and protective security.
  • Crisis and media communications manager
    Lead public information, media liaison and stakeholder communications during incidents.

Excellence in experience, equity and employability

2026 Overall Experience

Five Stars,
20 Years in a Row

UNE is the only public uni in Australia awarded 20 straight years of five stars for Overall Experience.

Good Universities Guide 2007-2026
2026 Social Equality

Five Stars for
Social Equity

UNE rates among the top 20% of universities nationally and is #1 in NSW for Social Equity.

Good Universities Guide 2026
2026 Graduate Employment

Five Stars for
Graduate Employment

UNE rates among the top 20% of universities for Graduate Full-Time Employment and Starting Salary.

Good Universities Guide 2026 (Undergraduate)
2026 Diamond-Rated Digital Learning

Diamond-Rated Digital Learning

UNE’s leadership in digital learning earned the highest ‘Diamond’ rating in a peer review.

ASCILITE TELAS 2025

What happens next?

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1. Decide on your course

Got any questions about a course you would like to study? Don’t hesitate to contact us, our Future Student team is standing by to help.

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2. Apply

2026 applications are now open. The application process only takes 20 minutes to complete. Don’t delay, apply now!

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3. Receive an offer, enrol and start studying

Your start date is based on the study period you choose to apply for.