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THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES – UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN Applicable to students initiating one or more of the below study activities at the Master of Disaster Management (MDMa) as from 1 September 2008

CURRICULUM OF THE MASTER OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT

In pursuance of

• ministerial order no. BEK nr 560 af 19/06/2003 on continuing education programmes (ministerial order of the study programme: Bekendtgørelse om deltidsuddannelse) and

• ministerial order no. BEK 682 af 16/08/2002 on master-programmes ( Bekendtgørelse om visse master-uddannelser ved univeristeterne)

from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the following document stipulates the curriculum of the Master of Disaster Management at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

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Contents: Part 1 Objective of the master programme Page

Part 2 Entry requirements Page

Part 3 Activity requirements Page

Part 4 Structure and contents of the master programme Page

Part 5 Examination Page

Part 6 Other provisions Page

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Part 1 Objective of the study programme Section 1 Objective The objective of the Master of Disaster Management is to provide the students with further education in handling disasters at national as well as international level. The students will develop competencies in prevention and managing of disaster situations in an economic, political, environmental and sustainable perspective – based on interdisciplinary research. Subsection 2. The Master of Disaster Management will provide students with competencies to

• evaluate the vulnerability of communities and regions to disaster situations • participate in planning, managing and evaluating response to disasters • analyze disasters in a political, economical, environmental, social and cultural context

Part 2 Entry requirements Section 2 Entry requirements The minimum admission requirement for the master course is a university level bachelor degree, an English language proficiency test and as a minimum 2 years of professional experience. Part 3 Activity requirements Section 3 Activity requirements The master is a full-time one-year study programme corresponding to 60 ECTS. Subsection 2. Study activities comprise scheduled training sessions and preparation to such sessions, project work, written assignments, self-tuition, exam preparation and participation. Subsection 3. The maximum study period at the master programme is 3 years. Leave of absence does not count as part of the overall study period. The Study Board may, under special circumstances, grant exemptions from provisions stipulating the study period. Subsection 4. The Study Board may, under special circumstances, grant exemptions from the activity requirements. Part 4 Structure and contents of the master programme

Section 4 Structure and contents The master comprises the one initial core module, a research design module, a number of electives and a thesis Subsection 2. The master programme shall focus on the following subject areas (cf. section 59 of the ministerial order of the study programmes): risk reduction, response and recovery I disaster situations, theory of science and research methods. Subsection 3. The master study programme consists of mandatory subjects (22 ECTS), electives (18 ECTS) and of the master thesis (20 ECTS). Subsection 4. Written assignments may be prepared individually or in groups of up to 3 students.

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Subsection 5. The thesis consists of a major independent dissertation designed to document the students’ ability to employ the scientific theories and methods in the process of dealing with a focused disaster management issue. The thesis exam shall be the final exam of the master programme.

Subjects and exams (compulsory courses) Study year Subject Scope Ordinary exam Assessment 1st study year

1st semester MDMa-core module

Sub module 1

Sub module 2

Sub module 3

Sub module 4

Sub module 5

20 ECTS

4 ECTS

5 ECTS

5 ECTS

5 ECTS

1 ECTS

Sub module 1-4 Report based on case studies Sub module 5 Oral presentation

Sub module 1-4 Passed/not passed Submodule 5 7 grade scale, external censorship

1st semester Research Design 2 ECTS Assessment of written synopsis

Passed/not passed, Internal censorship

2. semester Thesis 20 ECTS Individual written report and presentation

7 grade scale, external censorship

Section 5. The following mandatory subjects are available every year:

Core Module

Learning objectives:

Submodule 1

Objectives: During this sub-module the students will obtain knowledge in order to: • understand the conceptual framework for the Master of Disaster Management education • understand the background and definitions of key concepts relevant to disaster management and be able to discuss disaster management from a system perspective. • apply tools used for teambuilding and stress management and demonstrate knowledge about intercultural communication • discuss different kinds of hazards and their likely consequences

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• identify underlying key aspects that influence individuals, systems and communities’ vulnerability and capacity. • demonstrate knowledge about and discuss scientific development theories, general guidelines and international humanitarian principles that set the framework for international development work. Submodule 2 Objectives: During this sub-module the students will obtain knowledge in order to: • Understand and use key concepts within and discuss disaster risk reduction from a system perspective • Demonstrate knowledge of methods and tools for risk analysis and risk evaluation, including methods for identification and analysis of hazards and vulnerabilities • Conduct basic risk analysis and understand the complexity of evaluating risks in national/ international and public/private sectors. • Demonstrate knowledge, based on risk analysis and evaluations, of how to identify, analyse, prioritise, plan, implement and evaluate activities to reduce risks, either by reducing the probability of disasters (prevention) or by reducing their possible consequences on beforehand (mitigation) • Identify and discuss different general models for how to plan and prepare effective preparedness for managing the consequences of future disasters • Demonstrate knowledge about strategies and general models for capacity development at different levels. Submodule 3 Objectives: During this sub-module the students will obtain knowledge in order to: • Understand and use key concepts within Response and to discuss Response from a systems perspective. • Demonstrate knowledge of general theories, tools and challenges for management/coordination of activities within Disaster Management with a multitude of actors, such as NGOs, local authorities, military actors etc. • Discuss general theories, tools and challenges for information management within Disaster Management, including rapid assessment tools, critical evaluation of information and scientific collection of data, documentation and development of “best practice methods” in disaster situations, with the objective to evaluate and optimise Response. • Demonstrate knowledge of guidelines, tools and general challenges for logistics. • Demonstrate knowledge of the primary humanitarian sectors, including knowledge regarding the minimum humanitarian standards (Sphere Project), protection of children and other vulnerable groups, immediate psychosocial interventions. • Demonstrate knowledge of safety and security in the field – mentally and physically – based on the UN’s course “Security in the Field”. Submodule 4 Objectives: During this sub-module the students will obtain knowledge in order to:

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• Understand and apply key concepts within recovery and to discuss recovery from a system perspective • Discuss different activities within recovery such as reconstructing houses, rehabilitating critical facilities, rehabilitating infrastructure, waste management, environmental and natural resources management etc. • Demonstrate knowledge of general models for how to carry out recovery activities • Identify and analyse central elements in recovery and discuss challenges for effective recovery • Discuss handover strategies and the transformation of response to recovery to sustainable development within a social, political, cultural, economical and environmental context. Submodule 5 Objectives In this sub-module the students will combine knowledge from the previous 4 sub-modules in a comprehensive presentation of a specific disaster situation and thereby show that they have obtained a holistic perspective on disasters.

Research Design (2ECTS) Section 6 The Master of Disaster Management comprises a mandatory elective period

corresponding to 18 ECTS. The elective period may be completed as elective subjects and/or as

intern periods in Denmark or abroad. See Appendix.

Section 7 Elective subjects at the Master in Health Science

Courses that are offered in the framework of the Master in International Health may be transferred

to the MDMa degree upon application.

Subsection 2. The elective activities shall be comprised by the research fields of disaster management. Subsection 3. The elective subjects are described in the web-based course catalogue, which must be published no later than 1 June each year. Subsection 4. Assessment of elective subjects is described in the course description of each course. Subsection 5. Students may, provided resources allow and following individual assessment and Study Board approval, be given supervision for the completion of individual study period within relevant research areas. The Study Board establishes the ECTS credit values of such independent study periods. Section 8 The Study Board may set an upper limit to the number of students attending any elective subject. If the demand for an elective subject exceeds the available study places, students who have more master programme ECTS credits are given priority.

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Section 9 Master thesis The master thesis (20 ECTS) completes the study programme, cf. section 21, subsection 5 of the ministerial order of the study programmes.

Master thesis objective The master thesis shall document that the student is capable of independently selecting and using scientific theories and methods when analysing a well-defined public health subject. Part 5 Exams Section 10 Exam periods Ordinary exams are normally held by the end of each course unit. Subsection 2. The study board shall approve the exam plan before the registration period starts. The Study Board may, in extraordinary situations, approve revisions of an already approved exam plan. The Study Board may, furthermore, where special circumstances apply, approve examination outside of the exam periods. Subsection 3. The exam plan determines the times at which the achieved grades will be made public. Section 11 Exam types1 The following exam types are available at the Master of Disaster Management: Type of exam Definition Seminar Assessed by attendance and active participation,

including presentations. Term assignment Written assignment prepared concurrently with the

instruction given in the subject, with a fixed deadline and without any extra resource allocation for individual supervision. Such assignments may be announced at the beginning of a subject or during the implementation process. The subject may be: 1) of the student’s choice within the subject’s scope and approved by the subject head, 2) one among several options provided by the subject head 3) it may be simply one assignment to be solved by all students.

Written assignment. An assignment given by the Subject Head, which must be prepared after the end of term. The duration of such assignment may be 24, 48 or 72 hours, and seven or 14 days. Exam duration is e.g. related to subject ECTS credits.

Written exam An assignment given by the Subject Head, which

1 Section 4 of the Exam Order

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must be prepared after the end of term. Duration may be 4 hours or 6 hours. Exam duration is e.g. related to the subject’s ECTS credits.

Oral exam Answering of a given exam question. With or without preparation time and with or without exam aids.

Oral exam following written synopsis Oral exam performed on the basis of a synopsis prepared in advance by the student.

Individual study period Individual study periods include the preparation of an assignment assessed with external censorship according to the 7 grade scale.

Internship assignment In connection with internships, an assignment is prepared, which is assessed by internal censorship as passed/failed.

Replacement assignment All exams, excluding in-term assignments may be replaced by an assignment (and may be distance based). Two hours of supervision are allotted to each student. In extraordinary circumstances, the Subject Head may recommend to the Study Board that replacement assignments are not accepted.

Master thesis The master thesis is assessed by evaluation of the written assignment and by oral examination.

Make-up exams For the majority of tests, the make-up is organised in the same semester.

The specific exam type is specified in the lists of teaching and exam descriptions. When 5 or less students have registered for an exam, the Study Board may change the exam form for the exam in question. This must be imparted to the students when the course starts. Section 12 Assessment2 Exams are assessed as passed/failed or according to the 7 grade scale. Subsection 2. The 7 grade scale must be used in exams covering a minimum of 2/3 of the ECTS points comprised by the study programme. This only applies to the part of the study programme which is not composed by transferred merits. The list of exam descriptions states the type of exam applicable. Subsection 3. Exams are assessed by internal or external censorship. A minimum of 1/3 of the study programme must be documented by exams assessed by external censorship. When internal censorship is used, exams are assessed by the teacher or teachers responsible for the exam in co-operation with one or more examiners appointed among the teachers of the University of Copenhagen. When external censorship is used, exams are assessed by the examiner(s) and by an external examiner appointed by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.3 Section 13 Exams shall be arranged after the conclusion of the subject's classes.

2 Section 10 of the Exam Order 3 Section 6 of the Exam Order

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Subsection 2. When a make-up exam is conducted after an ordinary exam, students must have participated in and failed the ordinary exam of the subject in question to register for the make-up. Section 14 Exam registration4 Exam registration is done by the department for students who participate in the course. Section 15 Withdrawal5 A student may withdraw his or her exam registration. Withdrawal shall be in writing and must be made no later than five working days prior to the day of the exam, not counting the actual day of the exam. The five working days are counted relative to the deadlines in question. The below rules apply to the master programme: Type of exam Withdrawal deadline Written exam 5 working days prior to the day of the exam. Written assignment (48-hours, 72-hours 7 days or 14 days)

5 working days prior to the handing out of the assignment.

Seminar 5 working days prior to the seminar In-term assignment 5 working days prior to the deadline for handing

in the assignment. Oral exam (may be preceeded by a written synopsis)

5 working days prior to the established exam date.

Individual study period 5 working days prior to the deadline for handing in the assignment.

Internship assignment 5 working days prior to the deadline for handing in the assignment.

Replacement assignment 5 working days prior to the deadline for handing in the assignment.

Subsection 2. Where a student does not withdraw an exam registration within the established time limits, the exam in question shall count as an exam attempt and shall not give access to any make-up exam. Section 16 Notification of illness and non-attendance If the student falls ill in connection with a written exam, he or she must notify the Exam Office as soon as possible and no later than 9.00 AM on the exam day. Subsection 2. Withdrawal due to illness must be documented by medical statement from the student’s GP. The statement must carry the physician’s stamp and General Medical Council Registration Number. The medical statement must reach the Student Affairs’ Office (Ekspeditionskontor) in the Panum institute building no later than 3 working days after the illness was notified. If the notification and medical statement are received, the exam does not count as an exam attempt, and the student is entitled to participate in the make-up exam. Subsection 3. If a student fails to attend an exam without notification, or fails to document a timely notification with a medical statement, cf. subsection 2, the exam will count as an exam attempt. 4 Section 27, subsection 1 of the Exam Order 5 Section 27, subsections 1 and 3 of the Exam Order

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Subsection 4. If a student, who was ill during the ordinary exam, wants to participate in the make-up exam, he or she must register for the make-up exam, if such exam is offered. This is done by request to the Expedition Office or by stating the desire to register for the make-up exam directly on the medical statement. Section 18 Re-examination Registration for make-up exams must be made no later than on the first working day after the publication of the grades. Subsection 2. Exams which received the assessment ”passed” or the grade 2 or above may not be repeated. Subsection 3. Participation in the make-up exam presupposes that the student participated in the ordinary exam. Non-attendance does not warrant attendance in the make-up exam. Subsection 4. The study board may, in special circumstances, grant exemptions from the provisions set out in subsections 1, 2 and 3. Section 18 Illness during the exam6 If a student is struck by acute illness during a written exam, the invigilator shall be called in. The assignment text and the student’s work shall be handed in. The student and the invigilator shall sign a statement that the student has left the exam due to illness. Subsection 2. The student must immediately see a doctor and send a medical statement which must reach the Expedition Office no later than three working days after the exam in question. The student’s work is not assessed when an exam is interrupted due to illness. This also applies for any other written assignments. Subsection 3. If a medical statement is sent within the time limit provided in subsection 2, the exam shall not count as an exam attempt and the student may register for the make-up exam in accordance with the provision of section 12, subsection 1. Section 19 Time extensions at exams7 The Study Board may, in connection with written exams and upon request, grant a student a 25 % time extension to conclude the exam. Such extension may be granted in the following cases:

1) Dyslexia documented by a statement from the relevant authority 2) Pregnancy during the first two trimesters of pregnancy provided distinctive pregnancy

discomforts have been documented by medical statement 3) Where a student needs to breast-feed a child under the age of 6 months. 4) In any other case in which the need for more time has been documented by a relevant

statement Subsection 2. In cases of pregnancy, where the student is in the third trimester of pregnancy, exam time may be extended without a formal request to the Study Board, simply by presenting the pregnancy record (In Danish: Vandrejournal) to the Exam Office no later than 14 days before the exam. Such requests are granted without Study Board intervention simply by presenting the request. Subsection 3. For 48 hour written assignments, 4 hour extensions are granted. For 72 hour written assignments, 6 hour extensions are granted. Subsection 4. Extensions may only be granted for written exams with a minimum duration of 2 ½ hours. Subsection 5. For other written exams, time extensions are not granted. 6 Section 9 of the Exam Order

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Section 20 Use of computers8 Students may not use their own computers for written exams. The study board may, in extraordinary situations such as physical disabilities, grant the use of a computer during one or more exams. Section 21 Exam language9 Exams are held in English Section 22 Exam complaints10 Complaints regarding exams or assessments forming part of exams should be lodged with the Exam Office and addressed to the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Complaints must be in writing and must be motivated. Subsection 2. A student may lodge complaints concerning

1) legal matters 2) the exam basis 3) exam implementation 4) assessment.

Subsection 3. Complaints must be lodged no later than 2 weeks after the assessment has been made public. However, the complaint interval cannot begin prior to the date announced for publication of the assessments. Subsection 4. The Dean may, under special circumstances, grant exemptions from subsection 3. Section 23 Exam attempts11 A student has a maximum of 3 attempts to pass an exam. The Study Board may, under special circumstances, grant a fourth and fifth exam attempt. In the assessment of whether special circumstances apply, the question of academic ability is irrelevant. Subsection 2. The Study Board may, in special circumstances, grant more than five exam attempts, particularly when a student only needs to pass a single exam to graduate. Part 6 Other provisions Section 24 TropEd The programme will be promoted through the TropEd-network as a “paralleluddannelse” (Ref. Ministerial order on parallel and joint programmes: BEK nr 931 af 05/10/2005 “Bekendtgørelse om parallelforløb og fællesuddannelse”. Subsection 2. Courses may be transferred from other institutions in the TropEd-network Subsection 3. TropEd-degrees will be issued according to the rules about “Paralleluddannelse” and according to the TropEd-guidelines. Section 24 Merit12 7 Section 32 of the Exam Order 8 Section 4, subsection 3 of the Exam Order 9 Section 5, subsection 1 of the Exam Order 10 Sections 37 and 38 of the Exam Order 11 Section 26 of the Exam Order 12 Section 67, subsection 2 no. 6 of Ministerial Order of the Study Programmes and section 35 of the Exam Order

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The Study Board may, on request, concede exemption of subject elements at the master programme when a student has concluded subject elements at other tertiary, research based educational institutions in Denmark or abroad. Subsection 2. Exemption may not be conceded on the basis of subject elements when more than five years pass from the conclusion of the subject elements in question to the time at which the student, in adherence to the present curriculum, is entitled to complete the subject element from which exemption was requested. Subsection 3. The study board may grant an exemption from subsection 2 where a student has maintained his or her professional knowledge up-to-date through occupational work, research or equivalent activities. Section 25 Evaluation The Study Board initiates and implements evaluations to improve and develop the quality of the Master of Disaster Management programme. The Study Board is responsible for follow-up on training and teaching evaluations. 13 Section 26 Complaints concerning the courses and teachers Complaints concerning the content of the programme should be addressed to the programme director of the Master of Disaster Management. Complaints concerning teachers should be lodged with the Head of department responsible for the teacher in question, while complaints concerning part-time teachers should be lodged with the Programme Director.14 Section 27 Leave of absence Leave of absence may not be granted before the student has completed the initial study year of the master programme and passed the tests which, according to the curriculum, form part of the first study year.15

Subsection 2. During a leave of absence, students may not run for or be a member of the university’s Board, Study Boards or Academic Council.16

Subsection 3. The Faculty Secretariat may, under special circumstances, grant exemptions from the subsection 1 requirement. Section 28 Transferral from other universities and change of study programme Transference of students enrolled at a relevant Master’s programme of other universities may be granted, provided the student has passed the tests which, in accordance to the curriculum, form part of the first study year at the Master of Disaster Management of the University of Copenhagen. Transference presupposes that there is free study places at the desired study level and shall be implemented in accordance with rules provided by the Study Board/faculty. When more places have been requested transference than are available, a solution may be found by lot.17 Section 29 Deregistration from the study programme Registration ceases when a student:

1) Has completed the Master of Disaster Management

13 Section 18 of the Universities Act 14 The provision is drafted in accordance with the provisions of the University’s personnel policy, cf. http://www.ku.dk/default2.asp?src=http://www.ku.dk/pers/Personalepolitik2001.htm 15 Section 36, subsection 1 of the Admission Order 16 Section 36, subsection 3 of the Admission Order 17 Section 34, subsection 2 of the Admission Order

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2) Is s prevented from continuing the course as a consequence of having used all exam attempts

3) Is prevented from continuing the course due to non-compliance with the time limits set out in Section 3, subsection 3

4) does not comply with the study activity requirement, cf. Section 3, subsection 2 and 4 5) Deregisters from the study programme18

Section 30 Exemptions The Study Board may grant exemptions from the curriculum provisions in extraordinary circumstances. Section 31 How to lodge a complaint The decisions made by the Study board in accordance with this curriculum may be appealed to the Rector. Complaints should be lodged with the Faculty Secretariat at the Faculty of Health Sciences. Such complaints, which may only pertain to matters of law and not to the assessments and professional opinions of the Study Board, should be motivated and should be received no later than two weeks after reception of the decision.

Section 32 Entry into force This curriculum takes effect as from the academic year 2008/09 and applies to all students who initiate the study programme as from such term.

18 Section 29, subsection 1 of the Admission Order

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Appendix: Planned optional courses 2. semester Refugee health and

Health in Emergencies

6 ECTS Individual written assignment

7 grade scale, external censorship

2. semester Water and Sanitation in Emergencies

6 ECTS Oral examination Passed/not passed Internal censorship

2. semester Psychosocial interventions in disasters

6 ECTS Individual written assignment and presentation

7 grade scale, internal censorship

2. semester Assessment of traumatic stress in disaster

6 ECTS Individual written assignment and presentation

7 grade scale, internal censorship

2. semester Risk Reduction and Preparedness

6 ECTS Individual written assignment

7 grade scale, Internal censorship

2. semester Risk assessment methods

6 ECTS Individual written assignment

7 grade scale, Internal censorship

2. semester Managing Disaster Situations

6 ECTS Individual written assignment

7 grade scale, Internal censorship

2. semester Assessing Recovery needs

6 ECTS Individual written assignment

7 grade scale, Internal censorship

2. semester Developing coorperation for disaster managers

6 ECTS Individual written assignment

7 grade scale, Internal censorship

2. semester Sustainable Recovery

6 ECTS Individual written assignment

7 grade scale, Internal censorship

The actual courses will be announced before June 1 each year for the following academic year.

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