Postgraduate modules

On this page:

• Risk, Disaster and Resilience MSc
• Risk and Disaster Science MSc
• MSc module comparison table

Risk, Disaster and Resilience MSc

Compulsory modules for all UCL RDR Master’s courses

IRDR0002 - Emergency Planning and Management

• Module tutors: Dr Dan Haines and Dr Sarah Dryhurst
• Watch the module introduction video

IRDR0004 - Data Analysis and Interpretation

• Module tutors: Dr Bayes Ahmed and Professor Patty Kostkova
• Watch the module introduction video

IRDR0005 - Research Methods

• Module tutors: Dr Carina Russell and Dr Lisa Danquah
• Module introduction video coming soon

IRDR0012 - Independent Research Project

• Module tutor: Dr Eslam Elbaaly
• Module introduction video coming soon

IRDR0015 - Integrating Science Into Disaster Risk Reduction

• Module tutors: Professor Joanna Faure Walker and Dr Sarah Dryhurst
• Watch the module introduction video
• Transcript for module introduction video

Course-specific compulsory modules

IRDR0001 - Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards and Vulnerability

• Module tutors: Dr Ting Sun and Professor Mohammad Shamsudduha
• Watch the module introduction video

IRDR0046 - Resilience, Adaptation and Development

Module tutor: Professor Mark Pelling

• Module introduction video coming soon

Optional modules (choose two)

IRDR0003 - Crisis Management

• Module Tutor: Dr Eslam Elbaaly and Profesor Gianluca Pescaroli
• Module introduction video coming soon

IRDR0006 - Conflict, Humanitarianism and Disaster Risk Reduction

• Module tutors: Professor Ilan Kelman and Dr Myles Harris
• Watch the module introduction video
• Transcript for module introduction video

IRDR0008 - Catastrophe Risk Modelling

• Module tutor: Dr Roberto Gentile
• Watch the module introduction video

IRDR0009 - Digital Health: Epidemics and Emergencies in the Era of Big Data

• Module tutor: Professor Patty Kostkova
• Module introduction video coming soon

IRDR0016 - Gender, Disaster and Conflict (not running 2026/27)

• Module tutor: Professor Punam Yadav
• Watch the module introduction video

IRDR0017 - Business Continuity Management and Organisational Resilience

• Module tutor: Professor Gianluca Pescaroli
• Watch module introduction video

IRDR0050 - Deployment Skills

• Module tutors: Dr Myles Harris and Dr Caroline Russell
• Watch the module introduction video

HPSC0163 - Warnings for Hazards and Threats

• Module tutor: Professor Carina Fearnley and Dr Shipra Jain
• Taught by UCL Science and Technology Studies

Risk and Disaster Science MSc

Compulsory modules for all UCL RDR Master’s courses

IRDR0002 - Emergency Planning and Management

• Module tutors: Dr Dan Haines and Dr Sarah Dryhurst
• Watch the module introduction video

IRDR0004 - Data Analysis and Interpretation

• Module tutors: Dr Bayes Ahmed and Professor Patty Kostkova
• Watch the module introduction video

IRDR0005 - Research Methods

• Module tutors: Dr Caroline Russell and Dr Lisa Danquah
• Module introduction video coming soon

IRDR0012 - Independent Research Project

• Module tutor: Dr Eslam Elbaaly
• Module introduction video coming soon

IRDR0015 - Integrating Science Into Disaster Risk Reduction

• Module tutors: Professor Joanna Faure Walker and Dr Sarah Dryhurst
• Watch the module introduction video
• Transcript for the module introduction video

Course-specific compulsory modules

IRDR0010 - Advanced Hazards

• Module tutors: Dr Katerina Stavrianaki and Dr Shipra Jain
• Watch the module introduction video

IRDR0026 - Statistical Modelling of Hazards and Risks

• Module tutor: Professor Fatemeh Jalayer
• Module introduction video coming soon

Optional modules (choose two in total)

You can select one or two of the modules from the following:

IRDR0008 - Catastrophe Risk Modelling

• Module tutor: Dr Roberto Gentile
• Watch the module introduction video

IRDR0047 - Geospatial Data Science

• Module tutor: Dr Saman Ghaffarian
• Watch the module introduction video

you can pick up to one module from the following set:

IRDR0001 - Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards and Vulnerability

• Module tutors: Dr Ting Sun and Professor Mohammad Shamsudduha
• Watch the module introduction video

IRDR0003 - Crisis Management

• Module Tutor: Dr Eslam Elbaaly and Profesor Gianluca Pescaroli
• Module introduction video coming soon

IRDR0009 - Digital Health: Epidemics and Emergencies in the Era of Big Data

• Module tutor: Professor Patty Kostkova
• Module introduction video coming soon

IRDR0016 - Gender, Disaster and Conflict (not running 2026/27)

• Module tutor: Professor Punam Yadav
• Watch the module introduction video

IRDR0017 - Business Continuity Management and Organisational Resilience

• Module tutor: Professor Gianluca Pescaroli
• Watch module introduction video

IRDR0050 - Deployment Skills

• Module tutors: Dr Myles Harris and Dr Caroline Russell
• Watch the module introduction video

Notes

• Optional modules may vary year to year.
• Some modules have limited capacity.

This table compares the core and optional modules available on the Risk, Disaster and Resilience (RDR) and  Risk and Disaster Science (RDS) MSc courses.