Graduate Certificate in Disaster and Terror Medicine
Course code: GC-DTM
January
AUD $20,496 (2026 indicative first year fee). Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) are not available
January
AUD $20,992 (2026 indicative first year fee)
IELTS 7.0: with no band less than 7.0
Course structure
Overview
What will you learn?
By studying this course, you will develop essential problem-solving skills and expertise in this specialist area, including logistics, prevention, planning, responses, recovery, and policy development. You will gain an understanding of domestic and international factors involved in managing complex disaster and terror events within a clinical setting.
The Graduate Certificate in Disaster and Terror Medicine is delivered mostly online, with an intensive 8-day face-to-face program giving you the opportunity to put what you've learned into practice via a series of bespoke workshops. It is highly recommended students attend campus for these workshops, but they may attend some of the workshops virtually.
Led by Australian and internationally renowned experts, you'll apply your newly-acquired knowledge to a series of practical activities and simulation exercises designed to test your ability to problem-solve across a range of disaster management situations, including active shooter mass casualty simulations, and hazardous materials training.
On completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Recognise and apply disaster and terror medicine principles, considering the various health systems and challenges in managing disaster incidents and countering terrorism.
- Analyse the factors that underpin the level of organisational response and the principles that are applied to prevent, manage, contain and diffuse the impact of complex disasters in clinical settings.
- Devise methods to address the complex physical and psychological factors involved in aftercare and recovery post-event.
- Develop creative and flexible problem‐solving and leadership skills to lead cross-functional teams in times of crisis, in a range of environmental, geographic, and often dangerous, settings.
- Apply clinical and health service design and implementation processes for prevention, planning, responding and managing complex disaster and terror events.
- Demonstrate clinical leadership skills applicable to disaster situations.
- Evaluate the ethical and public affairs impact of complex disasters.
Course structure
The Graduate Certificate in Disaster and Terror Medicine is comprised of four compulsory subjects (50 credit points):
- Disaster Medicine Principles and Responses
- Terror Medicine Principles and Responses
- Clinical Leadership During Crises
- Managing Complex Disasters
An alternative exit pathway is available through the Specialist Certificate in Disaster and Terror Medicine (six months part time).
Workload
This course can be completed in twelve months of part-time study.
The expected workload when studying part time is approximately 20 hours per week, including all readings and assessments.
Teaching dates for face-to-face workshops
Explore this course
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this certificate.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Disaster Medicine Principles & Responses · 12.5 pts |
This subject will provide the student with the key skills and knowledge required to evaluate the nature and extent of disaster events from a clinical and healthcare management perspective. Students will learn to apply existing models of preparedness, and plan the various levels of response (community, health service, national and global), as well as consider resource utilisation, resilience and recovery. Students will engage with authentic cases and simulations to develop management strategies for a range of disaster situations. Topics covered will include:
Teaching/learning formats include:
The informal exchange of insights and experiences among participants is a key aspect of learning. |
| Terror Medicine Principles & Responses · 12.5 pts |
This subject will provide essential skills and knowledge for recognising and responding to specific terror events and their corresponding clinical and health service management. Students will learn to apply relevant frameworks for evaluating terror events. They will practise planning and applying management strategies to authentic scenarios and simulations, developing problem solving and communication skills relevant to extreme conditions and crisis situations. Topics covered will include:
Teaching/learning formats include:
|
| Clinical Leadership During Crises · 12.5 pts |
Responses to disasters and terror events require leadership, and many clinicians and health service managers anticipate taking on leadership positions or find themselves in leadership roles, without any formal education in leadership. This can have negative consequences for the leader, colleagues, patients and healthcare organisations. During such crises, leaders must be able to rapidly assess a complex situation, often with limited and fragmented information, while providing effective communication to colleagues, patients and healthcare organisations. The purpose of this subject is to provide clinical and health service leaders (and aspiring leaders) with knowledge of leadership practices during crisis management and the opportunity to implement this learning and acquire new skills. Subject content will be grounded in evidence-based knowledge produced by leadership scholars and practised by leaders in Disaster and Terror Medicine and Health Management. Topics covered will include:
Teaching/learning formats include:
The informal exchange of insights and experiences among participants is a key aspect of learning. |
| Managing Complex Disasters · 12.5 pts |
Management of complex disasters in a healthcare setting requires specific expertise. These situations are infrequent and require a particular skill set to ensure appropriate management. Students will learn to manage complex disasters in healthcare settings. The subject will also provide students with an ethical framework for effective decision making in complex disasters, and strategies for managing activity with multiple agencies. Students will review the impact of complex disasters on humanitarian workers and responders. Topics covered will include:
Teaching/learning formats
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