UnitLevel 5Postgraduate

APG5140 Principles and practices for disaster management, humanitarian action and climate change adaptation

Faculty of Arts

APG5140 Principles and practices for disaster management, humanitarian action and climate change adaptation is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2026
Semester 1
Clayton
Assessment
No exam
3 tasks
Workload
144 hours
per semester

The 2027 handbook has no page for APG5140. This is its 2026 entry, the latest one.

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Requisites

Before APG5140

No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.

After APG5140

No unit lists APG5140 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.

Enrolment rules

Prohibition: MDM4010, MDM4110, MIR4110, MDM4070, MIR4170, APG5087, APG5089

Overview

Climate change, disasters and conflicts are the greatest threats to humanity and planet Earth. In this unit you will consider multi-faceted approaches to the study of the diverse risks and impacts of all types of disasters and humanitarian crises including those associated with climate change, natural, technological and societal hazards, conflicts, and epidemics and pandemics. You will explore practical measures for risk assessment, reducing hazards, exposures and vulnerabilities, and strengthening prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery by applying multidisciplinary , whole-of-society, risk-based and systemic approaches that bridge the “community, local, national, regional and global”, the “development and humanitarian", "disaster risks and events", “strengths and vulnerabilities” and "sectoral and multisectoral" dimensions of disasters and humanitarian crises.

You will examine national, regional and global systems for disaster risk management and humanitarian action and apply the terminology, classification, epidemiology, and global trends of disasters and humanitarian crises. You will interpret international and national frameworks, standards and guidelines and evaluate the way in which these inform policy, practice, education and research opportunities for professionals working in disaster risk management and humanitarian action . This broad and critical conceptual and practical understanding of risks and impacts of disasters and humanitarian crises will prepare you for, and strengthen, your professional roles in disaster risk management and humanitarian crisis management.

Offerings in 2026

Teaching periodCampusMode
First semesterClaytonOn campus
First semesterClaytonOnline

Assessment

  • ReportWritten
    30%
  • Presentation
    30%
  • EssayWritten
    40%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    investigate diverse local, national and international contexts for the risks and impacts of disasters, humanitarian crises and climate change;

  2. 2

    apply terminology, classifications and analysis of trends of the diverse risks and impacts of disasters and humanitarian crises;

  3. 3

    evaluate international and national systems for disaster risk management and humanitarian action;

  4. 4

    interpret frameworks, standards and guidelines for assessment, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating disaster policies and practice for disaster risk management, humanitarian action and climate change;

  5. 5

    assess how transdisciplinary policies and practices build resilience to disasters, humanitarian crises,and climate change effectively manage diverse risks and impacts, and meet the needs of population groups who are disproportionately affected by these events;

  6. 6

    reflect on your personal competencies through the exploration of the professional competencies expected of professionals working in disaster risk management and humanitarian action.

Workload and teaching

  • Tutorials12 hours
  • Seminars18 hours
  • Teaching approachRole play
  • Teaching approachPeer assisted learning
  • Teaching approachField trips
  • Teaching approachActive learning
  • Teaching approachCase-based teaching

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

This unit provides you with opportunities to Role-play in order to have that personal engagement.

This unit will provide you with opportunities to work with peers in groups and pairs in class. They will have interactive discussions to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the topic, and reinforce your learning.

This unit provides you with opportunities to participate in experiential learning by visiting cultural, geographical and/or industrial sites relevant to their studies. 

This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities. 

This unit includes case-based teaching, where you apply your knowledge and engage in analytical and reflective thinking to solve complex contextual scenarios. Activities are often designed so that there is not one clear answer, but you need to work together to examine, analyse and make decisions to resolve the situation.

Learning resources

Required resources

This unit requires access to a laptop that meets minimum specifications (https://www.monash.edu/esolutions/students/bring-your-own-device-byod). Free specialist software is available via MoVE (https://www.monash.edu/learning-teaching/innovation/learning-technologies/move).

Contacts

Chief Examiners
Dr Adriana Keating
Unit Coordinators
Dr Adriana Keating

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for APG5140?

APG5140 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.

When is APG5140 offered?

In 2026, APG5140 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton, with an online option.

How much work is APG5140?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does APG5140 have an exam?

No. APG5140 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
5
Study level
Postgraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Arts
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 4
Study abroad
Available
Handbook years
2020202120222023202420252026