Those working in critical care and disaster management must have the skills to respond quickly and decisively to provide essential care to acutely and critically ill patients.
Disaster and Terror Medicine is a system-orientated specialty that intersects clinical medicine and a diverse group of responding agencies. It explores areas such as the principles of disaster response and management and leadership skills for crisis situations. The courses are relevant to critical care clinicians (doctors, nurses, clinical leaders); emergency services (paramedics, emergency responders); hospital administrators; government and policy makers; social workers; and the military.
If you’re a nurse, you may be interested in specialising in critical care or being equipped for a constantly changing emergency department environment.
Our courses
Equip yourself with evidence-based best practice to confidently respond to disaster and terror events — mostly online with in-person intensives. 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time.
Designed to equip you with essential skills to prepare your health service, community, or organisation for natural disasters and terror events. 1 year part-time. Mostly online with in-person intensives.
Designed to equip you with essential skills to prepare your health service, community, or organisation for natural disasters and terror events. 6 months part-time. Can be completed fully online, or mostly online with in-person intensives.
Nursing courses
Professional pathways for registered nurses exist within the Master of Advanced Nursing Practice, where Disaster and Terror Medicine subjects can be taken as electives.
Specialise in Critical Care and Emergency Nursing as part of the Master program, to prepare for clinical leadership roles in nursing and healthcare. 1 year full-time / 2 years part-time. On campus (Parkville).
Receive expert guidance in your own hospital and develop the competencies you need to move into critical care nursing. 1 year part-time. Mixed attendance mode.
Gain skills and evidence-based knowledge to provide specialist care in high-pressure constantly changing emergency department environment. 1 year part-time. Mixed attendance mode.
Gain the clinical competence to practise paediatric intensive care nursing as benchmarked against Australian Practice Standards for Specialist Critical Care Nurses. 1 year part-time.
Why study critical care and disaster management?
- #1 University in Australia and #17 in the world for clinical, pre-clinical and health, (*Times Higher Education 2023 World University Rankings)
- Learn from industry experts from The Royal Melbourne, Austin Health, Ambulance Victoria, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism and more.
- Disaster and Terror Medicine courses developed by the Department of Critical Care – the hub for world-leading critical care research, learning, and teaching and engagement across the 20+ University-affiliated hospitals and beyond.
- Enjoy the flexibility of online study as well as the rich benefits of face-to-face teaching in a clinical setting.
Looking for personalised advice?
Find out more about our graduate degrees and get support with your application. Speak to our expert staff online, via phone or at an upcoming event. You can also register to learn more about your course options and opportunities via email.
Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Specialist Certificate in Disaster and Terror Medicine
“The need for a unique course such as this is unfortunately self-evident. It is not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ an event will occur. As clinicians, administrators and officials who are charged with ensuring the safety of our community, understanding the principles of disaster and terror management, will mitigate the impact when these events happen.” Professor Braitberg AM.