Prof. Luca Ragazzoni
Vercelli, Via G. Ferraris 107
Vercelli, P.zza Sant'Eusebio 5
Pending accreditation
The Master’s Degree in Disaster and Health Crisis Management is completed in two years. It is held entirely in English and in blended mode (combination of online and on campus activities).
The Master’s Degree in Disaster and Health Crisis Management aims at equipping its students with essential skills for understanding national and international crisis scenarios and implementing a systemic approach to emergencies, disasters, and health crises, offering a comprehensive overview to be applied in the field through the analysis of legal, economic, logistical, health-related, sociological, and psychological aspects of disasters, while also addressing those related to technology and communication.
Upon completion of the course, students will possess knowledge and have developed specific skills to assume the role of a new professional figure, that of the Health Crisis Manager, with advanced competencies for disaster and crisis management and its health-related consequences. This professional figure may hold prominent positions in public or private organizations involved in crisis situations, either in response or prevention, with the aim of limiting damage to human health.
The Master’s Degree is offered within the LM-81 Italian degree class (Science for Development and International Cooperation), which encompasses degree programs with a strong focus on interdisciplinary international cooperation.
The curriculum includes training activities dedicated to acquiring advanced knowledge in psychology, sociology, and politics in emergency, disaster, and humanitarian crisis contexts, as well as in international humanitarian law and disaster management. It also covers historical and geographical aspects related to disasters and humanitarian crises, and provides economic knowledge in the field of integrated emergency management, including resilience, capacity building, and business continuity. The distinctive features of this study program are a series of integrative training activities focused on medical disciplines, aiming to deepen understanding of the implications of disasters and crises on human health and healthcare systems.
The training path includes seminars, distance and in-person group work, virtual reality simulations, tabletop exercises, and full-scale exercises based on real events, with the aim of applying the knowledge acquired during the course of study and providing both technical and non-technical skills considered essential for fieldwork.
- The Master’s Degree is delivered in English and has a pronounced international dimension: students are encouraged to spend time abroad through international mobility schemes (e.g. Erasmus), internships and thesis projects in collaborating institutions. Several professors and lecturers teaching in the Master’s Degree come from Universities and Research centers across the globe, thus increasing the international dimension of the Master’s Course and the networking possibilities.
- The Master’s Degree is a blended course, with a combination of on campus and online activities. This particularly benefits international students, students already working and students with children.
- The Master's Degree provides not only solid theoretical foundations but also practical and applicable skills. This is granted through a network of collaborations with institutions, organizations, and associations operating in the field of emergency response and disaster management. Collaborations include internships, seminars, workshops, and apprenticeship in the field, engaging not only academic faculty but also professionals working in relevant sectors.
- The proposed curriculum has been designed following a long and articulated series of scientific studies and consultancies with institutions working in the field, to ensure that the disciplines and activities offered are aligned with the real needs of the governmental and non-governmental organizations, academic and non-academic institutions, United Nations offices and agencies that will employ the students after graduating.
- Despite the emergence of global challenges such as natural and technological disasters, conflicts, migratory crises, climate change, and pandemics, there is still a lack of Master's degree programs that train highly professionalized individuals with advanced skills for managing disasters, crises, and health emergencies.
The Master's Degree program aims to introduce a new professional figure, the Health Crisis Manager, equipped with advanced skills to manage disasters and crises and their implications on human health.
Graduates from this Master’s Degree will have the opportunity to hold key positions in public or private organizations involved in crisis and emergency management or in their prevention and mitigation. Some possible career prospects include:
- Officers in public administrations and international organizations in the field of cooperation and aid to developing countries.
- Consultants for assemblies and political institutions, public or private associations.
- Design and implementation of activities for NGOs and other non-profit organizations, such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
- Experts in Civil Protection.
- Researchers at Universities and Research Centers dealing with issues such as Civil Protection, Disaster Medicine, Climate Change, Cooperation, and Development.
- Officials in supranational and international organizations such as the European Union, World Health Organization, IFRC, ICRC, IOM, UNHCR, OCHA, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP.
- Consultants, also in private companies, regarding risk management, crisis management, Business Continuity Management.
Numerous opportunities exist also for students wishing to continue their studies in the field of disaster medicine and humanitarian assistance, who may choose to further deepen their training through the Advanced Master Degree in Disaster Medicine or to enter the world of research through the PhD in Global Health, Humanitarian Aid, and Disaster Medicine, both offered by the University of Eastern Piedmont. Alternatively, they may choose to continue their postgraduate studies at Universities and Research Centers they got to know during their studies, thanks to the dense network of international collaborations underpinning the degree program.
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