Societal Safety - Master's Degree Programme
Study programme description for study year 2023-2024
Credits (ECTS)
120
Studyprogram code
M-SAMSIK
Level
Master's degree (2 years)
Leads to degree
Master i Samfunnssikkerhet
Full-/Part-time
Full-time
Duration
4 Semesters
Undergraduate
No
Language of instruction
Norsk
The master’s programme in societal safety focuses on how society can be made more resilient through preventive measures and preparedness. Risk and safety are dynamic elements in an increasingly complex society, which – in view of the internationalisation of infrastructure, trade, pollution, crime and crisis management – require a very high level of collaboration and coordination. Challenges to societal safety can be caused by natural phenomena or human actions. Examples of current challenges include climate change, ecological changes, changes in infrastructure such as energy and water supply, urbanisation, technological changes, communication and transport, changes in logistics and trade, as well as changes in social relations and behaviour that can lead to political, economic and social unrest, organised crime and terrorism. In view of the broad spectrum of risk and safety challenges that society faces, the master’s programme in societal safety is necessarily multidisciplinary, meaning engineers and social scientists study the same challenges together, often with quite different starting points and approaches. Technology must be understood in the light of the functions it performs in organisations and in society. This requires knowledge about people, organisations and society in addition to insight into relevant technical systems.
A master’s degree in societal safety qualifies students for work in a wide range of areas, including industry, public administration and services, private service provision, teaching, research and humanitarian work.
Content, structure and composition of the programme
The master’s programme comprises 120 credits, and is made up of 4 compulsory common courses of 10 credits each, 2 compulsory specialisation courses of 10 credits each in societal safety or technical societal safety, 3 elective courses of 10 credits each, and a final master’s thesis of 30 credits.
The following courses are compulsory for all students: Risk and societal safety (SAM505), Crisis management (SAM515), Infrastructure and vulnerability (SAM500) and Foundations of risk analysis and risk science (RIS505).
Students specialising in technical societal safety must take the course STA500 Probability calculation with statistics 2 in the first semester and SAM610 Technical safety systems in the second semester. Students specialising in societal safety must take the course SAM525 Risk, Society and Ethics in the first semester and RIS660 Research methods in risk, safety, and security studies in the second semester.
In the third semester, students must take a compulsory seminar (that does not provide any credits) to prepare them for work on the master’s thesis. The students must also take 30 credits of elective courses in the third semester. This is also the semester where it is possible for students to have a period of study abroad.
Please note that 10 places are reserved for applicants with a bachelor’s degree in engineering who choose specialisation in technical societal safety. If these places are not filled with engineering graduates, these places will be transferred to specialisation in societal safety.
The programme description may be subject to changes.
Note: If you choose elective courses from another master’s programme, the University of Stavanger cannot be responsible for any collision in teaching and/or examinations.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing and passing the two-year master’s degree in societal safety, candidates will have achieved the following learning outcomes defined as knowledge, skills and general competencies:
Knowledge
K1: Risk, safety and vulnerability related to technologies, organisations, institutions and socially critical systems, infrastructure, functions and institutions.
K2: Extraordinary incidents and stresses that can impact technology, organisations and society (socially critical systems, infrastructure, functions and institutions).
K3: Natural and man-made threats to society, such as ecological changes that affect the climate and natural systems, changes in infrastructure such as energy and water supply, digitalisation, communication and transport, but also changes in social relations and behaviour that may lead to organised crime or terrorism.
K4: Particular challenges related to emergency preparedness planning and handling of adverse incidents.
K5: Awareness that societal safety as a field of study requires an approach at several organisational and institutional levels and with different professional perspectives.
K6: Have in-depth knowledge of the scientific theory and methodologies of the subject area.
Skills
S1: Be able to analyse academic issues based on the subject area’s history, traditions, distinctive character and position in society.
S2: Be able to make independent and critical assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of various theories, methods and analytical tools within risk and safety research.
S3: Be able to use analytical tools within risk and safety research and other studies of safety and emergency preparedness in society.
S4: Be able to assess threats to safety and risks associated with various activities.
S5: Be able to prevent injuries, damage and accidents through planning, regulation and organisation.
S6: Be able to analyse risk, reliability, availability and performance of emergency preparedness in connection with activities, critical infrastructures and critical societal functions.
S7: Understand what is going on during crises and disasters, and be able to deal with challenges that arise in these kinds of situations.
S8: Be able to work in interdisciplinary project groups and teams.
General competencies
G1: How safety and emergency preparedness can be addressed in society.
G2: Theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches relating to damage prevention, damage limitation and crisis management in the private and public sectors.
G3: An engineering and social science approach to risk and safety in society.
G4: Be able to apply their knowledge and skills in new areas in order to carry out advanced work tasks and projects.
G5: Be able to disseminate extensive independent work and master the subject area’s forms of expression.
Career prospects
New and stricter risk management requirements when planning and executing projects and work processes mean greater professionalism is required in most areas. Businesses and public bodies need people with this expertise to ensure compliance with health, safety and environmental regulations, environment-oriented health care, and risk and vulnerability analyses, participation in emergency relief operations and crisis management organised by private and public players.
The programme of study qualifies graduates for work in the areas of risk, safety, emergency preparedness and crisis management in various types of positions, including case officer, adviser, consultant and in management functions in a number of sectors of society and business areas.
Successful completion of the programme can qualify students for admission to doctoral studies at the University of Stavanger in the field of risk management and societal safety.
Course assessment
The quality assurance and evaluation systems for the programme are set out in the Quality System for Education.
Study plan and courses
Enrolment year:
-
Specialization
-
Specialisation in Social Safety
-
Compulsory courses
-
SAM690: Preparatory Research Seminar
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAMMAS: Master's Thesis in Societal Safety
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
Specialization, exchange or other elective courses 3rd semester
-
Contingency analysis and Crisis management
-
Choose 3 courses
-
SAM520: Contingency Analysis and Planning
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAM530: Decisionmaking in Emergencies
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAM550: Energy, Societal Safety and Sustainable Development
Year 2, semester 3
Energy, Societal Safety and Sustainable Development (SAM550)
Study points: 10
-
SAM560: International Humanitarian Emergencies
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
-
Safety, Planning and Regulation
-
Choose 3 courses
-
MEN255: Managing HES
Year 2, semester 3
-
RIS535: Terrorism and Security
Year 2, semester 3
-
RIS615: Applied Risk Analysis
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAM600: Accident Investigation
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
-
Other elective courses
-
SAM601: Practical work/training in societal safety
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
3rd semester Exchange Studies
-
-
-
Specialisation in Technical Social Safety
-
Compulsory courses
-
SAM690: Preparatory Research Seminar
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAMMAS: Master's Thesis in Societal Safety
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
3rd semester at UiS or exchange studies
-
3rd semester at UiS - choose three courses
-
MEN255: Managing HES
Year 2, semester 3
-
RIS520: Technical Safety
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAM520: Contingency Analysis and Planning
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAM600: Accident Investigation
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
3rd semester at UiS - other elective courses
-
DAT540: Introduction to Data Science
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAM601: Practical work/training in societal safety
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
3rd semester Exchange Studies
-
-
-
-
Specialization
-
Specialisation in Social Safety
-
Compulsory courses
-
RIS505: Foundations of Risk Analysis and Risk Science
Year 1, semester 1
Foundations of Risk Analysis and Risk Science (RIS505)
Study points: 10
-
SAM505: Risk and Societal Safety
Year 1, semester 1
-
SAM525: Risk, Society and Ethics
Year 1, semester 1
-
RIS660: Research Methods in Risk, Safety, and Security Studies
Year 1, semester 2
Research Methods in Risk, Safety, and Security Studies (RIS660)
Study points: 10
-
SAM500: Digitalisation, Infrastructure and Vulnerability
Year 1, semester 2
Digitalisation, Infrastructure and Vulnerability (SAM500)
Study points: 10
-
SAM515: Crisis Management
Year 1, semester 2
-
SAM690: Preparatory Research Seminar
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAMMAS: Master's Thesis in Societal Safety
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
Specialization, exchange or other elective courses 3rd semester
-
Contingency analysis and Crisis management
-
Choose 3 courses
-
SAM520: Contingency Analysis and Planning
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAM530: Decisionmaking in Emergencies
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAM550: Energy, Societal Safety and Sustainable Development
Year 2, semester 3
Energy, Societal Safety and Sustainable Development (SAM550)
Study points: 10
-
SAM560: International Humanitarian Emergencies
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
-
Safety, Planning and Regulation
-
Choose 3 courses
-
MEN255: Responsible Leadership
Year 2, semester 3
-
RIS535: Terrorism and Security
Year 2, semester 3
-
RIS615: Applied Risk Analysis
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAM600: Accident Investigation
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
-
Other elective courses
-
SAM601: Practical work/training in societal safety
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
3rd semester Exchange Studies
-
-
-
Specialisation in Technical Social Safety
-
Compulsory courses
-
RIS505: Foundations of Risk Analysis and Risk Science
Year 1, semester 1
Foundations of Risk Analysis and Risk Science (RIS505)
Study points: 10
-
SAM505: Risk and Societal Safety
Year 1, semester 1
-
STA500: Probability and Statistics 2
Year 1, semester 1
-
RIS510: Reliability Analysis
Year 1, semester 2
-
SAM500: Digitalisation, Infrastructure and Vulnerability
Year 1, semester 2
Digitalisation, Infrastructure and Vulnerability (SAM500)
Study points: 10
-
SAM515: Crisis Management
Year 1, semester 2
-
SAM690: Preparatory Research Seminar
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAMMAS: Master's Thesis in Societal Safety
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
3rd semester at UiS or exchange studies
-
3rd semester at UiS - choose three courses
-
DAT510: Security and Vulnerability in Networks
Year 2, semester 3
-
DAT540: Introduction to Data Science
Year 2, semester 3
-
RIS520: Technical Safety
Year 2, semester 3
-
SAM610: Technical Safety Systems
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
3rd semester at UiS - other elective courses
-
FYS200: Thermo- and Fluid Dynamics
Year 2, semester 3
-
IAM570: Complex industrial systems, Vulnerable conditions, and Integrity
Year 2, semester 3
Complex industrial systems, Vulnerable conditions, and Integrity (IAM570)
Study points: 10
-
SAM601: Practical work/training in societal safety
Year 2, semester 3
-
STA510: Statistical Modeling and Simulation
Year 2, semester 3
-
-
3rd semester Exchange Studies
-
-
-