Course in Crisis Communication in Cities
Online 300 h course in Crisis Communication in Cities. 6 modules with ISO 22322 Emergency management: guidelines for public warning, ISO 22329 Guidelines for the use of social media in emergency management and Hootsuite. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
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Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the social psychology of the population in a crisis.
Design a crisis communication plan for a city.
Write clear, accessible and actionable warnings and alerts.
Manage relations with the media and social networks during a crisis.
Counter misinformation through verification and active listening.
Evaluate the effectiveness of communication after an emergency.
Apply ethical principles and transparency in public information.
Who it's for
- Crisis communication manager who wants to specialise in Crisis Communication in Cities.
- Institutional spokesperson who wants to specialise in Crisis Communication in Cities.
- Civil protection communications technician who wants to specialise in Crisis Communication in Cities.
- Emergency community manager who wants to specialise in Crisis Communication in Cities.
- Reputation consultant who wants to specialise in Crisis Communication in Cities.
- Journalist specialising in risk who wants to specialise in Crisis Communication in Cities.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to enter local government.
What you'll work with
- ISO 22322 Emergency management: guidelines for public warning
- ISO 22329 Guidelines for the use of social media in emergency management
- Law 17/2015 on the National Civil Protection System
- ITU-T Recommendation X.1303 Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)
- ISO 22324 Colour-coded alerts
- Directive (EU) 2018/1972 European Electronic Communications Code (Art. 110)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 General Data Protection Regulation
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Risk perception and cognitive biases1.2Collective behaviour in emergencies1.3The myth of panic and prosocial behaviour1.4Institutional trust and credibility1.5Life cycle of an urban crisis1.6Difference between risk, emergency and crisis1.7Affected publics and vulnerable groups1.8Misinformation and rumours1.9CDC CERC model1.10Case study: public perception during a heatwave
2.1Municipal crisis communication plan2.2Crisis cabinet and single spokesperson2.3Map of publics and channels2.4Key messages and principles of clarity2.5Pre-approved message templates2.6Coordination between administrations and operators2.7Internal communication within the organisation2.8Management of institutional reputation2.9Situational Crisis Communication Theory2.10Workshop: communication plan for a flood
3.1Public warning systems: sirens and loudspeakers3.2ES-Alert and cell broadcast3.3CAP protocol for common alerts3.4Writing effective alerts3.5Accessibility and languages in warnings3.6Weather warnings and colour levels3.7Self-protection instructions3.8Assessing public response to alerts3.9Lessons from the 2024 DANA floods in communication3.10Practice: writing ES-Alert messages
4.1Media relations in a crisis4.2Press conferences and interviews4.3Management of institutional social networks4.4Social listening and monitoring4.5Information verification and fact-checking4.6Virtual Operations Support Teams (VOST)4.7Influencers and local communicators4.8Images, video and visual communication4.9Managing information overload4.10Laboratory: simulation of a social media crisis
5.1Communication in the recovery phase5.2Grief, memory and support for victims5.3Communicating aid and procedures5.4Measuring communication effectiveness5.5Perception surveys after a crisis5.6Lessons learned report5.7Ethics and information transparency5.8Data protection in public information5.9Spokesperson training5.10Case study: evaluating communication during a blackout
6.1Choosing the crisis scenario6.2Analysis of publics and vulnerabilities6.3Structure of the crisis cabinet6.4Set of messages and alerts6.5Media and social network plan6.6Post-event evaluation protocol6.7Simulation of the plan with a script6.8Adjustments after the simulation6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Fully 100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Hootsuite, Brandwatch, Canva, Meltwater, Everbridge, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Trials are based on real procedures for drafting public alerts for a weather event, simulating the management of a social media crisis, and evaluating communication after a real emergency. Assessment is continuous, by module, plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Understand the social psychology of the population in a crisis.
Design a crisis communication plan for a city.
Write clear, accessible and actionable warnings and alerts.
Manage relations with the media and social networks during a crisis.
Counter misinformation through verification and active listening.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient level of Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme consists of 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
You work with Hootsuite, Brandwatch, Canva, Meltwater and Everbridge. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
An SEIUM diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. This is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or Postgraduate Diploma in the same area are credited towards the higher-level programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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