Risk Management

Organisations of every size face risks that can affect their people, operations, finances and reputation. Understanding how to identify, assess and manage these risks is an increasingly valuable skill for professionals across all industries.

Our Introduction to Risk Management short course provides a practical foundation in the principles, tools and techniques used to manage organisational risk effectively. Designed for beginners and professionals looking to broaden their knowledge, this eight-week course explores how organisations identify risks, assess their potential impact, implement appropriate controls and report risk information to support informed decision-making.

Through expert-led teaching, practical examples and real-world case studies, you'll develop an understanding of modern risk management practices, including operational risk, cyber risk, organisational resilience and risk reporting.

Whether you're looking to improve your professional skills, prepare for a career in risk management or better understand how organisations respond to uncertainty, this course provides an accessible introduction to one of today's most sought-after business disciplines.

Who is it for?

Ideal for professionals, managers, graduates and career changers seeking an introduction to risk management. Suitable for anyone wanting to understand how organisations identify, assess, control and report risks, or develop practical skills to support career progression and organisational resilience.

Timetable

This risk management course takes place for 2 hours every Wednesday evening for 8 weeks.

City St George’s Short Courses follow the academic year, delivering courses over three terms:

• Autumn - October
• Spring - January
• Summer - April

Benefits

By completing this course, you will:

• Develop a practical understanding of the core principles, tools and techniques of risk management.
• Learn how organisations identify, assess, control and report risks to support effective decision-making.
• Be taught by an experienced industry professional, bringing real-world insight and practical examples to every session.
• Learn in small groups, allowing for discussion, interaction and personalised support.
• Receive a City St George's, University of London Certificate of Completion upon attending at least 75% of the course.

Throughout this introductory course, you'll explore the core principles, tools and techniques used to identify, assess and manage organisational risks. Each week focuses on a key area of risk management, building your knowledge through practical examples, case studies and discussion.

Week 1: Introduction to Risk Management

• The range and scale of organisational risks
• The role of risk management within an organisation
• The key activities involved in effective risk management

Week 2: Identifying Risks

• Identifying organisational risks
• Risk classification
• Loss measurement

Week 3: Assessing Risks

• Root cause analysis
• Developing and using a risk register
• Loss recording and risk assessment

Week 4: Controlling Risks

• Risk control strategies
• Understanding and managing cyber threats

Week 5: Risk Reporting

• Collecting, monitoring and reporting risk information
• Supporting management decision-making

Week 6: Organisational Resilience

• Building resilience to risk events
• Understanding risk appetite

Week 7: Emerging Business Risks

• Risks associated with outsourcing
• Managing reputational risk

Week 8: Putting It All Together

• Developing risk management policies and procedures
• Course review and closing forum

By the end of the course, you'll be able to:

• Explain the role and importance of risk management within an organisation.
• Identify, classify and assess a range of organisational risks.
• Understand the fundamental tools, techniques and processes used in risk management.
• Recognise how risks can be controlled and mitigated through appropriate measures.
• Explain how risk information is collected, monitored and reported to support senior management decision-making.
• Understand the importance of organisational resilience and effective risk management policies.

There’s no formal assessment for this risk management short course. Students attending at least 70% of the lessons are eligible to receive the certificate of completion.

Teaching

Your time in the classroom will be split between expert-led lectures on the principles and practice of risk management, practical examples, case studies and discussions with your fellow students, helping you apply the concepts to real organisational scenarios.

Module leader Edward Sankey has over 15 years' experience in risk management. He has worked as a risk management consultant in the UK and internationally, as well as serving as Director of Operational Risk for a banking group. Drawing on this extensive industry experience, he'll bring real-world insight and practical examples to every session.

Throughout the course, you'll be encouraged to complete optional exercises between sessions to reinforce your learning and build your understanding of the techniques covered in class.

In the final session, you'll have the opportunity to review one of these exercises with Edward and receive feedback to help strengthen your practical understanding of risk management.

No prior knowledge of risk management is required to enrol on this course, however, we do ask that you have a genuine interest in the subject.

You should have fluent spoken and written English to keep up with learning in class.

English requirements

You will need a good level of spoken and written English to enrol on this course.