Emergency and Disaster Management, BS
The Bachelor of Science in Emergency and Disaster Management prepares students to lead, coordinate, and support effective responses to natural, technological, and human-caused emergencies. Grounded in the principles of emergency management, public safety, crisis management, and community resilience, the program equips students with the knowledge and practical skills to mitigate risk, prepare for emergencies, respond to crises, and facilitate recovery efforts across diverse communities and public and private sector organizations.
Through an interdisciplinary curriculum, students examine the evolving challenges facing emergency management professionals, including climate-related disasters, public health emergencies, cybersecurity threats, critical infrastructure protection, disaster communications, emergency operations planning, continuity of operations, humanitarian response, and the use of emerging technologies such to enhance preparedness. Community resilience, and decision-making.
The program emphasizes leadership, crisis communication, ethical decision-making, collaborative problem-solving, and evidence-based practice while fostering partnerships among government agencies, healthcare systems, nonprofit organizations, private industry, and community stakeholders. Experiential learning opportunities, case studies, and applied projects enable students to develop the competencies necessary to manage complex emergencies and build resilient communities.
Graduates are prepared for professional careers in emergency management, disaster preparedness and recovery, homeland security, public safety, emergency operations, business continuity, nonprofit and humanitarian organizations, corporate risk management, environmental and public health agencies, and local, state, and federal government. The program also provides a strong foundation for graduate study in emergency management, homeland security, public administration, public health, and related disciplines.
The program level objectives for students completing the BS in Emergency and Disaster Management are as follows:
1. Evaluate the expansive nature of emergencies and disasters through a global lens and assess the value of risk assessment tools in the emergency and disaster planning process.
2. Assess how the four phases of emergency management (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery) are interconnected through an ongoing process that prioritizes effective communication, trained leadership, and adaptability to solve problems in real time.
3. Evaluate the resources and infrastructure needed to adequately respond to emergencies and disasters with the primary goal of saving lives, minimizing injuries, and limiting property damage.
4. Complete a variety of FEMA certifications as a part of the curriculum as offered through the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), National Disaster and Emergency Management University, in furtherance of value-added credentials.
5. Develop critical leadership and problem-solving skills to serve communities through a culturally appropriate lens, including assisting vulnerable populations, in preparation for large and small-scale emergencies, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts.
6. Assess the role and duties of government agencies when responding to crises, as well as public safety issues and managing human behavior during emergencies and crises.
Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major-Related Courses | ||
| EM-101 | Introduction to Emergency Management | 3 |
| EM-106 | Introduction to Fire Science | 3 |
| EM-201 | Effective Communication and Social Media Use in Emergency Management | 3 |
| EM-202 | Global Terrorism | 3 |
| EM-215 | Event Risk Management and Safety | 3 |
| EM-301 | Emergency Management Trends & Strategies For Preparedness: Humanitarian Crises, Climate Change, Public Health Threats | 3 |
| EM-305 | Exploring Research Issues and Technology In Emergency Management | 3 |
| EM-310 | Hazards & Risk Management | 3 |
| EM-380 | Field Experience in Emergency Management | 3 |
| EM-420 | Critical Decision Making for Emergency Management Leaders - Project Management & Budgeting | 3 |
| EM-490 | Emergency & Disaster Management Capstone | 3 |
| CJ-251 | Exploring the Dynamics of Hate Crimes: Past, Present, Future | 3 |
| CJ-301 | Homeland Security and Counterterrorism | 3 |
| CJ-324 | Introduction to Disaster Management | 3 |
| Elective Courses | 3 | |
| Major-Related Courses Subtotal | 45 | |
| General Education and Related Courses | ||
| English Electives | 12 | |
| HS-101 | Introduction to Human Services | 3 |
| IT-118 | Integrated Business Applications | 3 |
| LA-101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| LA-102 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| LA-108 | Psychology of Abnormal Behavior | 3 |
| LA-122 | Fundamentals of Communication | 3 |
| or LA-205 | Professional Communication | |
| LA-130 | American History I: Independence to the Civil War | 3 |
| LA-209 | Contemporary Social Issues | 3 |
| LA-240 | Criminology | 3 |
| LA-247 | Crisis Intervention | 3 |
| MA-115 | Quantitative Reasoning ((or higher)) | 3 |
| MA-135 | Statistical Applications | 3 |
| or MA-235 | Statistics for Business Decisions I | |
| Liberal Arts Elective(s) | 9 | |
| Open Electives | 18 | |
| General Education and Related Courses Subtotal | 75 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Recommended Sequence
| Semester 1 | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| EM-101 | Introduction to Emergency Management | 3 |
| EM-106 | Introduction to Fire Science | 3 |
| EN-111 | College Writing and Critical Analysis | 3 |
| LA-101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| LA-122 | Fundamentals of Communication | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| EM-201 | Effective Communication and Social Media Use in Emergency Management | 3 |
| EN-121 | Analytical Thinking, Writing & Research | 3 |
| IT-118 | Integrated Business Applications | 3 |
| LA-102 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| MA-115 | Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
| EM-202 | Global Terrorism | 3 |
| EM-215 | Event Risk Management and Safety | 3 |
| LA-240 | Criminology | 3 |
| HS-101 | Introduction to Human Services | 3 |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| EM-301 | Emergency Management Trends & Strategies For Preparedness: Humanitarian Crises, Climate Change, Public Health Threats | 3 |
| CJ-251 | Exploring the Dynamics of Hate Crimes: Past, Present, Future | 3 |
| CJ-301 | Homeland Security and Counterterrorism | 3 |
| LA-108 | Psychology of Abnormal Behavior | 3 |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 5 | ||
| EM-305 | Exploring Research Issues and Technology In Emergency Management | 3 |
| LA-130 | American History I: Independence to the Civil War | 3 |
| LA-247 | Crisis Intervention | 3 |
| MA-135 | Statistical Applications | 3 |
| English Electives | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| EM-310 | Hazards & Risk Management | 3 |
| CJ-324 | Introduction to Disaster Management | 3 |
| LA-205 | Professional Communication (or English Elective) | 3 |
| LA-209 | Contemporary Social Issues | 3 |
| Elective Courses | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 7 | ||
| EM-380 | Field Experience in Emergency Management | 3 |
| EM-420 | Critical Decision Making for Emergency Management Leaders - Project Management & Budgeting | 3 |
| Liberal Arts Elective(s) | 3 | |
| Open Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
| EM-490 | Emergency & Disaster Management Capstone | 3 |
| Liberal Arts Elective(s) | 6 | |
| Open Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |