The M.S. in Emergency Services is designed for students seeking advanced all hazards-based knowledge in emergency services, emergency management, and homeland security, which include disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. With its emphasis on critical thinking, leadership skills, and current research, the degree prepares students for advanced careers and trains them in evidence-based decision-making and defensible analysis related to natural and technological disasters at local, regional, national, and international levels. The degree will prepare students for careers in first responder organizations, emergency management organizations, civil and homeland security agencies, research institutes, public and private sectors, and non-governmental organizations.
Offered through the Department of Emergency, Disaster and Global Security Studies, the program incorporates elements to assist students to earn the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) and Associate Emergency Manager (AEM) certificates from the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). Newly developed Emergency management courses have been added to the curriculum that can be considered as parts of the required professional training. Contents of these courses also will prepare students for the certification exam.
Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes
Students will:
Develop advanced decision-making skills to respond to emergency situations using emerging technologies.
Critically evaluate emergency services rules and regulations to construct appropriate recommendations for developing new, improved emergency preparedness measures.
Examine the global challenges of disaster aid, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and humanitarian crises systematically to develop a critical awareness of how current problems contribute to innovative solutions to common emergency services responses.
Investigate strategies for managing a diverse workforce of emergency responders to evaluate the effectiveness of current leadership and management policies and procedures.
Formulate principles and policies for making critical decisions while mitigating risk in a rapidly changing, complex emergency environment.
Demonstrate problem-solving abilities, teamwork skills, communication competence and ethical leadership when managing complex emergencies through theoretical and simulated exercises.
Worldwide Program Requirements
Core Requirements
18
Electives
12
Total Credits
30
Program Details
The Master of Science in Emergency Services requires successful completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours. Students enrolled in the Worldwide Graduate Online program may complete the degree in six terms, or approximately two years, assuming full-time enrollment and continuous progress. Students pursuing this graduate degree must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.00 for all work completed at the University. The courses required to earn this degree are listed below.
Students should be aware that many courses have prerequisites and/or corequisites. Students are responsible for ensuring that all prerequisite and degree requirements are satisfied prior to enrollment in advanced coursework. The suggested plan of study is provided as a guide. A student's actual plan of study may vary based on term of admission, course availability, transfer credit, and other academic considerations. Students should consult with their academic advisor to develop an individualized plan of study.
