Bachelor’s Degree in
Emergency and Disaster Management
- Bachelor of Science (BS)
- On Campus
- Online
- Hybrid
We see it all the time, both at home and abroad: when disaster strikes, it takes the coordinated efforts of hundreds of people to help get communities back on their feet. But who does all that coordinating?
With a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Emergency and Disaster Management from Monroe’s School of Criminal and Social Justice, it could be you.From planning and mitigation to response and recovery, our Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management takes an all-hazards approach. That means you’ll develop the critical leadership and problem-solving skills you’ll need to take on crises of all kinds. In the process, you’ll prepare yourself for a growing, fulfilling career.
Find Out About Our Fully Online Emergency and Disaster Management Degree
Why Major In Emergency and Disaster Management?
With every passing year, we see more of the unexpected effects of climate change. Natural disasters like flooding, wildfires, and hurricanes happen with increasing frequency. We’ve also seen a rise in some human-made emergencies: aging infrastructure, mass shootings, and terrorism have all created an urgent need for well-trained, highly-skilled emergency managers.
Emergency response coordinators, EMS directors, and other emergency and disaster management careers are on track to grow at a steady rate over the next several years. The skills you’ll build with a Bachelor’s in Emergency Management will help prepare you for all these careers and more. By the time you finish your degree, you’ll be ready to do the important work of protecting communities from the unthinkable — and helping them recover when they need help the most.
Curriculum
In the eyes of emergency management directors, there are four phases to every disaster response: preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. As an Emergency Management major, you’ll learn how to manage every one of them.
Our fully-accredited degree program will show you what it takes to lead in times of crisis — no matter what form that crisis may take. Your Emergency Management courses will explore:
- Homeland security and counterterrorism
- Hazards and risk management
- Communication and social media use in emergency management
- Research issues and technology in emergency management
- Trends and strategies for emergency preparedness
You’ll learn it all from both active and retired emergency management workers: people who know what it’s like to work on the front lines of disaster response. You’ll also have to the chance to build practical experience of your own, with a required 160-hour internship. In your last semester, you’ll pull it all together with a capstone course, developing a research project that addresses real-world issues in emergency and disaster management.
How Long Does It Take to Earn an Emergency Management Degree?
It takes just eight (8) semesters to earn a fully-accredited Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management at the School of Criminal and Social Justice. Thanks to our three (3)-semester academic calendar, full-time students can finish their degree in under three (3) years.
Bachelor’s Degree Requirements:
120 total credits
- 45 credits of major-related courses (including required field experience)
- 75 credits of general education and related courses
The School of Criminal and Social Justice also offers a fully online study option for Emergency Management majors.
Learn more about our Emergency Management degree program.
Critical Decision Making for Emergency Management Leaders – Project Management & Budgeting
When disaster strikes, time is always of the essence. To make critical decisions quickly, emergency management directors need to master a highly specialized set of problem-solving skills. In this course, students will explore rational approaches to effective decision-making. Students will learn how to balance fiscal responsibility, human resource management, and best practices in their responses to emergencies of all kinds.
Admission Requirements
All applicants to the Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management must submit:
- Either a high school graduation credential or high school equivalency diploma, or a recognized college associate degree or higher as listed in the transfer admissions policy.
- A completed application for admission, as well as a personal statement or essay.
Candidates also participate in a pre-admission interview.
Learn more about how to apply to Monroe College.
Tuition and Financial Aid
As an Emergency Management major, you’ll learn how to handle any crisis. At Monroe, we believe paying for your education shouldn’t be one of them.
That’s why, in addition to our affordable tuition and fees, we offer financial aid services that are second to none. Our counselors will work with you to secure the maximum possible financial aid package in the form of grants, scholarships, and loans. They’ll also help you find work-study employment, structure a manageable payment plan, and more.
We also work with more than more than 400 partner organizations to provide Corporate Partnership Grants for their employees. Eligible students could receive assistance worth up to 20% of their tuition costs.
U.S. News & World Report ranks us as one of the Best Value Schools among Regional Universities North. We’ve earned that distinction year after year because we believe in looking out for our students. We’ll look out for you, too.
Your Future Emergency and Disaster Management Career
The majority of emergency and disaster management careers are in local and state government agencies. Graduates may find work at the the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); other federal and state agencies; hospitals and schools; and nonprofit emergency relief organizations. Potential career paths include:
- Emergency management director
- First-line supervisor of firefighting and prevention workers
- Homeland Security officer
- Hospital emergency preparedness administrator
- Program manager
Once you’ve earned your degree, you also have the freedom to further your education. Emergency and Disaster Management majors can increase their career opportunities by earning a master’s degree in a related field.
Discover What You Can Achieve
Real-world learning is built into every Monroe education. In addition to the required 160-hour internship, Emergency and Disaster Management degree candidates can connect with mentors and peers through our many on-campus clubs and honor societies.
Start Building Your Career With an Emergency and Disaster Management Degree
Before you can make a plan for disaster, you have to have a plan for success: your success. Earning your Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management is the first step in that plan.
Discover what you can achieve at the School of Criminal and Social Justice. Apply today.