Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management

Description and Outcomes

The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management program is designed for emergency services personnel, as well as emergency and disaster management personnel, and addresses the challenges in disaster planning, disaster response, technology, human resource management, and fiscal responsibility. Private and public sector employers are demanding higher levels of training and education for those who lead our nation's emergency management response teams during catastrophic disasters, terrorist incidents, and typical emergencies. This bachelor's degree is designed to empower you to pursue leadership roles in modern emergency preparedness, disaster planning, and disaster response organizations. Additionally, this program could help increase your administrative and management knowledge as well as awareness of occupational and life safety challenges impacting the emergency management discipline.

If you have already completed an associate’s or bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, you may be eligible for degree requirements to be waived and replaced with advanced start credit. Refer to Advanced Start Credit in Bachelor’s Degrees for details.

Concentration

You can personalize your degree with a concentration in business foundations. The business foundations concentration will allow you to gain competencies in the fundamental concepts of business administration. You will develop an understanding of the four functions of management, the components of a marketing strategy, and the financial performance of an organization.

Graduate Program Pathways

If you are interested in earning both a bachelor's and master's degree, consider a graduate program pathway.

Program Length

The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management program consists of a minimum of 180 quarter credit hours. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a bachelor of science degree.

Program Outcomes

Discipline-Specific Outcomes

  1. Ethics: Evaluate ethical, social, civic, cultural, and political issues that have a direct impact on the discipline of emergency management and disaster planning services.
  2. Global Awareness: Analyze the social, cultural, behavioral, and economic characteristics of global emergency management and disaster planning.
  3. Knowledge Base: Develop a comprehensive program for operational, strategic, and tactical emergency management decisions and disaster management planning.
  4. Psychology: Examine issues that deal with the social as well as individual psychological effects of emergency management and disaster planning and response.
  5. Research Methods: Evaluate research about the management and practical application of emergencies and disaster planning using quantitative and qualitative analytical tools.
  6. Technology: Evaluate the use of technology to inform operational, strategic, and tactical emergency management and disaster planning decisions.

General Education Literacies and Professional Competencies

In addition to the discipline-specific outcomes, general education literacies and professional competencies are integrated throughout your academic program. You can review the general education literacies and professional competencies associated with your academic program in the General Education and Professional Competency Requirements section of this Catalog.

Program Availability

For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information.

Policies

Please refer to school-specific policies and the Policy Information section for general Purdue Global policies.

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

Certification and licensure boards have state-specific educational requirements for programs that lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.

You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.