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Emergency and Disaster Management
Master of Arts
The Master of Arts in Emergency and Disaster Management provides graduate-level knowledge to improve critical thinking and decision-making skills required in the planning and management of public crises. This online master's degree program exposes you to the history, theory, response, recovery, and economics of EDM. Through case study examination, you'll study natural, technical, and human-induced public emergencies, disasters, and catastrophes. Knowledge gained from this online program can supplement experience previously gained in the public safety field, or can help to prepare you for a new career in EDM. Knowledgeable leaders who can effectively manage crisis events are in demand in government agencies, public safety, and law enforcement organizations.
This program is taught by highly credentialed and experienced instructors, many who are board-certified emergency managers (CEM) or who hold key positions in government agencies or national safety and security organizations. This program is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress.
Program Courses
The curriculum for this program follows industry trends to help ensure relevancy to today's marketplace. View all courses.
Program Objectives
In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these program specific learning outcomes and be able to:
- Develop a research proposal for emergency and disaster management and report the findings including an estimation of economic impacts.
- Select, evaluate, and prioritize research projects and proposals in community preparedness and emergency response.
- Organize emergency management functions and activities using contemporary emergency and disaster management concepts and federal guidelines.
- Formulate plans that clearly differentiate disaster response actions including recovery operations and their funding from routine emergency operations.
- Design and promote inter-disciplinary training to assure integration between all aspects of an emergency operations function including: planning and pre-event preparedness; threat and vulnerability assessments; capability and capacity evaluation; public policy issues; mitigation strategies; exercises and training; program evaluation.
- Develop plans and policies that ensure the strong organizational and personal relationships necessary to be able to work with the key federal agencies to ensure interagency cooperation at all levels during any large scale incident.
- Formulate policies procedures and protocols to allow seamless agency integration in both small and large emergency operations centers (EOCs) assuring compliance with the National Response Plan and National Incident Management System.
- Perform economic and social analyses necessary to provide funding recommendations to appropriate fiscal authorities; develop and manage budgets.
Degree at a Glance
- Number of Credits 36
- Max Transfer Credits 15
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Tuition Per Credit
$350 | $325 with military grant*
through 12/31/2019
$370 | $250 with military grant
effective 1/1/2020** - Program Length 2 years full time
- Program Format Online | Monthly course starts
- Program Director Terri Wilkin
- View all courses
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Admission Requirements
- All APU graduate programs require you to have earned a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an institution whose accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
- If you have a non-U.S. transcript, please view our International Admissions page for more information.
- There is no fee to complete the APU admission application. View steps to apply.
Please be prepared to submit a legible copy of your valid government-issued photo ID (civilian students) or government issued JST or CCAF transcript (military students) upon request.
An APU admissions representative will contact you with further details about how to submit the required documentation after you complete the enrollment application.
Need help?
Selecting the right program to meet your educational goals is a key step in ensuring a successful outcome. If you are unsure of which program to choose, or need more information, please contact an APU admissions representative at 877-755-2787 or info@apus.edu.
Master's Degree/Graduate Certificate Tuition
Per credit hour: $350 | $325 with military grant*
through 12/31/2019
$370 | $250 with military grant
effective 1/1/2020**
*U.S. active-duty servicemembers, their spouse/dependents, Guard members, Reservists, and veterans are eligible for a grant that currently caps tuition at $325 per credit hour.
**To help minimize out-of-pocket costs, U.S. active-duty servicemembers, their spouse/dependents, Guard members, and Reservists are eligible for a grant that will cap tuition at $250 per credit hour (military TA cap). See all military student benefits.
Paying for School
Because our university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), (the same as the Ohio State University, Univ. of Chicago, and U.S. Air Force Academy, to name a few), we can accept the following forms of financial aid and payments:
Ways to Save
Transfer Credits
Accelerate your degree completion by taking full advantage of our transfer credit options, including credit for your previous college courses, military service schools, American Council on Education (ACE) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests, and prior learning experiences.
Employer Contributions
APU has educational partnerships with many employers and associations. Be sure to accurately enter your employer information when you complete our admissions application. Your employer might also offer a tuition reimbursement plan as one of your benefits.
