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Meeting Today's Critical Needs

Our world needs more leaders who know how to handle emergencies. Both government and business leaders know we must be ready for disasters before they happen.

What to Expect

In our online Master's in Emergency Management and Preparedness program, you'll learn how to lead during disasters and crises. You'll learn how to make emergency plans, train others, and solve tough problems when disasters strike.

  • Learn the difference between big and small disasters, and how to handle each one
  • Learn how to help right after a disaster and in the months that follow
  • Become a leader who can help towns and cities with emergency preparedness

What can you do with an Emergency Management degree?

Your Master's degree will help you get better jobs in emergency management. As a student you learn skills like emergency planning and crisic management for big companies and cities, ways to talk to the public during a crisis, and how to work with government agencies like FEMA, which directly impacts your career success. You may lead teams that help cities recover after floods or storms or make sure that companies are prepared, ready for any crisis. Our Career Services team will help you find these jobs. The knowledge you gain here builds a foundation for both starting a solid career and growing into higher positions as you gain experience.

Top Career Paths and Advanced Education Options

  • Emergency Management Director
  • FEMA Team Leader
  • Hospital Emergency Planning Manager
  • State Emergency Response Coordinator
  • Business Continuity Specialist
  • Homeland Security Officer
  • Public Health Emergency Leader
  • Risk Management Consultant
  • University Emergency Planner
  • Private Industry Safety Director
  • St. Louis University School of Public Health
  • University of Missouri-Columbia Public Health Program
  • Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
  • Washington University School of Public Health
  • Florida State University Emergency Management Program

Emergency Management and Preparedness (MS) Degree Map

Explore the courses you'll need to complete your degree.

Outcomes & Careers

  • $88k

    Emergency Management Director

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary for an emergency management director is $88,890.

  • $46k

    Community Health Workers

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary for a community health worker is $46,190.

  • $40k

    Emergency Medical Technician

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary for an emergency medical technician and paramedic is $40,120.

What You'll Study

Degree Map

Environmental Science Electives (12 hours):

  • EV547 Fundamentals of Disaster/Emergency Management and Planning (3)
  • EV548 Disaster/Emergency Planning and Response (3)
  • EV549 Vulnerability, Risk Reduction, and Critical Incident Management (3)
  • EV554 Risk Assessment Applications (3)
  • GT645 Advanced Geographic Information Science (3)
  • GT625 GIS Planning for Emergency Management (3)
  • GR698 Master’s Final Comprehensive Exam (0)
Choose 6 hours; at least 3 hours must be at the 600 level
  • BI688 Experimental Design (3)
  • BI699 Wildlife Disease (3)
  • EA507 School and Campus Safety (3)
  • ED535 The Trauma Informed Professional (3)
  • EV556 Fundamental Risk Communication in Emergency Management (3)
  • PS502 Fundamentals of Public Administration (3)
  • PS505 Organization Theory and Behavior (3)
  • PS615 Government Budgeting (3)
  • PS631 Nonprofit Management (3)
Choose 6 hours:
  • EV691 - 693 Environmental Science Research (1-3)
  • EV681 - 683 Environmental Science Internship (1-3)

In addition to the criteria established for general admission to graduate studies, applicants must have the following:

  1. An undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale

Become a Redhawk.

Do more than dream about the future. Take the first steps to make it all happen.

Graduate Assistantships

The graduate assistantship (GA) is designed to provide support during full-time graduate study. It’s an opportunity for the graduate students to serve in a professional role while establishing a professional relationship with faculty and administrators. In addition to a per year stipend, GAs gain valuable experience. There are two kinds of assistantships: teaching and administrative.

College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

This program is housed within the College of STEM. The College prepares students to find creative solutions to problems. Curiosity and analysis merge, creating students ready to figure things out and then use that knowledge to make things better.

Graduate Coordinators

Graduate coordinators serve as the contact for graduate programs. The coordinators are most often faculty within the college that houses the program, helping you to get questions answered and first-hand knowledge of the degree requirements and placement opportunities.

Getting the Job

Your education is just one piece to launching an extraordinary career. Once you’ve mastered the material, you still have to find the job you want, make the right connections, sell your knowledge and experience—and if all this is giving you anxiety, don’t panic. SEMO’s Career Services office is here to help you with the next step. They’ll provide the expertise and support you need, so you’re landing your dream job in no time.

Location
Office
Rhodes Hall 224
Mailing Address
One University Plaza, MS 6200
Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701