Earn an Online Bachelors Degree in Emergency Management

Earning an emergency management bachelors degree online teaches you how to respond to natural and man-made disasters. This includes how to develop disaster recovery plans, develop drills, and how to coordinate operations both pre- and post-disaster. Courses also show you how to think about and take stock of a situation as well as the leadership skills you will need in order to make fast decisions.

An online bachelors degree in emergency management could cover anything from public policy and leadership management to preventive and reactive tactics that you can use in various settings. Emergencies come in all forms, from house fires and acts of nature to terrorist acts. As such, people who want to earn this degree will need to be able to work well under pressure and multi-task in fast-paced settings where people are under a great deal of stress.

No matter the kind of emergency, rescue professionals need to quickly scan the situation and come up with some sort of game plan to fix things. When you deal with hazardous materials, that may mean knowing how to get and use the right kind of tools to assess and clean up a scene. If the problem is larger in scale, such as a tsunami or hurricane, you will need a plan that is more complex and demanding, as you may need to work on things like evacuation, medical aid, temporary housing, and damage assessment. There may be many other factors such as how to help those who are left without homes as well as how to best aid the rescue workers.

Did You Know?

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 60% of Americans have not practiced what to do in a disaster. Plus, only 39% of respondents have made an emergency plan.

The Four Phases of Emergency Management

The four phases of emergency management are as follows.

  1. Mitigation
  2. Preparedness
  3. Response
  4. Recovery

These steps help communities and organizations plan for and manage loss when there are emergencies and disasters. These phases also include how to coordinate operations and resources during an emergency, as well as once it is over.

Emergency Management Bachelors Degree Online: Basics

Emergency management bachelors degree online programs focus on teaching you the many aspects of how to prepare for and respond to various disasters. This includes developing critical thinking skills so you know how to solve problems. Courses in a Emergency Management Bachelors Degree Online also focus on teaching you the many laws of all of the political and social settings. This can also help you have a better grasp of proper responses and the nest steps to recover.

When you apply for an online emergency management bachelors degree, most schools ask that you’ve earned a high school diploma, GED, or its equal. However, every school has its own admissions rules. Therefore, be sure to check with each school to find a perfect match for you.

In order to earn your bachelors degree, normally you need to pass 120 credits. Typically, full-time students can earn their Emergency Management Bachelors Degree Online degree in four years. However, the specific length may vary from school to school.

Different Emergency Management Bachelors Degree Names

There are a number of different degree names for online bachelors degree programs in the emergency management field. But all of them work to develop your critical analysis, how you reason, and your analytical skills. This may help you plan for, react to, and come back from emergencies and disasters.

Check out the list below for some of the degree names you may see.

  • Emergency and Disaster Management
  • Emergency Services Management
  • Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management
  • Homeland Security and Emergency Management
  • Crisis and Disaster Management
  • Emergency Planning and Management
  • Emergency Management and Business Continuity
  • Emergency Readiness and Response Management
  • Emergency Management Technology
  • Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cyber Security

While there are a number of similarities between these various programs, it’s important to remember that every school is different. In order to find a perfect match for your goals, make sure you talk to a few different schools.

Online Emergency Management Courses

Emergency management isn’t only about how to prepare for and respond to disasters. Emergency Management Bachelors Degree Online Courses also teach you a number of different critical components, such as the following.

  • Interpreting various laws
  • Understanding social and political climate
  • Evaluating data
  • Analyzing validity of information
  • Grow research and technical writing skills 
  • Many others

To see some of the common courses you may take while you pursue your emergency management bachelors degree online, check out the list that follows.

  • Principles of Emergency Services
  • Preparedness and Planning for Emergency Management
  • Disaster Policy in Emergency Management
  • Recovery Practices in Emergency Management
  • Emergency Response to Terrorism
  • Research and Analysis in Homeland Security
  • Psychology of Disaster
  • Introduction to Cyber Crime
  • Crisis Management
  • Disaster Management

The specific structure and course names may vary from school to school. Research individual schools to read program and course descriptions. This research will help you find a perfect match for your goals.

Mitigation in Disaster Management - Basics

Mitigation is how to reduce the loss of life and of property during a disaster or an emergency. That means effectively planning and coordinating resources before the next event. This includes the following three steps.

  1. Analyzing risk
  2. Reducing risk
  3. Insuring against risk

Each of these steps focus on knowing that an emergency can happen at any time. Therefore, preparation and planning are key to a safe and financially secure community.

Essentials of a Disaster Recovery Plan

A disaster recovery plan is a business plan that lays out how work can be resumed quickly and efficiently after a disaster. This is one side of business continuity plans. Most disaster recovery plans focus on IT infrastructure to recover enough data and functionality to get an organization back up and running.

What Can You Do with an Emergency Management Degree?

There are many careers that you may pursue after you earn your bachelors degree in emergency management. Most of those fall under the blanket title of emergency management director. Some of the specific job titles that are emergency management directors include the below.

  • Emergency Preparedness Specialist
  • Emergency Services Director
  • Emergency Planner
  • Emergency Management Coordinator
  • Emergency Management System Director (EMS Director)i

The 2015 median annual salary for emergency management directors was $67,330.ii The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects the number of emergency management directors to increase 6% for the ten years of 2014 to 2024.iii Most employers look for candidates who have a bachelors degree and a few years' of on-the-job experience. However, some small municipalities may hire those with less than a bachelors degree, but typically they still ask that you have a number of years of work under your belt.iv

Take the Next Step!

If you want to learn how to help your community by developing critical analysis, leadership, and emergency management skills, take the next step. Click on any of the sponsored listings on this page to learn more about each school. When you find one that seems like a perfect match, reach out to the school and ask for more information.

i onetonline.org/link/summary/11-9161.00 ii bls.gov/ooh/management/emergency-management-directors.htm#tab-5 iii bls.gov/ooh/management/emergency-management-directors.htm#tab-6 iv https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/emergency-management-directors.htm#tab-4