Bachelor of Arts in Emergency and Disaster Management

The Bachelor of Arts in Emergency and Disaster Management offers a practical education aimed at emergency management and public safety. It introduces you to the all-hazards approach and provides an in-depth understanding of risk assessment, hazard identification, prevention and management techniques, the multiple phases of emergency and disaster management, and counterterrorism. It also covers the prevention, management, mitigation, and recovery from man-made and natural disasters. From the smallest incident to the largest catastrophe, our emergency and disaster management program stresses the fact that all disasters are local, which is a foundational emergency management concept. Many courses within the program offer laboratory simulations that build upon one another across the curriculum to reflect events and scenarios that you might encounter in the real world of emergency management. The simulations will provide you with an opportunity to become familiar with a true-to-life disaster scenario, working with tools used in the field.

This program is taught by highly credentialed and experienced instructors, many of whom are board-certified emergency managers (CEM) or hold key positions in government agencies or national safety and security organizations. This program is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress(IFSAC).

The mission of the Bachelor in Emergency and Disaster Management program is to prepare students at the journeyman level by providing an in-depth understanding of the theories and best practices associated with effective protection of the public in emergency situations and enabling graduates to assume leadership roles in emergency planning, mitigation, response and recovery, and adaptation functions.

The IFSAC is a registered trademark of the The Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges.

In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:

• Identify the goals of disaster management from prevention/reduction of loss due to hazards, disasters, and emergencies.
• Differentiate between response strategies for the various emergency and disaster incidents.
• Examine the phases of the cycle of disasters.
• Compare and contrast the roles and responsibilities of the individuals and agencies in an emergency and disaster incident.
• Analyze factors and coping strategies involved in emergencies and disasters.
• Demonstrate emergency and disaster preparedness from planning to recovery.