Master’s in Emergency Management

Program Overview

Southern New Hampshire University's online Master of Science in Management with a concentration in Emergency Management equips students with the skills to plan, prepare, and respond to critical threats in both life and business. Graduates are prepared to lead crisis response in various settings, from public agencies to private firms, on a local or global scale. The program covers principles of emergency management, applied emergency management, disaster response and recovery, and emergency planning and preparedness.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Minimize risk and safeguard the public by earning an online Master of Science in Management (MSM) with a concentration in Emergency Management. You'll learn the management skills to plan, prepare and respond to critical threats in both life and business, such as organizational crises, natural disasters, hazardous spills and security threats. MSM degrees are becoming increasingly popular and are designed to give current and aspiring managers the people and project skills to face today's extreme business challenges. In fact, in a Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) survey in 2021, about 80% of students said they believed a graduate business degree is an important investment in themselves – even in times of uncertainty, like a global pandemic.1 With Southern New Hampshire University's emergency management concentration, you'll be ready to evaluate strategies for preparedness and response and recovery using the guidelines of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Incident Management System (FIMS). Upon graduation, you may be prepared to lead the crisis response in a variety of settings, from public agencies to private firms, on a local or global scale. "The MS in Management with a concentration in Emergency Management program enhances student knowledge to prepare them to successfully practice within an evolving EM discipline," said Dr. Brenda Miller, adjunct instructor.

Outline:

Courses:

• Principles of Emergency Management: Learn how the system works to prevent disasters that are preventable and how it mitigates the consequences of those disasters that are not.
Study the 5 national frameworks: prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery.
• Applied Emergency Management: Differentiate between the types of crises and develop a systematic response using emergency management planning and preparedness strategies.
• Disaster Response and Recovery: Analyze real-world critical incidents requiring fast response measures and recovery support to determine the degree of success on the coordination and cooperation of various departments and agencies.

Careers:

Earning a master's degree in management puts you in a powerful position for employment in a range of fields, including government agencies, education, healthcare and private business. "There has never been a better time to earn our emergency management concentration," said Dr. Michelle Caron, CPC, an associate dean at Southern New Hampshire University. "COVID-19 has brought to light efficiencies that developed out of necessity versus innovation and these will remain in place for future emergency planning and preparedness." The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 3% growth for emergency management directors through 2032.2 The BLS believes the creation of new jobs is expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. But "we will likely exceed forecasts due to the increased need for more emergency management directors," Caron said. Katrinia L. Lester '16 agrees. "Emergency management is a program that allowed me to see that community supports is an area that our nation struggles with," she said. "We need more resources to ensure that emergency management can respond to crisis situations effectively and help during times of crisis interventions." And what could you do as an emergency director in your career? The BLS states your duties2 might have you:

• Assess hazards and prepare plans to respond to emergencies
• Meet with officials and the public regarding emergency response plans
• Organize response training for staff, volunteers and other responders
• Coordinate the sharing of resources across communities
• Analyze and prepare damage assessments
• Review emergency plans of individual organizations
• Apply for federal funding for emergency management planning, responses and recovery
• Review local emergency operations plans and make revisions if necessary
• Maintain facilities used during emergency operations
With these tasks, it may be your responsibility to lead the response in coordination with elected officials, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and public safety officials.2 Top employers of emergency management directors in 20222 were:
• Local government (excluding education and hospitals): 56%
• State government (excluding education and hospitals): 15%
• Hospitals (state, local and private): 5%
• Colleges, universities and professional schools (state, local and private): 3%
• Professional, scientific and technical services: 3%
These 5 industries also paid the best for workers in these roles, according to the BLS.2 The median annual wages for all emergency management directors in 2022 was $79,180.2 "Opportunities are available in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regions, nationwide, within government and non-government organizations (NGOs), profit and nonprofit organizations," she said. "For example, DHS often announces hiring events for EM practitioners and recent student graduates." The strong core of your online MSM degree gives you the added flexibility to apply your management skills across a wide range of industries. With this degree, you'll be prepared to take on jobs such as:
• Crisis recovery manager
• Disaster management specialist
• Disaster program manager
• Emergency preparedness coordinator
• Emergency response coordinator
• Environmental health and safety manager
• Global response communicator
• Hazard/risk manager specialist
Also, employees with a master's degree earn about 16% more on average than those with only a bachelor's degree and about 65% more than those without an associate degree, according to BLS.2