Directory
A-Z Index
 
 

Emergency and Disaster Management

Program(s) Available: B.A.S., B.S., Minor

Are you prepared for anything? Do you enjoy helping others in their time of need? The emergency and disaster management major could be for you.

Why Study Emergency and Disaster Management at Northwest

Our emergency and disaster management (EDM) program offers experiences that very few colleges offer. For starters, EDM students participate in Missouri Hope, a three-day multidisciplinary mass casualty simulation. The event includes a rotation of distinct training exercises for students as well as emergency personnel in medical, police, fire and armed forces. Scenarios include search-and-rescue, assessment of traumatic injuries and evacuation from difficult terrains, such as cliffs and rivers. The Medical Reserve Corps of Greater Kansas City also has joined the exercise to lead a nighttime search and rescue simulation with dogs!

Other Hope exercises include New York Hope at the New York State Preparedness Training Center and Atlantic Hope, which simulates a humanitarian deployment to the fictional country of Atlantica.

Students may also participate in the Campus Community Emergency Response Team (C-CERT) training and become certified responders. The training includes disaster planning and preparation, small fire suppression, disaster medical operation and first aid, light search and rescue disaster psychology and CERT organization utilizing the Incident Command System.

The EDM programs are designed to teach students about leadership, followership and working under pressure while developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Faculty are experts in this field and strive to help students in any way possible!

Pick your path

Emergency and Disaster Management - B.S. (Minor Required)

A Bachelor of Science in emergency and disaster management is available at Northwest. View the 4-year plan or catalog for courses and more information.

Emergency and Disaster Management 4-YEAR PLAN (B.S.) (Minor Required)

B.A.S. (for transfer students)

For transfer students the Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) with an emphasis in emergency and disaster management is a flexible, individually tailored degree for students pursuing a vocational, technical or associate degree. Coursework for these degrees build on workplace skills and practical career training provided by an associate degree. Students may find a B.A.S. appealing for the following reasons:

  • Shorter time to degree by maximizing the transfer of vocational and technical courses toward a four-year degree
  • Requires fewer Northwest Core courses (general education courses)
  • A personalized and flexible degree plan
  • Cost-effective

Please note this program is not a traditional four-year program. It is structured for transfer students. Check out more on the benefits of our B.A.S. programs.

Minor Programs

Minor programs related to emergency and disaster management are available.

  • Emergency disaster management focuses on the fundamentals of disaster psychology, crisis communication, disaster response and recovery, principles of humanitarian relief and homeland security and defense. To check out the required courses, visit the academic catalog. 
  • Emergency services is perfect for students who want to explore a wide range of disaster management. Students explore a variety of topics like emergency medical response and dispatching, emergency medical equipment, wilderness preparedness, firefighting and more.  To view the required courses, visit the academic catalog. 

Career Ready, DAY ONE.
MO Hope prepares students for the real world.

"I participated in Missouri Hope to gain knowledge in more of a real-world application. Learning in a hands-on manner has always been more valuable to me, and an exercise like this really helps cater to that." - Connor Russell, Emergency and Disaster Management Major

Career opportunities

  • Crisis response specialist
  • Public information officer
  • Environmental health and safety officer
  • Border patrol agent
  • Disaster recovery manager

What Can I Do With a Major in Emergency and Disaster Management?

Missouri Hope

An intensive three-day domestic disaster relief field training exercise is required for students studying majors or minors in emergency disaster management. Each year, this exercise takes place at the Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area.

MO Hope website

Missouri Hope

Network with participating Federal & State agencies

The program has partnered with several agencies including Maryville Public Safety, Nodaway and Buchanan County Emergency Management, Nodaway County Ambulance District, LifeFlight and LifeNet Air Ambulances, SEMA Region H Marine Hazmat Team, and the 1-129th Field Artillery Battalion Missouri Army National Guard.

Network with participating Federal & State agencies
The impact of value at Northwest
Right size. Right price.
We understand college is a big investment. Why not attend a school that is invested in you?