Master of Science in Administration - Emergency Planning and Administration

The field of emergency management has undergone a tremendous transformation since the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Complex changes in technology, demographics, and public policy have significantly influenced the management of emergencies and disasters. Moreover, the number and severity of recent disaster events clearly demonstrate the need for enhancing overall emergency preparedness and response capabilities in both the public and private sectors.

These complex challenges and demands suggest the need for insightful examination of relevant issues in Emergency Planning and Administration. More than ever, public agencies and private organizations require knowledgeable and skilled administrators who can effectively deal with the growing challenges of emergencies and disasters. The specialization in Emergency Planning and Administration is designed to provide tomorrow’s leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet these complex demands. Various emergency management related theories, concepts, and contemporary practices will be examined thereby providing an understanding of crises within an intergovernmental framework.

The optional culminating graduate project enables graduate students to demonstrate mastery of these complexities in a specific area of scholarly interest.

Undergraduate prerequisites for EPA students are CMS 200 Introduction to Computers and DQR 200 Special Topics in Quantitative Reasoning for Exploration and Analysis.

The M.S. with a major in Administration has a unifying curriculum foundation shared among the specializations. Included in this foundation are a total of five courses or 15 credit hours as follows:

Foundation requirements for the M.S. in Administration are designed to assure that students have the requisite theoretical and applied knowledge to pursue their individual interests in their specializations. Building on the breadth and depth of the foundation, specialization courses enable students to continue to expand and deepen their mastery through practical applications, simulations, case studies, applied research in areas of individual interest through the graduate projects and in some specializations, internships.

The M.S. in Administration foundation and specialization courses complement each other and address increasingly complex contemporary and future societal challenges and opportunities faced by 21st century managers/administrators. Through the development of critical thinking skills and a commitment to lifelong learning, graduates are able to understand changing trends and focus on institutional and human needs.

Graduate Project/Publishable Paper (Optional)
graduate project provides graduate students with an opportunity and the means to demonstrate the acquisition, mastery and integration of the knowledge and skills required by their specialization. The project focuses on an area of student interest that meets the acceptable standards for graduate level research.

Grading of the Graduate Project
The project is graded on the basis of a pass or fail. A pass is equivalent to a B or better, a fail to less than a B. In the event that a completed graduate project does not meet university standards and receives a grade of fail, the student will meet with the advisor to review the problems that must be addressed and will resubmit the revised project within 90 days of the meeting.