Students completing the DHEM concentration program will have the knowledge and skills necessary to assess and manage a broad range of hazards and disasters and to understand the policy and managerial environment in which emergency management occurs.

The program applies an interdisciplinary approach to education that:

• Emphasizes high-level skills of critical thinking, learning, adaptation and policy analysis
• Focuses on the all-hazards emergency management model (encompassing natural and man-made hazards, such as wildfires, hurricanes, technological or industrial risks), and community resilience.

Students interested in obtaining a concentration in Disasters, Hazards and Emergency Management within a Master of Public Administration or Master of Criminal Justice program must apply and enroll in one of these programs within the School of Public Affairs and must adhere to all master degree program requirements.

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Program requirements

• The Graduate Disasters, Hazards and Emergency Management Certificate requires 12 credit hours of coursework.
• Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0, with a minimum grade of B- in each course.

Required courses

Students must complete the following course, for a total of 3 credit hours:

• PUAD 5720/CRJU 5720 - Public Policies for Hazards and Disasters (3 credit hours)

Students must select one of the three courses below, for a total of 3 credit hours:

• PUAD 5650/CRJU 5650 - Public Service in Emergency Management and Homeland Security (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 5655/CRJU 5655 - Principles of Emergency Management (3 credit hours)
• URPL 6645 - Disasters and Climate Change Planning (3 credit hours)

All course descriptions can be found in the Graduate Academic Catalog.

Elective courses

Additionally, students must complete two elective courses from the list below for a total of 6 credits. 

• CRJU/PUAD 5644 - Environmental and Hazards Law (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 5130 - Collaboration Across Sectors (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 5271 - Managing Conflict and Change (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 5320 - Public Policy Analysis (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 5350 - Program Evaluation (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 5440 - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 5631 - Seminar in Environmental Politics and Policy (3 credit hours)
• PUAD 5632 - Seminar in Environmental Management (3 credit hours)

Other electives may be taken with approval from the concentration director. All course descriptions can be found in the Graduate Academic Catalog.