By EMDPG Staff
September 2016
Welcome to our ranking of the top emergency management bachelor’s degrees online.
If you’ve chosen to pursue a career in emergency management, it’s probably safe to assume you’re not one to take the easy way out. A career in this challenging and sometimes dangerous field means standing face to face with some of the worst crises our country will ever see, from cyber-attacks to natural disasters. But before you buckle in for a life of tough (albeit yes, rewarding) work, you can make one last decision in favor of convenience by choosing to earn your degree online. Save money, save time, and save your energy, so you can get on to the business of saving lives.
Methodology
Our ranking of the top 10 emergency management degrees online didn’t just materialize overnight. After amassing a list of all the colleges nationwide that offer online bachelor’s degree programs in crisis/emergency/disaster management and/or homeland security, we crunched the numbers to determine the most deserving schools. More specifically, we considered only public and private non-profit institutions; for-profit organizations didn’t make the cut. Full disclosure: the list of disaster management and homeland security degrees online is pretty short, so we didn’t want to be overly aggressive about eliminating any options. But with that list in hand, we assessed each school on two main factors – graduation rate and average yearly tuition – to get a sense for the rarest of the rare, the few qualifying undergraduate degrees that are both cost-effective and knowledge-strong.
Because the selection was so slim, we opted not to include exact scores for each program in the ranking. However, we did list them according to their performance in our methodology. In other words, the farther down you scroll, the more impressive the programs become.
10. Immaculata University
Immaculata, PA
Online B.S. in Emergency Planning and Management
School Profile
This bachelor’s degree completion program features a blended format of online and on-campus courses, each of which last just seven or eight weeks. Compacting classes into shorter segments allows you to accelerate your degree if need be and potentially graduate in less than two years.
Tuition & Fees: $14,175/yr (information provided by Immaculata University)
9. Bethel University
McKenzie, TN
Online Bachelor of Science in Emergency Service Management
School Profile
Bethel University offers a unique delivery system for its online undergraduate degree completion programs through bethelsuccess.net, the web address of Bethel’s College of Professional Studies. One of the degrees in the college’s repertoire of adult-oriented undergraduate programs is the Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services Management, which endeavors to graduate students who are “ready for anything.” On a related note, Bethel has an “accept almost anything” transfer policy that requires students to have at least 30 hours of college credit already under their belt, but which will allow you to transfer as many as 80 hours of coursework from a previous institution.
Tuition & Fees: $16,914/yr
8. Anderson University
Greenville, SC
Online Bachelor of Emergency Service Management
School Profile
Anderson University has one of the more versatile programs on this disaster management online degree ranking. It offers two versions of its emergency services management program – a degree completion track for associate’s degree holders, and a full four-year option for new students, both of which are available online. Regardless of which option better suits your needs, you’ll learn about technology, crisis communication, leadership, intelligence, and public administration within the field of emergency services. You’ll also have the opportunity to study more specialized topics, such as information systems, and complete an internship.
Tuition & Fees: $27,680/yr
7. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Daytona Beach, FL
Online Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services
School Profile
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is one of the more unique online schools operating today. Sometimes called “the Harvard of the sky,” ERAU specializes in aviation and aerospace education – although it also offers programs in related areas of business, security, and intelligence. The school’s B.S. in Emergency Services benefits from this reputation, as it has been designed to encompass a wide range of topics across engineering, wildland firefighting, aircraft rescue, dispatch, OSHA, and more. In fact, the entire curriculum is closely modeled after that National Fire Academy’s “Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education” standards and includes a specialization option in Aviation Emergency Management.
Tuition & Fees: $33,218/yr
6. Barry University
Miami, FL
Online Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management
School Profile
Can’t decide between an emergency services or disaster management online degree? At Barry University, you don’t have to choose. Although officially designated as a B.S. in Emergency Management, this distance learning program combines a bevy of information in disaster mitigation, criminal justice, homeland security, hazard mitigation, and business continuity into a single cohesive curriculum. The program places a particular emphasis on learning how to respond in times of crisis; lessons in how to evaluate policy options, assess the effects of disasters, and manage NGO work sites are common. By the time you graduate, you’ll have the confidence – and the know-how – you need to become a leader in the field.
Tuition & Fees: $28,800/yr
5. Indiana Institute of Technology
Fort Wayne, IN
Online Emergency Response Management, B.S.
School Profile
In an unstable world, citizens of even the most secure countries need competent leaders who know how to act in times of emergency. But to train people capable of dealing with crisis, the world also needs stable emergency management education programs that are reliable and trustworthy in the quality of training they provide. One such degree is the B.S. in Emergency Response Management, courtesy of the Indiana Institute of Technology. Replete with skills-based training that spans from risk assessment to incident command to financial management, IIT is prepared to equip our nation’s emergency workforce with professionals who are actual experts in preparation.
Tuition & Fees: $9,504 (information provided by Indiana Institute of Technology)
4. University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, MO
Online Crisis and Disaster Management Bachelor of Science Degree
School Profile
One of just a few programs on this disaster and emergency management online degree ranking to provide an official selection of concentrations (Business Continuity, Emergency Management, and Hazardous Materials), the University of Central Missouri’s B.S. in Crisis and Disaster Management is the academic equivalent of a jack-of-all-trades. All students, regardless of concentration, will complete a field exercise project and learn about technological applications in the field. If you live locally, you’ll also have an opportunity to get involved in service-learning projects with the Institute for Rural Emergency Management. With these kinds of opportunities, you’ll open up a breadth and depth of career choices that mirror the very curriculum that prepared you for them.
Tuition & Fees: $10,544/yr
3. Arkansas State University
Jonesboro, AR
Online Bachelor of Science in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management
School Profile
Calling all nontraditional students! Even among the most flexible disaster management online degrees, few truly provide the accommodations and support that working adults need to succeed. But Arkansas State University has taken specific measures to help online learners of all ages and backgrounds get the education they need. ASU’s biggest effort in this regard is the Prior Learning Assessment, an experiential credit program that offers transferable course credit for independent study, military service, employer training programs, work experience, community service…the list goes on. In addition, Arkansas State’s extensive electives list provides plenty of room for students to choose an emphasis area in a sub-field within Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.
Tuition & Fees: $11,050/yr
2. Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR
Online Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management
School Profile
When you really stop to consider what constitutes an “emergency,” you may start to realize that the definition is extremely broad: chemical warfare, terrorist events, natural disasters, environmental hazards, and radiation exposure all make the list, and surely there are more. So it makes sense that the administrators at Arkansas Tech University want to offer the best disaster and emergency management online degree possible, complete with training across all these subjects. The department places an especially strong emphasis on technical know-how (you must earn 42 of 120 required credits from the “technical specialty”) and includes practicum, internship, and externship opportunities to bolster your skills across the board.
Tuition & Fees: $8,772/yr
1. State University of New York College of Technology-Canton
Canton, NY
Online Emergency Management-B.S.
School Profile
Perched at the top of this emergency management and homeland security degree online ranking is SUNY Canton, a school with an undergraduate program that earns high marks for both affordability and quality. For students who are serious about a career in this industry, there is perhaps no better option than SUNY Canton. Armed with a rare set of resources, from connections with local government agencies to state-of-the-art technologies like Virtual Emergency Operations Center and Graphical Information System (GIS) software, this program has the curious ability to make long distance learning feel three-dimensional.
Tuition & Fees: $10,050/yr
You’ve reached the end of our ranking of the best disaster and emergency management online degrees.
See also: 20 Top Emergency Management Bachelor’s Degree Programs under $23,000 Average Net 2014
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