For those that are looking to advance upon their emergency management degree, wondering what masters degree would complement their undergraduate degree would be very beneficial. There are a variety of masters programs that are ideal for someone that wants to expand their educational background to enhance their emergency management degree. 

Criminal Justice

The first masters degree that would complement your emergency management degree is a masters in criminal justice. Emergency management professionals are often hired by local, state, and federal government agencies to develop emergency plans and carry them out during an emergency. In many cases, an emergency may be the result of a major crime that has take place. Having an educational background in criminal justice would provide someone with the education necessary to understand how to apply the law when dealing with a criminal emergency.Hospitality and

Tourism Management

The second masters degree that would complement your emergency management degree is a masters in hospitality and tourism management. Beyond governments, emergency management professionals are often hired by hotels, theme parks, and other tourist attractions. Emergency management professionals will help a tourist attraction to design, update, and carry out a variety of different emergency management plans. Those that also have a background in hospitality and tourism management will have a better understanding of how the operations of a tourist attraction work, which will give them better insight into how to prepare for an emergency.

Business Administration

Another masters degree that would complement your emergency management degree would be a business administration degree. Those that want to pursue a degree in emergency management may ultimately work for an organization and move up the corporate ladder to get into a management role. For those that want to advance in their careers, having a basic business background would be important. A business administration degree will give you all of the basic business education, including in finance, accounting, and marketing, necessary to advance in your career.

Construction Management

The fourth masters degree that would complement your emergency management degree well would be a degree in construction management. In many cases, people that are in an emergency management role will need to oversee the development of emergency buildings and other infrastructure. Having a background in construction management or civil engineering will give someone the basic knowledge needed to understand if a project is viable, how long it will take to complete, and what the final costs will be.

Law

For those that are looking to expand their education, getting an advanced degree in law could also be beneficial. Emergency management professionals will need to be able to develop plans to handle very challenging situations. In some cases, this could involve forcing people to do things, such as evacuate or even move entirely. Having a law background will make it easier for you to understand whether or not the plan that you are putting forth is legal and doesn’t violate any basic rights.

In conclusion, getting a degree in emergency management would be able to provide someone with a lot of professional options. However, for those that are looking to have the most professional options as they progress in their careers, getting a masters degree would also be beneficial. There are a variety of masters degrees that would complement your emergency management degree well.

For more information on Master Degree programs in Emergency Management, please see this article on “Masters Degree in Emergency Management“.