Emergency Management Degrees in Georgia

Columbus State University

Graduate School

Situated on a 132-acre metropolitan campus in the heart of downtown Columbus along the world’s longest urban whitewater experience on the Chattahoochee River, Columbus State University is a top regional public institution with more than 8,200 students. With its convenient position just 100 miles southwest of Atlanta to serve the academic needs of the entire Southeast, CSU is currently ranked as the 92nd best college, 47th top public school, and 25th best university for veterans in the South by the U.S. News and World Report. Boasting high-level opportunities for teaching, research, and service, the Graduate School offers nationally accredited flexible on-campus and online degree programs in over 35 subject areas.

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Ideal for graduate students with professionals goals related to public service and/or emergency management, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program has been designed to provide leadership skills for effective, responsive, and efficient public service. As an innovative distance learning program that can be completed in its entirety online, the program structure accommodates students who are currently employed in the public service sector as well as students who are seeking entry-level positions in the field.

Depending on individual career goals, the 36-credit program provides three distinctive tracks leading to an array of job opportunities in Government Administration, Health Services Administration, and Justice Systems Administration. For admissions, candidates must have already completed a four-year acceptable bachelor’s degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better.

Contact 
Tucker Hall Room 109
4225 University Avenue
Columbus, GA 31907
(706) 507-8441
dees_amber@columbusstate.edu
Website

Georgia College and State University

Department of Government and Sociology

The Georgia College and State University has been designated as the state’s public liberal arts institution to combine the esteemed educational experiences of a private liberal arts college with the affordable education of a public university. With a residential learning community of over 6,600 undergraduate and graduate students on a 602-acre urban campus in Milledgeville, GCSU is ranked as the 29th best college and 10th top public school in the South by the U.S. News and World Report. In keeping with the college’s mission, the Department of Government and Sociology is committed to providing academically engaging student-centered programs that take learning beyond the traditional classroom environment.

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program has been established to offer advanced education in the knowledge, skills, values, competencies, and perspectives that are needed to develop responsible public service managers. The program aims to produce graduates who have the practical skills needed to manage public service organizations, understand the organizational environment of public administration, and apply quantitative and qualitative techniques to solve public policy issues.

Along with being offered on-campus in Milledgeville, students can take courses at the Macon and Robins Air Force Base campuses as well as online from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. For completion, students must complete at least 42 semester hours, including an internship or Master’s thesis. If desired, the program also offers students the unique opportunity to participate in an independent research course to explore in detail a subject that is not normally covered in regular course materials and gain valuable hands-on experience working alongside faculty members to investigate a subject of interest.

Contact 
231 West Hancock Street
Campus Box 107
Milledgeville, GA 31061
(478) 445-6289
michele.williams@gcsu.edu
Website 

Georgia Perimeter College

Department of Arts and Humanities

As the largest two-year college and fourth-largest public institution in the University System of Georgia with a total enrollment of around 23,600 students, Georgia Perimeter College is a two-year associate’s degree-granting institution with multiple campus locations based in the suburban town of Clarkston in DeKalb County. With more than 40 associate’s degree programs available, GPC is renowned for transferring almost 3,000 students annually to bachelor’s degree programs, which accounts for one-fifth of all transfers in the university system. The Department of Arts and Humanities is deeply focused on providing opportunities for students to achieve their professional goals while strengthening the economic, cultural, and social vitality of our communities.

Associate of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Management

With the goal of preparing students to make decisions, solve problems, and implement resources necessary for preparedness or recovery, the Associate of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Management program is focused on the competencies necessary for addressing both manmade and natural disasters. The program has been designed to accommodate the unique learning needs of students new to the field as well as students already employed in public safety positions who are seeking to further their skills.

As a 62-credit two-year program, students are required to actively engage in coursework in human geography, homeland security, computer science, police systems, criminal justice, criminology, emergency rescue operations, fire service safety, forensic science, intelligence analysis, border security, statistics, political science, public administration, and more. Although the curriculum is designed to stand as a terminal associate’s degree, the decision on course transferability rests with the receiving institution for students who wish to pursue further advanced studies in handling in either homeland security and/or emergency management.

Contact 
555 North Indian Creek Drive
Clarkston, GA 30021
(678) 891-3200
Marla.Calico@gpc.edu
Website

Savannah State University

Department of Political Science and Public Affairs

Nestled on a vibrant residential 173-acre urban campus in the picturesque historical city along the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean, Savannah State University is known for being the state’s oldest public historically black college and the oldest higher learning institution in Savannah with a history tracing back 124 years. With a total of 22 bachelor’s degree and four graduate programs accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SSU serves an increasingly diverse population of over 4,600 students. The Department of Political Science and Public Affairs strives to prepare students who are prepared for a bright future in the rewarding field of public service in Georgia and beyond.

Homeland Security and Emergency Management Program (HSEM)

As the only bachelor’s degree program in homeland security and/or emergency management in the state of Georgia and the first in the nation at a historically black university, SSU offers a top-notch accredited Homeland Security and Emergency Management Program (HSEM). Built with a strong emphasis on lessening the impacts of manmade or natural disasters on our community’s most vulnerable members, the program is designed to prepare students for public and private sector positions in this growing field.

Using an interdisciplinary approach, the curriculum offers students the comprehensive and hazard-specific practices that can lead to the effective prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery to disasters. Students must earn a minimum of 125 hours to graduate, with 36 semester hours in major required coursework. Along with the general education core requirements, the major coursework in this program will provide the opportunity for students to delve deeper in topics on homeland security, emergency law, emergency planning, incident management, social diversity issues, risk and vulnerability assessment, terrorism in the modern world, decision-making, effective leadership in emergency management, and a senior capstone seminar.

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Designed to prepare graduates to effectively function as managers and leaders in a variety of public service organizational settings, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is the ideal degree option for non-traditional managers throughout the Coastal Georgia region who are seeking to advance leadership opportunities with learning in a multicultural environment. With the goal of serving the profession and the community by using intellectual resources to address needs specific to public service areas, the program offers focus areas in General Public Administration, City Management, Human Resources, and Non-Profit Management.

In order to satisfactorily complete the MPA degree, individuals must complete a minimum of 36 semester credit hours, an approved semester-long internship, an oral exit examination, and a major thesis paper. For those seeking to be prepared as public managers to assume management and leadership positions through this program, it is important to note that applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, show promise for high-quality work with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher, and compose a well-written essay discussing reasons for pursuing this MPA degree program.

Contact 
3219 College Street
P.O. Box 20385
Savannah, GA 31404
(912) 358-3221
bongang@savannahstate.edu
Website

University of Georgia

Department of Public Administration and Policy

First established in 1785 as the first public institution in America to be chartered by a state government, the University of Georgia has a long history of academic excellence on a picturesque 759-acre campus at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the city of Athens within just 65 miles of Atlanta. Consistently recognized for offering one of the lowest in-state tuition rates among major public universities, UGA is currently ranked as the 60th best college and 20th top public school in the entire nation by the U.S. News and World Report. As the 4th best school dedicated to graduate public affairs, the Department of Public Administration and Policy is also acclaimed for having the 2nd best public administration program in the U.S.

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is intended to develop qualified professionals who can use their practical learning experiences to work effectively at all levels of public service organizations, including public sector management, policy analysis, and research endeavors. Offered in partnership with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the program is available to students without previous experience in public service as well as students who are seeking career advancement for their employment in the public sector.

Along with the required 41 credits of advanced coursework in the classroom, all students are required to complete a public service internship for at least 300 clock hours before graduation. While it is typically a terminal professional degree program, some graduates decide to enter the Ph.D. or other similar programs to assume academic teaching careers. To be considered for admissions into this competitive program, candidates must already hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution and demonstrate potential for excellence in the field of public administration.

Contact 
Baldwin Hall Room 204
355 South Jackson Street
Athens, GA 30602
(706) 542-9660
kellough@uga.edu
Website

University of North Georgia

Department of Political Science and International Affairs

Positioned on a 630-acre suburban campus in the Blue Ridge Mountains surrounded by the Chattahoochee National Forest within the small town of Dahlonega, the University of North Georgia is a comprehensive public institution with more than 5,850 students about an hour north of the opportunities in Atlanta. As the designated “Military College of Georgia” with around 13 percent of students participating in the ROTC Corps of Cadets, UNG is ranked as the 55th best college and 22nd top public school in the South by the U.S. News and World Report. Within the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Political Science and International Affairs is strongly focused on the study of political and public service structures to better understand governmental processes.

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Offered to students who are currently employed in a public service organization or are seeking to break into the field, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is designed to serve qualified professionally oriented college graduates who aspire to employment in the public sector, non-profit organizations, or in corporate settings with extensive collaboration with governmental agencies. In a flexible format to accommodate the schedules of both full-time and part-time students, the program requires the completion of at least 36 semester hours in a broad range of curricular options.

With the goal of allowing students to tailor their learning to meet their own individualized career interests, the program also offers concentration areas in Criminal Justice Administration, Public Affairs, or Public Health Administration. For those who do not have at least two years of professional experience in public service organizations, an internship will be required to provide a valuable full-time supervised experience in public service for ten weeks in the final semester.

Contact 
Hansford Hall Room 304
82 College Circle
Dahlonega, GA 30597
(706) 864-1628
polsia-dah@ung.edu
Website

University of Phoenix – Georgia

College of Health Sciences and Nursing

Specifically offering bachelor’s and master’s degree programs focusing on public administration, information technology, and healthcare services, the University of Phoenix campus in Georgia is situated on the outskirts of the metropolitan hub of Atlanta in the suburb of Sandy Springs. Founded more than 30 years ago, the University of Phoenix is an American private for-profit institution with an open-enrollment policy that serves over 250,000 students worldwide in both on-campus and online degree programs. The College of Health Sciences and Nursing is committed to providing a rigorous real-world curriculum in a flexible degree format to meet the needs of students who have already entered the workforce and are seeking to make a difference in today’s changing healthcare organizations.

Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA) with a Concentration in Emergency Management

Ideal for EMTs, firefighters, first responders, and other emergency personnel who want to further their career into business management to help deliver the best emergency health services, the Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BHSA) program offers a concentration in Emergency Management. Along with developing a foundation of business management practices specific to healthcare organizations, the concentration delivers streamlined coursework that focuses on managing and planning emergency response operations to disasters.

Students must satisfactorily complete coursework in healthcare delivery, healthcare management, social responsibility, health information systems, emergency preparedness, policy issues of emergency management, and a health administration capstone seminar. Upon completion of the 120-credit program, graduates will possess the knowledge, skills, ethics, and principles in emergency management to effectively manage emergency response situations and plan for emergency situations.

Contact 
8200 Roberts Drive
Sandy Springs, GA 30350
(678) 731-0555
Website

University of West Georgia

College of Social Sciences

Consistently named as one of the “Best Southeastern Colleges” and one of “America’s Best Value Colleges” by the prestigious Princeton Review, the University of West Georgia is a comprehensive public institution situated on a 645-acre rural campus in the vibrant small city of Carrollton with its distinctively Southern flavor. With over 90 on-campus and online programs of study to meet the diverse learning needs of its large student body of over 12,000 learners, UWG is currently ranked as the 89th best college and 45th top public school in the South by the U.S. News and World Report. Within the Division of Graduate Studies, the College of Social Sciences is strongly committed to giving students knowledge of the natural of social science methodology to effectively work towards solving the inherently complex social issues that are present in today’s changing society.

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

With full accreditation granted by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) for excellence, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is a professional degree designed for graduate students who are either seeking a career in government or non-profit agencies or are currently employed in the public service sector. Along with augmenting the skills and knowledge developed at the baccalaureate level, the program seeks to meet the growing need for additional qualified public administrators.

Within the 36-credit program, students are required to complete major core courses covering topics in policy analysis, program evaluation, research methods, organizational theory, personnel administration, public budgeting, administrative law, public administration theory, and evaluation analysis procedures. Students must also select a concentration track in Public Planning, Public Sector Management, or Public Policy. At the conclusion of the program, students must satisfactorily complete a professional seminar that includes a three-month internship in a governmental agency for any students who are not already employed in public service.

Contact 
1601 Maple Street
Carrollton, GA 30118
(678) 839-4989
scaress@westga.edu
Website

Since disasters like tornadoes, floods, oil spills, terrorist attacks, and hurricanes can have a tremendously negative impact on the economic and social welfare of a given area, the United States is in critical demand for more qualified emergency management personnel to implement prevention or recovery programs effectively. Luckily, these top-notch Emergency Management degrees in Georgia can be the perfect key towards unlocking a rewarding career in responding to the unimaginable disasters that impact our lives.

For more information on earning your Online Emergency Management degree, please see “Top 10 Best Online Emergency Management Degree Programs 2014“.