Your emergency management degree program will require you to undertake an intense and often-difficult course load. The required classes will not, however, offer you enough credits to let you graduate. As with most majors, emergency management leaves room for students to pursue elective courses. If you want to prepare yourself for life in the field, it’s wise to choose electives that work well with your intended vocation. Below are five of the most popular types of electives in emergency management degree programs.
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Public Speaking
If you’re in the emergency management field, you’ll spend at least a portion of your day talking to people. On the worst – and most important – days, you may even be required to go in front of the press. It’s best that you get over your public speaking woes now by seeking out a public-speaking focused elective while you are still in the degree program. While there’s certainly a major difference between speaking in front of a class and speaking in front of worried emergency workers, this sort of basic training can help you appear more confident in emergency situations.
Foreign Languages
Foreign languages are important in emergency management. You’ll need to be able to communicate on the ground, and that often means leaving behind the comfort of your primary language. In fact, foreign language courses are so important that some schools actually recommend a minor in at least one foreign language as part of your ongoing education. Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to pick a foreign language specialization that fits either the population of your area or that which you intend on working. Even a passing knowledge of the local language can be incredibly helpful.
Psychology
It’s always good to know a bit more about the people with whom you work. A basic understanding of human psychology can go a long way in emergency situations, so make sure you take a few psychology classes as electives. While Psych 101 will probably be a requirement in your school, try to find courses that deal specifically with emergency situations. Abnormal Psychology can also be very helpful in some situations, so make sure to look at your school’s course catalog. Psychology credits can be very helpful for those looking to understand the human side of emergency situations.
Business Administration
Many of the same skills used in business administration are used in emergency management. If you can find business administration courses that focus on management or negotiation, you can go into your first job with a better real-world skill set than most of your peers. Any business administration course with a strong emphasis on budget management will also be of value to you, especially if you find yourself working within a larger organization. Remember, management is often considered to have a universal language, so you can learn quite a bit by looking into other management techniques.
Political Science
Those in the emergency management field will often find themselves working with state or local governments. As such, it’s often a wise idea to educate yourself about how those entities work, what they can do, and what they cannot do. Low-level political science courses are a great addition to your course load, as what you learn there may be very easily applied when you are in the real world. Try to find classes that focus on local government matters to get the most out of these courses.
If you choose your electives correctly, you’ll be able to better put what you’ve learned in your emergency management degree program to work.