Emergency Management at Ashford University
Ashford University appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Emergency Management Degree Online Programs.
Students who want to learn about emergency management with classes in areas like homeland security and crisis management at Ashford University will enroll in the Bachelor of Arts in Homeland Security & Emergency Management. The degree is offered under the university’s umbrella of criminal justice programs. The degree is offered wholly online and is available to students across the country. The program is designed to provide students with seven competencies including the ability to demonstrate an understanding of law and the intelligence community, as well as the knowledge required to evaluate situations that require the deciphering of security data and emergency management protocols.
Students will also focus on developing critical thinking skills as they apply to emergency management procedures, principles, and issues, as well as learn to evaluate how ethics impacts homeland security. Major course requirements in the program include topics on criminal justice, political science, homeland security and emergency management, and sociology. Some students may need to complete some introductory courses if they don’t have any previous college experience or are less than 22-years-old. There are six classes dedicated to homeland security and emergency management that are required for the degree program. Those classes include Introduction to Homeland Security & Emergency Management, Emergency Planning, and Department of Homeland Security Missions & Current Issues.
Students must also complete Revolution & Terrorism in the Modern World, Introduction to Cyber Crime, Counter Terrorism & Intelligence, and Psychology of Disaster. Additional classes in other areas required by the program include Criminal Law & Procedure, Introduction to Political Science, Applied Constitutional Issues, and Research Methods. Upon graduation, students may qualify for employment in many fields with job titles like Border Patrol Officer, Public Security Manager, Emergency Response Manager, and Counter-Terrorism Agent. The university suggests that a degree is an ideal option for students already working within criminal justice, as well as working adults interested in a career change to an area of security and emergency management.
Students can transfer up to 90 credits into the program and take one course at a time to complete their bachelor’s degree. Each course lasts five weeks, and students will continue into the next course upon each class completion. Students will benefit from the strong research and writing components of the program should they decide to continue on into graduate school after earning their Bachelor of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Completion of the degree doesn’t lead to any special licensure, but students are encouraged to explore various certifications within their state of residence to determine what additional classes might be required.
About Ashford University
Ashford University is a large university operating primarily online with headquarters in San Diego, California. The university has almost 39,000 students enrolled within its five colleges. Divisions include the College of Liberal Arts, the Division of General Education, the College of Health, Human Services, and Science, and the Forbes School of Business. The school’s official colors are purple and gold. The university was once known as TeleUniversity and was one of the earliest online universities with an inception date of 1999. The university would become Ashford University in 2005 when it was purchased by Bridgepoint Education. The university also has a partnership with Forbes Media, and the university changed the name of its business school to honor this relationship.
Ashford University Accreditation Details
Regional accreditation for Ashford University comes from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission. At one time, the school was accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, but it sought reaccreditation with the WASC during its renewal period in 2010. Some programs offered by the university are also accredited by national and specialized organizations. The International Accreditation Council for Business Education has accredited the school’s business and accounting degrees, which include the Master of Accountancy and Bachelor of Arts in Accounting. The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics has accredited the Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education has accredited the undergraduate nursing program.
Ashford University Application Requirements
Ashford University admits its first-year or freshmen students on a condition, provisional, or full basis, and a student’s acceptance status depends on whether the student has or will meet the various admissions criteria. To gain conditional acceptance, which is the first level of acceptance at the university, a student must have earned a high school diploma through an accredited school. The university shares that many of its online bachelor’s degree programs are designed for accelerated learning by adults, so students less than the age of 18 and who don’t yet have college experience may find it difficult to gain admission. Graduate students must meet similar guidelines, but have experience with college classes and a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university rather than a high school diploma.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition for undergraduate programs at Ashford University is $485 per credit. Fees a student may pay in addition to tuition include those for books, digital materials, learning assessments, and technology fees. Graduate level tuition ranges from $635 per credit to $705 per credit and depends on the program. Graduate students may also pay similar fees for books, materials, and technology. Doctoral programs are priced at $1,082 per credit. Students with military service can qualify for special rates with undergraduate tuition at $250 per credit and doctoral tuition at $920 per credit. The university encourages students to fill out its Net Price Calculator to figure out the exact tuition amount required for the program.
Students may pay for their tuition and fees in a variety of ways with financial aid opportunities that range from scholarships and employer assistance to educational partnerships and various payment options. Students who submit a FASFA form can qualify to receive loans through the Direct Lending program or grants through the Federal Pell or Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant programs. Military students who have deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq may qualify for special grants, and students enrolled in the RN to BSN program may also qualify for tuition reduction opportunities. Students who wish to enroll in the Bachelor of Arts in Homeland Security & Emergency Management program at Ashford University should investigate potential grants and scholarships to aid in paying for school.