Emergency Management Degrees at Barry University
Barry University appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Emergency Management Bachelor’s Degrees Online.
Barry University offers several options for emergency management degrees, including a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management that can be completed on campus or online. This program is designed to train students to assume leadership roles in hazard mitigation, international disaster management, terrorism recovery efforts, homeland security, and natural disaster preparation. The emergency management undergraduate degree combines courses from psychology, sociology, public administration, criminal justice, management, and environmental science. It is a FEMA-recognized program.
Barry’s Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management trains students in a variety of applications to ensure that graduates are prepared for small-scale emergencies in their own community and large-scale national or international disasters. Students also learn the skills necessary to critically evaluate public policies and approaches to emergency management. By being able to analyze the causes and effects of disasters, graduates are better able to help communities prepare for and recover from emergencies and disasters. This program also prepares students to continue their training beyond the undergraduate level.
The online option for the B.S. in Emergency Management is an accelerated program and up to 90 credits may be awarded for experiential learning, non-traditional transfer credits, or licensure and certification testing. The online program is not designed for recent high school graduates. All students in this program must be at least 21 years of age and have military service or two years of work experience.
There are also degree options at Barry University that are related to emergency management and would make a good minor or second major. For example, the Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a specialization in Forensic Psychology allows the student to develop a background in the intersection of psychology and the legal system in terms of human behavior and how to control it.
Barry University also has a 14-month training program leading to a Certificate of Completion in the paramedic program. Students who complete this program can sit for the paramedic certification exam. This program is approved by the State of Florida’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services.
A third related option is the university’s Emergency Medical Technician certificate program. Graduates from this program are prepared to work in hospital emergency rooms, harbor supervision, lifeguarding and other emergency situations. EMTs are often the first responders in a crisis or disaster, putting them on the front lines of emergency management.
About Barry University
Barry University is a Catholic university in Miami Shores, Florida. It is a liberal arts university with degree programs in arts and sciences, business, medical sciences, human performance and leisure sciences, law, dance and theater, education, human services, social sciences, nursing, and theology. The campus is also home to a pediatric clinic, primary care nursing center, family enrichment center and the Academy for Better Communities.
The university was founded in 1940 on the Miami Shores by the Most Reverend Patrick Barry, Bishop of St. Augustine, and the Reverend Mother M. Gerald Barry, who was the Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan. The university’s first commencement ceremony was in 1942 with a class of 10 women. Men were first enrolled in 1975. In 1999, Barry University purchased a law school and in 2011, the Paul and Margaret Brand Research Center at the School of Podiatric Medicine was established.
The university began on a 40-acre plot of land and now encompasses 54 buildings on 122 acres on its main campus, with 16 other locations throughout Florida, in addition to an online campus. There are approximately 9,000 enrolled students and 2,100 faculty and staff members. Also in 2011, the university established its first full degree program offered outside of the United States mainland, in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Barry University has received several accolades. In 2011, 2012 and 2013, Forbes magazine named Barry as one of “America’s Top Colleges”. The U.S. News and World Report ranked Barry University as having the highest campus diversity in the South.
Barry University boasts a famous alum. Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal graduated from Barry University with his EdD degree in 2012. Additionally, Alberto Carvalho, Barry University Class of 1990, is the superintendent of Miami-Dude County Public Schools and was the 2014 National Superintendent of the Year.
Barry University Accreditation Details
Barry University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Emergency management and related programs at the university are also approved by the following:
- State of Florida’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Barry University Application Requirements
To apply for the online Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management, applicants must have at least two years of work experience or be serving in the military. Veterans are also encouraged to apply. Applicants must submit high school transcripts, as well as any college transcripts. Applicants to the online program must be at least 21 years of age and provide a resume with at least two professional references. There are six start dates each year and applications must be submitted three weeks prior to the intended start date.
Students interested in the traditional undergraduate on-campus program must submit an application, transcripts or GED results and SAT or ACT scores. Applications are accepted and evaluated on a rolling basis. However, to receive full consideration for scholarships and grants and to be guaranteed a room in the residence hall, early application is strongly encouraged. Students may apply through the university’s online interactive application or through Common Application.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate full-time tuition at Barry University is $28,800 annually. Tuition for the online Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management is $247 per credit hour for the 120 credit hour program. This is a pay-as-you-go program so tuition is billed per course taken rather than per semester or year.
Barry University’s website states that approximately 90% of full-time students receive financial aid in the way of scholarships, grants, student loans or federal work-study. The university’s merit-based scholarship program awards undergraduate students up to $17,000 based on high school GPA and standardized test scores. Students do not need to submit a separate scholarship application to be eligible and merit-based financial aid decisions are made based on the admissions application.
More information about Barry University’s emergency management degree programs can be found on the school’s website.