The Emergency Management Major at Concordia University
Concordia University appears in our ranking of the 20 Top Emergency Management Bachelor’s Degree Programs under $23,000.
To meet the needs of students who want to work in emergency management, Concordia University offers a Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management. This program teaches students how to prepare and respond to emergency situations, prepare for those situations and lead others in an emergency. Graduates can find work in many different government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. A minor in this subject is available and requires that students take just 15 credits of classes on top of the courses they take in their majors.
To earn their degrees, students must take the 31 credits that are part of the general education core. This includes humanities, physical education, and math classes. Students will also take at least two spiritual formation classes, which allow them to study religion and spirituality.
The main focus of the program is the homeland security and emergency management core, which is worth 48 credits. Those courses include Introduction to Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Psychology of Terrorism, Roots of Terrorism, Religion in a Modern World, Cyber Security and Strategic Planning and Budgeting. Students also take 12 credits for various electives and can do up to two internships that will count as electives. The emergency management core includes a practicum too, which is worth six credits. Concordia University can help students find agencies and organizations that offer practicum experiences, including local and state organizations. Students have the option of working for the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies, though they’ll usually do those practicums in the summer rather than during the school year.
About Concordia University
Concordia University is a private university affiliated with the Lutheran Church and the Missouri Synod. To distinguish it from other schools with the same name, it often uses the nickname of CU Portland. This nickname also reflects the Oregon city that is home to its campus. Established in 1905 as Concordia Academy, it was the first school in the Pacific Northwest designed for Lutheran pastors and teachers working in Lutheran affiliated schools. Though it offered high school classes for many years, the college and the high school separated in the 1970s. The first group of students to receive bachelor’s degrees from the new college graduated in 1980. Concordia became a full university in 1995, which coincided with the university added new graduate degree programs.
CU Portland established its own law school, which is in Boise, Idaho. It also added some online degree options that allow students from any state to apply. The university’s Portland campus is home to the George R. White Library and Reading Center and multiple residence halls that allow students to live on the campus. A program it worked out with Portland Community College lets students complete up to half of their degree requirements at that college before they transfer to Concordia. U.S. News and World Report ranked the university as the 80th best college in the west on its 2013 list. CU Portland has an enrollment of more than 3,100 students.
Concordia University Accreditation Details
CU Portland knows that students today want degrees that will prepare them for their futures and for their careers. That is why it sought the regional accreditation that lets students know their degrees mean something in the real world. That accreditation comes from the NWCU, which is the organization responsible for accrediting schools in the Pacific Northwest. Not only does it allow students to seek and get the financial aid that they need for school, but it also gives students the right to transfer their credits between two different schools.
Concordia University Application Requirements
Undergrads applying to CU Portland need to submit the online application. They can create accounts that let them log in and spend some time on their applications before they submit it. This is the same account that allows them to check on the university’s decision. Students must also check for any requirements for individual degree programs. The emergency management program asks for a letter of recommendation in addition to the application. Students can view the recommendation form online as a PDF and have a reference complete and submit the letter for them. This letter should come from an academic or professional reference.
All undergrads must also provide their official transcripts. Though the university only asks for a high school transcript, it asks that those who want to transfer credits also submit a college transcript. It will accept up to 12 credits into this program. The only other requirement is a disclaimer form. Students must fill out and both sign and date this form to show the university that they understand that the program includes fieldwork and that they may need to pass a background check before working in the field. Though CU Portland does not have an application deadline, it recommends that students submit their applications at least six weeks before the start of the semester.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students in the emergency management program can take up to 5.5 credit hours for a rate of $499 per credit hour. This rate increases to $1,053 per credit hour for students in other programs taking up to 11.5 credits. Full-time students can take 12 to 18 credits for a flat rate of $15,790 per semester, though those who take more credits than this will pay an extra fee of $499 per credit hour. The university offers a lower price for emergency management majors that allows them to take a full course load for just $5,988 per semester. It estimates that those students spend $450 each term on books and miscellaneous supplies. Room and board packages add $4,800 to their semester costs.
CU Portland offers seven merit scholarships that it awards to students who have high grade point averages on their transcripts and high test scores. The Cavalier Award is worth $8,000, but the highest prize awards students $20,000 and is called the Honors Scholarship. Students who receive this award can also enroll in the university’s honors program. There are also awards for students who attended a Lutheran high school and the children of pastors who work for that church. Students can receive traditional financial aid as well, including a Pell grant and a subsidized student loan. The emergency management degree program offered by Concordia University allows students to sign up for payment plans too.