Everglades University Emergency Management Degree Programs
Everglades University appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Emergency Management Degree Online Programs.
Everglades University (EU) offers an undergraduate program in disaster and crisis management which culminates in a bachelor of science degree. Students can complete all EU degrees completely online, on campus, or a combination of these methods. This program combines elements of business studies along with all aspects of emergency management including public health, infrastructure, communications, and legal issues. Students must complete 123 credit hours to graduate with courses divided into four categories. The 30 credit hours of general courses and 21 hours of interdisciplinary studies are typically outside of the major area of study and introduce students to a variety of other fields. This gives students a larger world view and insight into different communities which is useful when interacting with the public.
Students begin their emergency management training with the 6-class lower division track. This includes Accounting Principles, Introduction to Sustainability, Principles of Management, and Basic Emergency Planning. Upon successful completion of these courses, students move on to the required 54 credit hours of upper division courses which provide advanced instruction in all aspects of the field. Some are more related to management subjects like Effective Team Management, Critical Thinking in Business, and Business Continuity Planning and Management. Other courses focus on dealing with humanitarian and safety issues including Crisis and Disaster Psychology, Disaster Health Management, and Community Disaster Mitigation and Recovery. During their senior year, students demonstrate their understanding of all previous coursework by completing a capstone project and presentation. Throughout all classes, given the unpredictability of the field, faculty make an effort to not only teach theory and best practices but also to help students develop critical thinking skills so that they will be able to evaluate any situation and respond appropriately.
Emergency management students can pursue a master’s degree in public health administration which is a related field. During this 30-credit-hour program, students take management classes like Advanced Organizational Behavior and Leadership Skills for Managers. They also take public health courses, many of which are relevant to emergency management including Principles of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. For their senior capstone, students can choose a research project that incorporates aspects of both public health and disaster management and preparedness.
About Everglades University
Despite its young age of about 30 years, Everglades University has undergone major changes since it opened in 1990 as the American Flyers College, a private for-profit school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After changing owners, the school eventually was renamed Everglades University, earned non-profit status, and moved the main campus to Boca Raton. In addition, the university has expanded and now has locations in Miami, Sarasota, Orlando, and Tampa as well as an online division which is considered their sixth campus. As a whole, the university enrolls approximately 1500 students per year and offers 11 undergraduate degrees as well as four master’s degrees. EU focuses especially on providing accessible high-quality education to working professionals, so many of the classes are offered in the evenings or on weekends. In their 2019 rankings, Everglades University made U.S. News and World Report’s list of Best Regional Colleges South at #52 out of 111 schools.
Everglades University Accreditation Details
Everglades University falls in the accrediting region of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) which is responsible for reviewing the quality of post-secondary schools in 11 states in the southeastern region of the United States. The SACSCOC evaluates a variety of aspects of a university including its mission, integrity, governing board, faculty, curriculum, and student outcomes. EU first received accreditation in 2010 and passed the subsequent review in 2015, so the school is now accredited until 2025. This process protects students and their future employers by ensuring graduates are receiving a complete and relevant education and are adequately prepared for professional life. Additionally, only students attending regionally accredited schools can receive federal financial aid and student loans. Another benefit of accreditation is that it makes the process of transferring courses between colleges much easier.
Everglades University Application Requirements
The online and on-campus programs have the same application procedures and admission requirements. Applicants to Everglades University must submit the online application for admission, $50 fee, and official transcripts from all prior high schools and colleges. ACT or SAT scores are also required for all applicants who have not completed any college coursework. Students can arrange to take the Everglades University entrance examination or submit Florida CLAST scores in lieu of the other tests. Typically, minimum admissions requirements are a high school diploma or GED and combined score of 1200 on SAT, 17 composite ACT, or 15 on the university’s entrance exam. Students who do not meet these standards are still encouraged to apply and explain both the circumstances around their low scores and their motivations for pursuing a college degree. EU does offer waivers to up to 10% of applicants in this category. Once these students demonstrate continued satisfactory academic progress, they are granted full admission status. Requirements for graduate admissions include completion of a bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.0 GPA, a minimum GMAT score of 500, and a minimum GRE of 290. Test scores are waived for students with an undergraduate GPA above 2.5.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate and graduate tuition at Everglades University for both online and on-campus programs is $700 per credit hour for all students regardless of the state of residence, except for 1-credit-hour lab courses which cost $1000. This is also an education fee of $400 for on-campus enrollment and $800 for online students that is charged once each semester. The Bachelor of Science in Crisis and Disaster Management costs approximately $100,000 in total. The total tuition and fees for master’s degrees is approximately $32,000. Even though EU does not offer any university-funded scholarships, they direct students to other applicable scholarship and grant programs. There are many awards geared specifically toward the disaster management field including the Joel Aggergaard Memorial Scholarship and the International Association of Emergency Managers scholarship program. All students are encouraged to complete a FAFSA to determine federal financial aid availability as well as expected family contribution. From there, advisers at Everglades University can help students make a financial plan and answer any other questions about admissions or degree programs.