Emergency Management Programs at Indian River State College
Indian River State College appears on our list of Online Emergency Management Degree Programs.
Two different certificates can help students find work in the emergency management field. They can choose between the college’s Emergency Management Technical or Homeland Security certificates. The Homeland Security program includes courses designed for those who will work for the government agency responsible for overseeing terrorist threats and immigration issues. It includes courses such as Recognition and Investigation of Terrorism and Disaster Response, Mitigation and Recovery. Students in the emergency management technical certificate program take eight classes that are worth 24 credits. Those classes include Weapons of Mass Destruction, Disaster Operations, Incident Command System and Exercise Design and Evaluation.
Indian River State College requires that bachelor’s degree students take general education courses and that they pick a concentration. One concentration is available in emergency planning and management. This program features 42 required credits of emergency administration and management courses. Students take Introduction to Public Administration, Public Personnel Management, Foundations of Public Safety and Emergency Planning. A capstone course allows students to do research on a management or administration subject that interests them and to study specific areas of management. Indian River State College allows emergency management majors to do internships as well. A similar program allows students to major in public administration.
About Indian River State College
Indian River State College is a college in Florida that offers both associate and bachelor degree programs for enrolled students. When founded in the late 1950s, the college served as a community college. It offered only associate degree programs and some programs that included vocational training. Most of the college’s students finished their degrees and then went to work. As students in Florida began looking at four-year programs, the college changed its curriculum to meet their needs. Known as Indian River Junior College and then Indian River Community College, it became known as The River. After becoming a four-year school in 2007, the school adopted the name Indian River College, which would eventually become Indian River State College or IRSC.
The River now has a strong reputation that exists both in Florida and out of the state. Its reputation grew as the college established a new curriculum that included programs for all types of students. While some students still start classes right after finishing high school, others take classes while still enrolled in high school or after spending years working in a specific field. The college also established an adult completion program for students who did not finish high school. They can take classes at night to finish a diploma or GED. Home to one of the highest ranked technology programs in the nation, the college offers multiple information technology and computer science options. IRSC saw more than 10 of its former students become athletes who competed in the major leagues and the Olympics.
Indian River State College Accreditation Details
The college has the right to grant associate and bachelor degrees to students because of the accreditation it has from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). This is the same accreditation that lets IRSC give financial aid packages to students. Students who take emergency medical services classes will discover that those courses have accreditation from the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CAEPEMSP). IRSC also has accreditation for its health information, medical assisting, medical laboratory technology, nursing, and other programs.
Indian River State College Application Requirements
IRSC has five steps for prospective students applying to an emergency management program. All incoming students will complete the application first. The college offers one application for new students and a second for transfer students. Other applications are available for veterans, returning students and high school students. IRSC puts on admissions workshops each year that let students meet with advisors and counselors to get help completing the application. Those workshops can also help students apply for financial aid.
Students should also provide official transcripts from the high schools and colleges they attended. Those who are still in school can submit unofficial transcripts and provide official transcripts later. IRSC also asks that students complete the college’s orientation, which they can sign up for online. They will pick a time and session that works for them based on those listed. Once students complete their orientation, they can register for classes. The college will pair students with advisors who will help them select classes based on their majors.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students who live in Florida qualify for the college’s in-state tuition rate. This rate is $104 per credit hour for students taking lower-level courses and $391 per credit hour for students taking advanced classes. Students who did not live in Florida before starting classes will pay between $117 and $536 per credit hour for lower level and advanced classes. The college charges a technology fee per class for students taking online classes and a separate fee for any lab classes that students take. Veterans can apply for a fee waiver, which lets them take courses for the same rate that residents pay. A similar waiver is available for nonresidents who graduated from a Florida high school.
The cost of attendance at IRSC also includes the money that students pay to live on the campus, which varies based on the packages they select. Students can apply for scholarships at the beginning of November. The college offers scholarships for students majoring in select fields and those who demonstrate need or merit. To demonstrate need and merit, students will need to submit their applications for admission and the FAFSA. IRSC uses the FAFSA to determine what types of aid students should get. Students in the emergency management programs at Indian River State College can qualify for loans, work-study, grants, and scholarships.