The Emergency Management Program at Savannah State University
Savannah State University appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Schools for an Emergency Management Degree.
The Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) offered by Savannah State University is a joint program between the university and Georgia Southern University. It is now available on the GSU campus in Hinesville, which uses the name GSU Liberty. Students can apply to Savannah State University to study the program, but they also have the option of applying to that second campus. They must sign a contract that states they will meet the full requirements of the program and maintain the integrity of both schools.
HSEM majors will take classes from several university departments, including Survey of the African American Experience, English Composition I and II and College Algebra. They also take a class called The Freshmen Experience designed for those fresh out of high school. This class helps students develop better study habits and prepare for tests and assignments. Prior to taking any HSEM courses, students will take 18 credits of prep courses, including Introduction to HSEM, Introduction to Anthropology and Social Statistics.
At least nine credits of the electives that students take must come from this field. They will also take 36 credits of required HSEM courses such as Politics and Policy in Homeland Security and Emergency Management and Risk and Vulnerability. Law & Ethics in Homeland Security and Emergency Management is a course that looks at some of the ethical dimensions of working in this area, while the class called Terrorism in the Modern World looks at the history of terrorist attacks and how those attacks changed the world. This program includes both a senior capstone and an internship too. Savannah State University plans to add new elements to this program in the future that will let students study social work, business administration, and forensic science.
About Savannah State University
Savannah State University is a public university also known as SSU and Savannah State. It is one of several historically all-black colleges in Georgia but one of the only in the Savannah area. Founded in 1890 as the Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth, it opened in Athens the following year but moved to Savannah just a few months later. The first bachelor’s degree programs offered by the school started in the late 1890s and led to an increase in overall enrollment. Enrollment also increased at the beginning of the 1920s after the college began accepting women. After joining the University of Georgia System in 1932, it became Georgia State College, the name it used for nearly two decades before becoming Savannah State College and then SSU.
Known as the main branch of the GSC system for African American students for many years, the university is now roughly 85% African American. The remaining study body consists of students from other ethnic groups. It now offers more than 20 undergraduate degree programs and five graduate programs. The university has plans to work with other colleges and universities to increase its degree options in the future. SSU now ranks as one of the nation’s top African American universities and has an enrollment of more than 4,000 students.
Savannah State University Accreditation Details
Savannah State has regional accreditation, which comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and its Commission on Colleges (SACSCC). The main way that students today get financial aid is through the information they shared on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). They can only use that form if their schools have regional accreditation. SACSCC accreditation also allows SSU to allow students to bring or transfer credits into one of the college’s degree programs.
Savannah State University Application Requirements
The final application deadline for prospective SSU students starting in the fall is July first, but the university encourages students to apply before that deadline. It typically takes seven business days or less for students to get a response. Those who wait until later in the year to apply may not get a response for up to two weeks. Students will create accounts with the admissions website and log into those accounts to apply. They can use the same accounts to view the decision made by the university. Those accepted will receive additional information on how to apply for financial aid and sign up for classes.
There is no application fee, but SSU requires a high school transcript that a guidance counselor or principal submits. It also asks for an official score from the testing agency responsible for the ACT or SAT that the student took. Dual enrollment students who obtained any college credits in high school must provide transcripts from those colleges too, which the university will use to decide which credits will transfer into one of its programs. Those accepted by the university can then provide proof of their identities. Savannah State will accept a copy of the student’s driver’s license or any other type of government identification.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The Savannah State cost of attendance is $165.20 per credit hour for Georgia residents. They also pay fees of around $750 per credit hour, which brings their full costs to $916.20 per credit hour. A discount is available for undergrads who take more credits. They pay $3,397 to take 15 or more credit hours of classes in one semester. Nonresidents pay $196 per credit hour with fees that bring the total up to $1,352 per credit hour. If they take 15 or more credits, nonresidents will pay $9,935 per semester. SSU charges a slightly higher rate for any student taking classes during the summer session, including any online classes they take.
Students who need financial aid should apply to the university by February first and make sure that they file the FAFSA by that same date. The federal work-study program is available to all students who show need on the FAFSA and provides those students with on-campus jobs. Students must work no more than 19 hours a week and can earn up to $2,000 each semester. They can remain in the program as long as they maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher. The Georgia HOPE Scholarship gives awards to Georgia residents with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Emergency management students enrolled in Savannah State University can qualify for other scholarships as well as grants and loans.