Three Akron Degrees for Emergency Management Careers
The University of Akron appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Schools for an Emergency Management Degree.
At Polsky Hall, the College of Applied Science & Technology led by Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy grants an Emergency Medical Services AAS where University of Akron Zips choose the 60-credit EMT/Paramedic or Fire/Medic Option for Ohio certification after 2000-level courses like Incident Management. Chaired by Dr. Robert Schwartz, the Fire Protection Technology AAS builds a 60-credit, two-year curriculum that requires 15-week internships, such as Cuyahoga Falls Fire, Hancock County EMA, Children’s Hospital Philadelphia, or Lyndhurst Fire, for 90 percent job placement. Since 1998, the Emergency Management and Homeland Security BS has developed a 127-credit, HLC-accredited campus or online plan overseen by Dr. Stacy Willett where undergrads get Center for Fire & Hazardous Materials training, join the IEMSA Chapter, and find Department of Public Safety internships. Other Akron programs are the Emergency Management Certificate, Fire Protection Certificate, and Cyber Disaster Management Certificate.
About the University of Akron
The University of Akron originated in 1870 when the Ohio Universalist Church opened Buchtel College with more than $30,000 in financial support from iron industry leader John R. Buchtel. In 1888, Congressman George W. Crouse donated money to build the largest gymnasium west of the Allegheny Mountains. Struck by fire in 1899, Buchtel College rebuilt with help from the Carnegie Foundation in 1901. In 1909, Buchtel launched the globe’s first rubber chemistry course. Three years later, it was publicly acquired and renamed the Municipal University of Akron. In 1963, Governor Jim Rhodes made it a state school called the University of Akron in 1967. During the 1980s, Akron launched the world’s earliest polymer engineering degrees. On September 10, 2002, the Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security Policy Research was established.
Endowed for $237.1 million, the University of Akron now employs 2,573 faculty teaching 14,826 full-time and 5,728 part-time Zips from 92 countries online or on the 80-building, 218-acre “Rubber City” campus with 330+ clubs like Women in Information Technology & Security. In 2018, Akron received the National College Panhellenic Council Excellence Award. In 2017, UA accepted the Omicron Delta Kappa Maurice Clay Leadership Development Grant. The University of Akron had a 2018 NACE Outstanding Student Award recipient too. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Akron 182nd for public affairs programs. On Niche, UA boasts America’s 269th best dining and 354th best professors. The Center for World University Rankings named Akron 158th nationwide with the 108th most patents. Washington Monthly placed UA 201st for social mobility. Bloomberg crowned Akron the 93rd best for management.
University of Akron Accreditation Details
On July 11, 2013, the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA) Institutional Actions Council sent formal notification to the University of Akron that the Level VI accreditation status was renewed through 2022-23 under the 16th president, Dr. Luis Proenza, who earned the H. Peter Burg Economic Leadership Award. Located 365 miles west via Interstate 80 in Chicago, Illinois, this gigantic 19-state Great Lakes Region accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Education Department to review UA’s 29 associate, 93 baccalaureate, 69 master’s, and 15 doctoral degrees. Further, Akron has been approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) since November 6, 2003.
University of Akron Application Requirements
Admission at the University of Akron is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s though 13,983 of the 15,109 Fall 2018 applicants were successful for 93 percent acceptance. First-year Zips entering the Department of Disaster Science & Emergency Services must fulfill the required high school core curriculum. This entails four English, four math, three science, and three social science units. Achieving GED scores of 580 or greater for an equivalency diploma would qualify. The Class of 2022 presented a median secondary GPA of 3.48. On average, freshmen reported a 23 ACT and 1140 SAT composite score. The Williams Honors College mandates a minimum 3.5 GPA, 27 ACT, and 1280 SAT mark. Transferring into the Emergency Management and Homeland Security BS necessitates a 2.0 or higher collegiate GPA. A maximum of 90 semester credits are permitted from regionally accredited, four-year institutions. Foreign learners from non-English countries also need a 79 TOEFL iBT or 6.5 IELTS score.
The University of Akron has a priority freshman deadline of February 1st. Undergrads can apply until August 1st for Fall, December 21st for Spring, or May 1st for Summer enrollment. International students should apply by July 15th, December 1st, or April 1st. The Williams Honors College has an early decision date of November 1st. College Credit Plus cohorts must file before October 15th. The Akron Guarantee Scholarship closes on March 1st. Accordingly, complete the UA or Common Application online for $50. Have schools mail official transcripts to 277 East Buchtel Avenue in Akron, OH 44325. Forward test scores using SAT/TOEFL code 1829 or ACT code 3338. Attach additional materials, such as the NACAC fee waiver, writing supplement, resume, transfer evaluation, and recommendations. Contact (800) 655-4884 or admissions@uakron.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, the University of Akron is charging in-state Emergency Medical Services AAS students $3,934 per term or $7,868 annually. The non-resident associate surcharge is $322 per credit. Ohio bachelor’s majors are billed $5,817 each semester or $11,635 yearly. Out-of-state Emergency Management and Homeland Security BS students pay $15,500 each year. Residing at the Akron campus’ dorms like Bulger Hall adds $11,220 for room and board. UA budgets $900 for books, $2,520 for miscellaneous, and $350 for transportation yearly. Annual undergrad attendance averages $27,279 in-state and $31,316 out-of-state.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Student Financial Aid in Simmons Hall Room 202 links 63 percent of full-time UA Zips to helpful tuition assistance averaging $7,000 each for $74.91 million combined. Emergency management funds include the Dr. David Hoover Scholarship, Bluecoats of Summit County Scholarship, David Bruce Auburn Scholarship, Jeffrey Brashares Scholarship, William Petry Memorial Scholarship, Blin Scatterday Scholarship, Gary & Sue Jones Scholarship for Working Students, Charles Salem Scholarship, and Robert Little Scholarship. The Akron Guarantee Scholarship gifts $8,000 to $34,000 over four years for freshmen meeting the 20 ACT or 1020 SAT score minimum. The $3,500 Underrepresented Students Scholarship has a May 1st deadline for undergrads from urban or Appalachian counties with GPAs above 3.0. Federal programs, such as the Work-Study and Pell Grant, require FAFSA forms coded 003123. Ohioans could also claim the College Opportunity Grant, Forever Buckeyes Grant, Horatio Alger Scholarship, Dominion Foundation OFE Scholarship, EMS Grant, and more.
Keep exploring the University of Akron at the Department of Disaster Science & Emergency Services website.