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Graduate Studies

Emergency Management
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The Department of Emergency Management (EM) offers courses leading to the MS with a major in Emergency Management. This degree balances conceptual knowledge in emergency management with skill acquisition in crisis management, hazard assessment and other analytic and management skills.

The Department of Emergency Management (EM) also offers courses for the MPA with a major in public administration and a concentration in emergency management and supporting courses for the MA with a major in liberal studies. For information on the MPA, please refer to the Public Administration section of this Bulletin. For information on the MA with a major in liberal studies, please see the Liberal Studies section of this Bulletin.

A graduate certificate in emergency management is also available for non-degree students who wish to specialize in the area of emergency management. Upon satisfactorily completing the requirements of the graduate certificate (comprehensive examination not required for graduate certificate), an entry will be made on the student’s transcript. A student who completes the graduate certificate in emergency management may apply the 15 hours credit toward the MA with a major in liberal studies, MPA with a concentration in emergency management, or the MS with a major in emergency management. All course work for the MA, MPA, and MS degrees, including the emergency management concentration course work, must be completed within six years.

Required Application Materials

Applicants for the MS with a major in Emergency Management may be permitted to enroll for one semester of graduate course work while completing all other general application procedure requirements.
Applicants for the MS with a major in emergency management must submit all of the following documentation to the College of Graduate Studies, Jacksonville State University, 700 Pelham Road North, Jacksonville, Alabama 36265-1602, to be considered for admission:

Completed JSU Graduate Application for Admission (http://www.jsu.edu/graduate/grad_app.html.)
Non-refundable $30.00 application processing fee
Official transcripts(s) from all postsecondary institutions attended. (Students who have previously attended JSU do not need to request a transcript from the University.)
Official tests scores on the General Test of the GRE or the MAT (please refer to page 18 of this Bulletin).
Three "Graduate Reference Forms" completed by individuals who can provide qualitative assessment of the applicant’s potential for success in graduate course work. This form is available in the office of the College of Graduate Studies or online at http://www.jsu.edu/graduate/forms.html or http://www.jsu.edu/graduate/docs/ref_form.pdf.
If English is not the applicant’s native language, the applicant is required to submit an official TOEFL score report, an IELTS score report, or a PTE score report (please refer to page 28 of this Bulletin).

Admission Requirements

A particular undergraduate major is not specified for admission to the program.

Applicants must meet one of the following formula requirements. For purposes of computing the undergraduate GPA, a 4.0 grade-point scale is used. The plus (+) and minus (-) grades from undergraduate transcripts are not used in calculating the GPA.

Unconditional Admission

450 times the undergraduate GPA plus the total score of the verbal and quantitative sections of the General Test of the GRE is equal to or greater than a total of 2250 points;

15 times the undergraduate GPA plus the MAT score is equal to or greater than a total of 80 points;

450 times the undergraduate GPA on the last 64 hours attempted toward completion of the initial undergraduate degree plus the total score of the verbal and quantitative measures of the General Test of the GRE is equal to or greater than a total of 2250 points;

15 times the undergraduate GPA on the last 64 hours attempted toward completion of the initial undergraduate degree plus the MAT score is equal to or greater than a total of 80 points.

Conditional Admission

Any applicant failing to meet the requirement for unconditional admission may be conditionally admitted with the recommendation of the graduate faculty in the applicant’s major and approval of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicants who are granted conditional admission must achieve a GPA of at least 3.0 on the first 12 graduate hours attempted within a twelve-month time frame. Failure to meet these conditions will result in the student being dropped from graduate studies.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MS WITH A MAJOR IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

A total of 30 graduate semester hours is required for the degree with 21 required hours of emergency management courses and 9 hours of approved emergency management electives. Courses taken in other fields must be approved by the Department Head of Emergency Management (EM) for recommendation to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

MASTER OF SCIENCE
MAJOR: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Required Emergency Management Courses (21 semester hours):

EM 505 - Foundations of Emergency Management (3)
EM 525 - Disaster Recovery (3)
EM 530 - Research Methods in Emergency Management (3)
EM 540 - Hazard Mitigation (3)
EM 545 - Emergency Preparedness (3)
EM 555 - Disaster Response (3)
EM 590 - Capstone in Emergency Management (3)

Electives (9 semester hours):

Elective courses should be based on student interest and career objectives and are to be chosen from any 500 level emergency management elective offerings at JSU.

EM 515 Legal Aspects of Emergency Management (3)
EM 528 Maritime Transportation (3)
EM 535 Terrorism and Homeland Security (3)
EM 548 Vulnerability and Capacity-Building (3)
EM 565 Management Systems in Disaster (3)
EM 568 Crisis Management for Business and Industry (3)
EM 570 Biosecurity (3)
EM 575 Health and Medical Aspects of Emergency Management (3)
EM 580 Current Issues in Homeland Security (3)
EM 581 Disaster Analysis (3)
EM 585 The Military’s Role in Disaster Relief (3)
EM 586 Special Topics in Emergency Management (3)
EM 595 Directed Studies (3)
EM 596 Internship (3)
EM 598 Emergency Management Leadership and Organizational Behavior (3)

30 Graduate Semester Hours Required for this Degree

APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR A GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

This certificate provides students with graduate level instruction in Homeland Security, and balances conceptual knowledge in emergency management with skill acquisition in crisis management, hazard assessment and other analytic and management skills.

Applicants for the graduate certificate in emergency management must submit all the following documentation to the College of Graduate Studies, Jacksonville State University, 700 Pelham Road North, Jacksonville, Alabama 36265-1602 to be considered for admission:

Completed JSU Graduate Application for Admission (http://www.jsu.edu/graduate/grad_app.html)
Non-refundable $30.00 application processing fee
Official transcripts from the postsecondary institutions awarding the bachelor’s degree. (Students who have previously attended JSU do not need to request a transcript from the University.)
If English is not the applicant’s native language, the applicant is required to submit an official TOEFL score report, an IELTS score report, or a PTE score report (please refer to page 28 of this Bulletin).

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR A GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

The student must complete the 15 semester hours of required emergency management concentration courses listed below. A student who completes the graduate certificate may apply the 15 hours of credit toward the MS with a major in emergency management, the MPA with a concentration in emergency management, or the MA with a major in liberal studies.

Required Courses for the Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management (15 semester hours):

EM 505 - Foundations of Emergency Management (3)
EM 525 - Disaster Recovery (3)
EM 540 - Hazard Mitigation (3)
EM 545 - Emergency Preparedness (3)
EM 555 - Disaster Response (3)

Emergency Management Courses

Prefix EM

505.		Foundations of Emergency Management (3). History of the profession; contemporary emergency management concepts, functions, and practices for government, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector.
511.		Disasters and the Media (3). Course examines the portrayal of disasters in electronic and print media. Emphasis will be on the impact that newspapers, websites, television, social media, and film have on affecting individual and societal constructions of natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and man-made disasters. Each of the four phases of emergency management will be discussed from the perspective of social, political, and cultural implications of media coverage or lack of coverage.
515.		Legal Aspects of Emergency Management (3). Legal context and constraints for emergency management; administrative law, administrative discretion, and liability.
525.		Disaster Recovery (3). Prerequisite: EM 505. Processes for short- and long-term recovery for individuals, families, and communities; provision of recovery assistance by both public and voluntary sectors.
528.		Maritime Transportation Security (3). Historical aspects of shipping vulnerability including: seaports, ships, cargoes, operations, commerce, government coordination, international security conventions and practices, and related technology. Case studies of recent events and new initiatives in international maritime transportation security will be examined.
530.		Research Methods in Emergency Management (3). Comprehensive coverage of major analytical and statistical tools used in emergency management program administration.
535.		Terrorism and Homeland Security (3). Prerequisite: EM 505. Incident management approaches for domestic and international terrorism; anti and counter-terrorism organizational roles, responsibilities, and coordination, homeland security initiatives.
540.		Hazard Mitigation (3). Prerequisite: EM 505. Mitigation concepts, implementation approaches, and planning.
545.		Emergency Preparedness (3). Prerequisite: EM 505. Preparedness frameworks and strategies; techniques of emergency operations planning, exercise design and evaluation, and public education.
548.		Vulnerability and Capacity-Building (3). Prerequisite: EM 505. Individual, social, economic and policy dimensions of vulnerability and client needs for disaster; service delivery strategies, coordination models, resource management and capacity building for nonprofit disaster relief organizations.
555.		Disaster Response (3). Prerequisite: EM 505. Context of disaster response, response functions, assessment, resource mobilization and adjudication, and emergency operations center (EOC) operations.
565.		Management Systems in Disaster (3). Prerequisites: EM 505, EM 525, and EM 555. Integration of emergency management functions, response
568.		Crisis Management for Business and Industry (3). Prerequisite: EM 505. Contingency planning, business impact analysis, business resumption processes, risk/crisis communication and management, disaster recovery and organizational continuity.
570.		Biosecurity (3). A detailed review of global concerns for biosecurity including the history of biological warfare, bioterrorism, concerns for agroterrorism and current initiatives in bio-defense. In¬cluded will be a thorough review of specific agents, the diseases they cause, detection methodologies, and consequence management consideration.
575.		Medical Aspects of Emergency Management (3). Prerequisites: EM 505, EM 525, and EM 555. Surveillance and rapid needs assessment, disaster epidemiology, disaster medical systems and approaches, and disaster mental health.
580.		Current Issues in Homeland Security (3). The examination of current issues and concerns with Homeland Security including upcoming National Special Security Events that mandate comprehensive security planning and response capabilities. Innovations and reactions from politicians and citizens will serve to offer students insight into the challenges of implementing and maintaining homeland security.
581.		Disaster Analysis (3). The course will focus on modeling and simulation of high consequence events as a means of preparing emergency managers for future disasters. Several types of high consequence disasters will be examined from the perspectives of preparedness, prevention, decision-making, and effective response.
585.		The Militarys Role in Disaster Relief (3). Prerequisite: EM 505. A historical review of the military role in disaster relief and humanitarian support missions. Primary emphasis will be on recent case studies of major disasters. The course will also discuss the possible expanding role of the military in future natural disasters and CBRN events. Students will conduct a small research project to explore a current issue surrounding the use of the US military in domestically-based incidents.
586.		Special Topics in Emergency Management (3,3,3). An in-depth study of selected topics in Emergency Management.
590.		Capstone in Emergency Management (3). Prerequisites: EM 505 and three of the following four courses: EM 525, EM 540, EM 545, and EM 555. Should be taken in the last term of program of study. Integration and synthesis of theory and practice for emergency management.
595.		Directed Studies (3). Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and approval of the program director. In-depth study of selected topic of special project.
596.		Internship (3). Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and approval of the program director. Supervised practice experience in a professional emergency management setting.
598.		Emergency Management Leadership and Organizational Behavior (3). Prerequisite: EM 505. Leadership and organizational theory for emergency management; conflict management, use of power, group dynamics, and team performance.
802, 804, 806.		Integrative Seminar (2,2,2). On-campus integrative seminar during the first three years of program of study. Specialized topics include how to review and critique scholarly literature and research findings, how to present scholarly work at conferences, and how to write for journal publication. Opportunities for students to exchange ideas, present their work, and interact with faculty. Includes special topics of current interest.
812.		Disaster Management Principles and Practice (3). In depth analysis of disaster management principles and practice, including historical and emergent trends and conditions relevant to the current state-of-the-practice and standards, plus further development.
814.		Interdisciplinary Disaster Theory and Research (3). Examination of the major theoretical topics, questions, and literature that inform the discipline and practice of emergency management, with topics including the nature of disaster, human and organizational behavior under stress, and risk perception and communication. An interdisciplinary approach whereby students think critically about the epistemological assumptions of alternative theoretical perspectives and divergent policy approaches.
823.		Institutional Context and Emergency Management Policy (3). Analysis of political, administrative, and fiscal relationships among governments in the provision of emergency management programs and disaster relief policy in the American political system. Exploration of the role of society in shaping institutions and how these institutions influence and structure Public policy making and administration.
825.		Systems Thinking and Applications in Emergency Management (3). Analysis and application of systems thinking concepts and methodologies to problems encountered in emergency management.
832.		Hazards Risk Management and Community Resilience (3). Tools and methods used to manage risk associated with the hazards facing a community; role of emergency management programs in community resilience and sustainability.
834.		Risk -Based Response and Recovery Strategy Development and Operations (3). Explores strategies public officials employ to cope with disasters and their impacts, risk-based operational considerations, and management structures.
843.		Emergency Management Program Management (3). Examines emergency Management functional demands and program delivery on a day-to-day basis; considers managerial practices such as communication with the public, the meaning of public service, making effective presentations to governing boards and legislatures, effective meetings and group facilitation, citizen engagement, media relations and ethics.
853.		Research Design (3). Social science research methods including research design and approaches to inquiry (quantitative, qualitative, experimental, evaluation), the role of theory in empirical research, causal inference, and reporting and reviewing research.
855.		Advanced Data Analysis (3). An examination of statistical and research techniques appropriate to emergency management applied research, including descriptive statistics, probability theory, sampling and statistical inference, hypothesis testing, regression and correlation analysis, analysis of variance, modeling, and techniques for data reduction (e.g., factor analysis). Prerequisite: EM 853 (may take concurrently).
862.		Cost-Benefit Analysis (3). Research, measurement and methodological Requirements for the assessment of benefits and costs of programs and projects. Prerequisites: EM 853 and EM 855.
864.		Qualitative Research (3). Examination of qualitative methods that can be applied in the study of disasters; explores a range of activities necessary to perform disaster field research. Prerequisites: EM 853 and EM 855.
866.		Evaluation Research (3). Practical application of appropriate social science Research methodology to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of public sector and nonprofit policies and programs, with topics including how to develop an evaluation plan; evaluation types such as process, impact, cost-benefit, and cost-effectiveness evaluations; and management of evaluation projects. Prerequisites: EM 853 and EM 855
868,869.		Directed Research (3). Directed reading and research in fields of special interest. Prerequisite: consent of program director.
871.		Voluntary and Nonprofit Disaster Management (3). Unique considerations of nonprofit disaster management and service delivery, including volunteer administration, donations management, fundraising, and cross-sector collaboration. Prerequisite: EM 834.
873.		Health Care Systems in Disaster (3). Overview of emergency management considerations for health and medical professionals and range of medical, public health, behavioral and psychological problems associated with disaster; incident management processes and organization that integrate health and medical assets into the response. Prerequisite: EM 834.
875.		Risk Communication (3). Examines theories related to risk perception and behavior; principles of risk communication and special communication challenges with diverse audiences; and development of crisis and emergency risk communication plans.
877.		Crisis Leadership and Management (3). ). Classic and contemporary theories and models of leadership, with emphasis on the role of leadership in crisis situations; principles of crisis management.
878.		IT Applications for Emergency Management (3). Explores the importance of information in emergency management; information requirements and breakdowns; and information technologies applied to crisis and disaster situations.
879.		Spatial Analysis and GIS for Emergency Management (3). Disaster-related applications of spatial analysis techniques; use of GIS software.
882, 884,886.		Directed Study (3). Independent study under the direction of the instructor. Prerequisite: consent of program director.
899.		Dissertation Research (3,3,3,3,3,3). Prerequisite: consent of program director. At least 18 credit hours required; no credit assigned until dissertation has been completed and filed with the graduate dean. Continuous enrollment required subsequent to passing qualifying exams for admission to candidacy. Students may register for 3, 6, or 9 hours per semester.

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