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JSU Home » Graduate Studies » Graduate Programs » emergencymgt_dsc
The Doctor of Science degree requires a total of 60 semester credit hours. Required coursework includes 42 hours in administration and policy, practice areas, and research methods and statistics, plus a minimum of 18 hours of dissertation credit. In addition, applicants must hold a master’s degree. While courses are delivered online, students are required to participate in a weeklong seminar on campus once each academic year.
Upon completion of the required 42 hours of coursework, doctoral students are required to pass three qualifying exams. Accommodations will be made to support students with either onsite or offsite qualifying exam administration. After students have passed all three exams, they may advance to doctoral candidacy.
Doctoral candidates will complete an applied research dissertation. The candidate must enroll for a minimum of 18 hours of dissertation credit during candidacy. All requirements for the degree must be completed in ten years.
Integrative Seminar (In-Residence; 2 hours each; 6 hours required)
- EM 802 - Integrative Seminar (1st Year)
- EM 804 - Integrative Seminar (2nd Year)
- EM 806 - Integrative Seminar (3rd Year)
Administration and Policy (3 hours each; 9 hours required)
- EM 812 - Disaster Management Principles and Practice
- EM 814 - Interdisciplinary Disaster Theory and Research
- EM 823 - Institutional Context and Emergency Management Policy
- EM 825 - Systems Thinking and Applications in Emergency Management
Practice Areas (3 hours each; 6 hours required)
- EM 832 - Hazards Risk Management and Community Resilience
- EM 834 - Risk-Based Response and Recovery Strategy Development and Operations
- EM 843 - Emergency Management Program Management
Research Methods and Statistics (3 hours each; 12 hours required)
- EM 853 - Research Design
- EM 855 - Advanced Data Analysis (See note below)
- EM 862 - Cost-Benefit Analysis or
- EM 864 - Qualitative Research or
- EM 866 - Evaluation Research or
- EM 868 and EM 869 - Directed Research
Electives (3 hours each; 9 hours required)
- EM 871 - Voluntary and Nonprofit Disaster Management
- EM 873 - Health Care Systems in Disaster
- EM 875 - Risk Communication
- EM 877 - Crisis Leadership and Management
- EM 878 - IT Applications for Emergency Management
- EM 879 - Spatial Analysis and GIS for Emergency Management
- EM 882, 884, and 886 - Directed Study
Dissertation (3 hours each; 18 hours required)
- EM 899 - Dissertation Research
Required Application Materials
Applicants for the Doctor of Science in Emergency Management degree must hold a master’s degree and must submit all of the following documentation to the College of Graduate Studies, Jacksonville State University, 700 Pelham Road North, Jacksonville, AL 36265-1602, to be considered for admission:
- Completed JSU Graduate Application for Admission. (http://www.jsu.edu/graduate/grad_app.html)
- Non-refundable $30 application processing fee.
- A Statement of Purpose setting forth career goals and research interests.
- A resume including education, employment, and service activities.
- Three “Graduate Reference Forms” completed by individuals who can provide qualitative assessment of applicant’s potential for success in doctoral course work and citing potential professional leadership ability.
- Official transcript(s) from all postsecondary institutions attended. (Students who have previously attended JSU do not need to request a transcript from the University.) For international postsecondary institutions, please see section entitled International Student Applicants in the Graduate Bulletin.
- Official test scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) taken within five years of enrollment.
- 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
See the College of Graduate Studies website for forms and fee information. All items must be sent to the College of Graduate Studies, Jacksonville State University, 700 Pelham Road North, Jacksonville, Alabama 36265-1602. Applications are considered for admission for the fall semester only and all materials must be received in the College of Graduate Studies by March 31. Applications completed after March 31 will be considered for admission in the fall semester of the following year.
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.
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)
