Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management
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This degree program is designed to prepare students for emergency management careers in the public, private, and voluntary sectors. The interdisciplinary curriculum blends theoretical perspectives with professional practice, and emphasizes application of knowledge to practice settings.
Degree Requirements
A total of 120 semester hours are required, with 30 required hours in the major. JSU offers both online and on-campus courses. The B.S. in Emergency Management may be supported with a minor in Homeland Security (HS), a minor in Public Safety Telecommunications (PST) or other approved minors.
View the Undergraduate Course Descriptions
EM Required Courses
| EM 301 Introduction to Disaster Management | 3 hours |
| EM 321 Disaster Mitigation & Preparedness | 3 hours |
| EM 331 Populations at Risk | 3 hours |
| EM 411 Disaster Response & Recovery | 3 hours |
| EM 471 Emergency Management Capstone course | 3 hours |
| EM 481 Research in Disasters & Emergency Management | 3 hours |
| Approved EM 300 + Electives | 12 hours |
| Total EM Courses | 30 hours |
PST Minor
| PST 110 Intro to Public Safety Communications | 3 hours |
| PST 311 Interpersonal Communications | 3 hours |
| PST 312 Legal Issues in Public Safety Communications | 3 hours |
| PST 313 Introduction to Crisis Intervention | 3 hours |
| PST 314 Introduction to Weapons of Mass Destruction | 3 hours |
| PST 328 Technical Writing for Public Safety Communications | 3 hours |
| Approved PST electives | 3 hours |
| Total PST Courses | 21 hours |
Homeland Security Minor
| EM 305 Introduction to Homeland Security | 3 hours |
| EM/PST Approved Courses (15 hours) from the following: | |
| EM 301 Introduction to Disaster Management *For non EM majors only | 3 hours |
| EM 309 Emergency Response to WMD Event | 3 hours |
| EM 341 Legal Fundamentals in EM and Homeland Security | 3 hours |
| EM 351 Introduction to Terrorism | 3 hours |
| EM 365 Public Information Policy | 3 hours |
| EM 381 Social Dimensions of Disaster | 3 hours |
| EM 420 Exercise Design and Evaluation | 3 hours |
| EM 450 Management Systems in Disaster | 3 hours |
| EM 461 Critical Infrastructure | 3 hours |
| EM 475 Current Issues in Homeland Security | 3 hours |
| EM 483 Planning and Preparedness for Homeland Security | 3 hours |
| PST 314 Weapons of Mass Destruction | 3 hours |
| Total Hours | 18 hours |
Area 1
| English Composition/First Year Writing: Traditional, Enhanced or Honor Pathways | |
| English Composition I (EH 101, EH 105/EH 115 or EH 103) | 3 hours |
| English Composition II (EH 102, EH 106/EH 116 or EH 104) | 3 hours |
| Total Area I | 6 hours |
Area 2
| Literature (Choose any two; do not have to be a sequence) | 6 hours |
| EH 201 or 202 - American Lit | |
| EH 203 or 204 - Survey of English Lit | |
| EH 231 or 232 - World Lit | |
| EH 219 or 220 - Honors Lit | |
| Fine Arts (ART 202 or MU 233 or DR 242) | 3 hours |
| ART 202 - Art Appreciation | |
| MU 233 - Intro to Music | |
| DR 242 - Intro to Theatre | |
| See advisor for additional choices |
|
| Humanities and Fine Arts Elective | 3 hours |
| EH 141 or one additional fine arts class listed above | |
| Total Area II | 12 hours |
Area 3
| Approved Laboratory Science (Must be a sequence) | 8 hours |
| BY 101/103, 102/104 - Biology | |
| CY 105/107, 106/108 - Chemistry | |
| GY 250/252, 251/253 - Geography | |
| GL 241/243, 242/244 - Geology | |
| PHY 201/211L, 202/212L - Physics | |
| MS 110 Finite Math or MS 112 Precalculus Algebra |
3 hours |
| Total Area III | 11 hours |
Area 4
| PSY 201 Principles of Psychology | 3 hours |
| History (Must be a sequence) | 6 hours |
|
HY 101 & 102 - Western Civilization OR |
|
|
HY 201 & 202 - American History OR HY 111 & HY 112 - World History |
|
| Social and Behavioral Science approved electives | 3 hours |
| AN 224 - Intro to Anthropology | |
| EC 221 - Principles of Microeconomics | |
| EC 222 - Principles of Macroeconomics | |
| GY 120 - World Regional Geography | |
| GY 220 - Human Geography | |
| PSC 100 - Intro to American Gov't | |
| SY 221 - Intro to Sociology | |
| PSY 222 - Human Development | |
| Total Area IV | 12 hours |
Area 5
| Area V electives chosen from a list of approved courses* | 19 hours |
| *courses must be approved by an advisor | |
General Elective
| 9 hours if PST Minor | |
| 12 hours if HS Minor | |
| Total for Degree | 120 hours |
Distance Learning
For information on distance learning at JSU visit Online@JSU: https://www.jsu.edu/online
Career Opportunities
Emergency management practice occurs in a variety of settings, including government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and business and industry. Government agencies include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and their state and local counterparts. Nonprofit organizations include the American Red Cross and Salvation Army. The increasing emphasis on homeland security will create additional opportunities for individuals with emergency management degrees.