Examine the historical context for U.S. emergency management practices while mastering the leadership capabilities and ethical considerations you need to effectively serve the public in times of disaster.
Executive Master's in Emergency & Disaster Management
Curriculum
The Executive Master’s in Emergency & Disaster Management will not be running this year or accepting new students. As an alternative, we offer a Master’s in Emergency & Disaster Management program at Georgetown.
Our U.S.-focused Executive Master’s program emphasizes emergency and disaster management principles for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery within the U.S. while also examining the U.S’s contributions to international disaster response.
To earn an EMPS in Emergency & Disaster Management, you must successfully complete 5 courses (30 credits total). Each course combines online learning activities with weeklong on-site residencies. You will progress through the one-year program as a cohort, beginning in the fall of the academic year.
During each of the five courses, the cohort comes together for a one-week residency that integrates critical-thinking exercises, hands-on practice, and engagements with some of the world’s top industry experts and organizations. In between these residencies, you’ll engage in real-time online study, developing a deeper understanding of key concepts and industry best practices through individual coursework, readings, and group discussions.
Residency Travel Schedule 2023–2024*
Theory & Legal Framework | Puerto Rico | November 26–December 3, 2023
Study naturally occurring hazards and their interactions with social, political, environmental, and economic systems while understanding how to interpret local conditions, assess both resilience and vulnerability, and analyze impact.
U.S. Support to a Foreign Disaster | Geneva, Switzerland | February 11–18, 2024
Understand domestic policies for supporting international incidents, as well as how to manage and take action when there are unexpected challenges due to lack of redundancy and broken supply chains.
Terrorism & WMD | London, UK and Paris, France | April 21–28, 2024
Explore the challenges and complexities associated with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive hazards and how current and emerging technologies can support response efforts.
Capstone | Washington, D.C. | August 4–11, 2024
Integrate the knowledge and skills you gained throughout the program to prepare for a large-scale disaster and respond to various disaster scenarios.
*All information—including statements of tuition and fees, course offerings, locations, dates, and deadlines—is subject to change without notice or obligation.
To participate in the program, you must be on site for each course’s weeklong residency. Seven nights of lodging and some meals are covered by regular tuition; however, you will be expected to make and finance your own transportation arrangements for each course’s on-site venue. Students are individually responsible for acquiring any necessary visas for international residency locations. Before applying, students are encouraged to research visa regulations for the residency locations of their prospective program, to be sure they will be able to obtain any necessary visas for the required travel components.
Accreditation
All programs offered by Georgetown University are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.