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Curriculum

To earn an MPS in Emergency & Disaster Management, you must successfully complete 11 courses (33 credits total), including:

• 2 core courses (6 credits total):
  • Ethics and Critical Decision Making
  • Capstone
• 4 foundation courses (12 credits total):
  • Theory and Legal Framework
  • Project Management and Budgeting for Emergencies and Disasters
  • Risk Perception Awareness, Public Communications, and Stakeholder Engagement
  • GIS for Emergency & Disaster Management
• 5 elective courses (15 credits total):
  • For a current list of electives, visit the Course Schedule page.

All core and/or foundation courses—aside from Capstone, which you will take during your final semester of the program—must be completed before you can take elective courses.

You’ll have the flexibility to earn your degree at a pace that suits your schedule—you can take up to 9 credits per semester and have up to five years to complete the degree.

• Full-time students typically take three courses during the fall and spring semesters, and two courses during the summer semester.
• Part-time students typically take one to two courses during the fall, spring, and summer semesters.

The Emergency & Disaster Management program is available in both an online format and an on-campus format. You can opt to take classes online, on campus, or through a combination of both.

• On-Campus Format: In the on-campus format of the master's in Emergency & Disaster Management, classes are held at the same times every week at our downtown D.C. campus.
• Online Format: The online master’s in Emergency & Disaster Management has the same curriculum as the on-campus format and offers access to all of the same University resources. In this format, you’ll be able to watch lectures and complete assignments on your own schedule.