Emergency management is the art and science of understanding and protecting humanity in crisis situations: predicting and preventing emergencies, mitigating the effects of disasters on the vulnerable, ensuring an effective response when crises occur, and guiding recovery into growth. As an academic discipline, it blends critical thinking tools like risk assessment, resource management, and plan development with core social science knowledge – policymaking, psychology, effective communication – and puts it all into practice to help communities and nations get through their worst days.
If that sounds good to you, check out these options from MACEM&PS at FCC:
2-Year Degrees
Track I: FEMA Independent Study Program
[A.A.S., 60 credits, Online]
Through a unique partnership with FEMA, we’ve utilized selected courses in the FEMA Independent Study Program as the initial building blocks of a degree program. You’ll take a curated set of FEMA’s trainings to build your initial knowledge, convert them to college credit, and then start a series of accelerated online FCC courses, each instructor-led and 5 weeks long, where you’ll be challenged to expand and work with it all at ever higher levels. In the meantime, you’ll develop your academic skills through a set of General Education courses with the liberal arts as their heart, and put it all together in an internship or capstone research project at the end.
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**NOTE: Track I and its related programs have traditionally relied on our partners at Jacobs, Inc. to help convert FEMA Independent Study courses to college credit with us. As of April 1, 2022, we’re taking over! All credit conversions will be done directly through MACEM&PS and FCC. Check here for updates!
Track II: Residency Program
[A.A.S., 60 credits, Traditional/Online/Hybrid]
A more traditional model, this program operates on the typical 15-week college semester schedule (Fall/Spring) and leans into emergency management as a combination of social science and cutting edge practice. An extensive grounding in essential, transferable critical thinking skills (risk analysis, governance, ethics, psychological effects of disasters, etc.) is supplemented with training on how they’re applied (plan development, GIS mapping, training development, ensuring equity in responses) to make for a well-rounded, in-depth program. You’ll top this one off by diving into the world of public safety leadership and academic research.
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Other Credentials
Emergency Management Certificate
[Certificate, 26 Credits, Online]
Our Track I A.A.S. program, but narrowed down to its core emergency management coursework. You’ll still start with FEMA Independent Study materials, convert them to credit, and then expand and develop your knowledge in the same series of online, instructor-led, 5-week courses. In this one, however, the time and money commitments are lessened – no General Education courses or internship are required. This program is great if you already have a degree but want to get formal emergency management education on your resume, or if you’re not sure about committing to a full degree at all just yet. The Certificate stacks seamlessly into the Track I degree program, so you can give our world a test drive with confidence.
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Letters of Recognition
[Letter of Recognition, 6-9 credits, Online]
Bite-size and specialized, these microcredentials are built on the Track I model (complete, convert, and expand), just like the A.A.S. and Certificate, but the coursework at FCC is designed to give you a short, intensive burst of study on a unique specialty within the field. Choose from a variety of deep topical dives with our Specialized Studies options, or our slightly longer Professional Development sequence – designed to enhance the basics of FEMA’s Professional Development Series courses with college-level work and flow right into a Certificate or Degree.
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