9 Best Online Bachelor’s in Emergency Management Programs

About

Arizona State University, home to Sparky the Sun Devil, is located in Tempe, Arizona.

Off-campus, the ASU Online curriculum closely mirrors on-campus coursework, offering 393 associate, undergraduate, and graduate degrees with an estimated enrollment of 100,000.

Courses Offered

The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management and Homeland Security provides students with skills to predict, mitigate, manage, and recover from disasters.

The fully online degree requires 120 credit hours and 40 classes, provided in eight-week installments.

The estimated completion time for full-time students is 48 months.

In addition to basic education, the EDM pathway includes:

• Emergency Management
• Biosecurity and Biodefense
• Public Service Ethics
• Intelligence Analysis
• Senior Capstone Project (required)

The cost of the ASU Online degree is $15,300 annually.

This does not include student fees, books, or housing.

Financial Aid, scholarships, and grants are available for most online programs.

About

Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) was founded in 1928.

The online division is considered the state’s newest institution.

It is located in Portales, New Mexico, with regional campuses in Ruidoso and Roswell.

It is listed as one of the 10% most affordable, with 90 fields of study.

The greyhounds, Vic and Tory, represent the 5,700 students at ENMU.

Courses Offered

Eastern New Mexico University offers an online Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science in Emergency Management (BAAS).

Students choose from two pathways:

• Emergency Management
• Fire and Emergency Services

In addition to general courses such as statistics and English composition, the core coursework, provided online by Panopto or Canvas, includes:

• Emergency Services Management
• Hazard Detection and Mitigation
• Public Health Emergencies
• Disaster Response and Recovery
• Legal, Political, and Regulatory Issues
• Capstone Project (required)

Undergraduate tuition for in-state students costs $3537 per semester (12–18 credits) – $175 per credit hour.

There are additional general college fees and subject-specific costs.

Online and on-campus students can apply for FAFSA financial aid, scholarships, and grants to defray the cost of a two-to-four-year degree.

About

American Public University, in Charles Town, West Virginia, emphasizes career-based online programs such as computer technology, nursing, and law enforcement.

There are over 200 degree programs worldwide that serve 39,000 students.

American Public University is ranked high on lists by both the Military Times and U.S. News & World Report.

Courses Offered

The Bachelor of Arts in Emergency Disaster Management (EDM) focuses on the numerous possible types of emergencies and responses.

This is known as an all-hazards approach.

A total of 120 credits is required to complete the emergency management degree.

Each online course lasts 8 to 16 weeks.

In addition to general education, the emergency management courses include:

• Introduction to Emergency Management
• Natural Disaster Management
• Psychology of Disaster
• Social Media and EDM
• Senior Seminar in Emergency Management (required)

APU calculates undergraduate degree costs at $350 per credit hour.

Additional program fees may apply.

However, application fees and textbooks are free.

All active military personnel receive tuition discounts.

FAFSA, GI Bill, veterans grants, and state discounts are considered for all eligible students.

About

Bellevue University (BU) offers online undergraduate and graduate degrees.

It is a top-ranked school for professional advancement.

Founded in 1966 as a private, non-profit institution, there are currently 19,000 enrolled students worldwide, who wear the school colors of purple and gold.

Courses Offered

The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management from Bellevue University is 100% online.

Students can choose their focus from:

• Natural Disasters
• Terrorism
• Emergency Communications.

A total of 127 credit hours is required for graduation.

Courses are offered asynchronously, 24/7, to be taken at a student’s pace.

In addition to basic education, the core courses include:

• Introduction to Emergency Management
• Emergency Communications
• Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
• Media Communications
• Capstone Project: Real-World Simulations (required)

The online bachelor’s degree at BU is calculated at $459 per credit hour, $12,370 per semester, with additional general and course-specific fees and course materials.

Financial Aid, scholarships, and work-study programs are available.

About

Purdue University Global (PU-G) is the online division of the Purdue University System.

Enrollment of online students is roughly 28,000.

Purdue University Global is a result of the university’s 2018 purchase of Kaplan University, with over 175 fields of study from technology to education.

Courses Offered

The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management can be completed 100% online.

The BSEM is an intensive 33-credit hour program that takes four years to complete, with a 15-to-18-hour weekly commitment.

There are three Emergency Management degrees:

• Emergency Management
• Fire Safety and Emergency Management
• Fire Science

Students can also elect a business foundation concentration.

For students who want to pursue a graduate degree, PU-G offers a combined Bachelor’s/Master’s – Emergency Management – graduate pathway.

The bachelor’s degree consists of general education and major coursework, such as:

• Principles of Emergency Services
• Intergovernmental Effectiveness
• Socio-Psychological Dimensions of an Emergency Event
• Disaster Policy in Emergency Management
• Capstone Project (required)

The overall estimated cost is $35,000 or $371 per credit hour.

Financial aid and scholarships are available for most online programs.

Transfer and life knowledge credits can be applied to reduce tuition costs.

About

Founded in 1917 before Alaskan statehood, the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) offers online, hybrid, and on-campus education.

Ranked as a top university by U.S. News & World Report, there are over 187 degrees in 106 disciplines available across eight campus locations.

Nanook the Polar Bear represents UAF, acknowledging the many natural aspects of the state.

Courses Offered

The University of Alaska Fairbanks offers a 100% online Bachelor of Science in Security and Emergency Management.

The degree focuses on emergency planning and leadership and is a partner in the FEMA higher education program through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Students can choose from several concentrations, including:

• Emergency Management
• Emergency Medical and Public Health Management
• Fire Administration
• Cyber or Homeland Security

The four-year, 120-credit program in Security and Emergency Management is divided into general education and major courses, including:

• Emergency Planning and Preparedness
• All-hazards Risk Analysis
• Human Security in Alaska
• Geological Hazards
• Business Continuity and Crisis Management

Tuition costs roughly $7,176 per semester, with a total online degree cost of $46,490.

Financial Aid, military grants and discounts, and professional credit can be applied for.

About

The main campus of Western Carolina University (WCU) is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

Current enrollment is roughly 11,700 undergraduate and graduate students across 155 fields of study.

U.S. News & World Report ranks WCU #25 among the best southern regional universities.

It is also recognized as the 9th-best value school.

The BSEM degree has been ranked #1 by CollegeChoice.com.

Courses Offered

Western Carolina University offers one of the top-ranked bachelor’s programs in emergency management.

Available 100% online as the Distance Education Program, the four-year degree program requires 120 credit hours.

After general education courses are completed, the EDM courses include:

• Introduction to Emergency and Disaster Management
• Risk Assessment and Vulnerability Analysis
• Political and Policy Basis of Emergency and Disaster Management.
• Disaster Analysis
• Senior Capstone Project (required)

In-state tuition costs $4,285 per semester.

Additional fees – general college, application, etc., are also necessary.

Financial aid can be applied for.

Scholarships, grants, and military discounts are also available to eligible students.

About

Based in Orlando, Florida, roughly 50 miles from Cocoa Beach, the University of Central Florida (UCF) offers over 220 certificates and undergraduate and graduate degree pathways across 13 colleges.

Recognized as an innovative educational institution, the university is competitive, accepting only 43% of on-campus applicants.

Courses Offered

The University of Central Florida offers two online Emergency Management undergraduate degrees:

• Bachelor of Arts in Emergency Management (BAEM)
• Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management (BSEM)

Part of the College of Public Administration, both degrees are backed by FEMA, offering a strong theory-based foundation combined with practical skills.

Courses include:

• Emergency Management and Homeland Security
• Response and Recovery
• Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness
• Intergovernmental Communications
• Community Resilience and Sustainability

Graduates qualify for the Certified Emergency Manager credential.

Per-semester tuition is $6,368 with additional program-dependent fees.

Students are encouraged to apply for FAFSA, grants, and state aid.

About

The main campus of the University of Florida (UF) is in Gainesville.

Founded in 1853, there are 54,800 ‘Gators’ currently enrolled in 300 fields of study in 16 academic colleges.

The university is recognized as #30 in national universities and #116 in best value by U.S. News & World Report.

Courses Offered

The school’s Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Services is ranked as the #1 most affordable online BEM degree.

There are three concentrations:

• Emergency Management
• Emergency Medical Services Management
• Fire Sciences Management

In addition to basic education, the major courses include:

• Foundations of Emergency Management
• Command and Control of Catastrophic Fire-Rescue Incidents
• Community Risk Reduction for Emergency Services
• Disaster Planning and Control
• FES Communication and IT

Online tuition for the BEM is different for in-state and out-of-state students.

For Florida residents, the cost is $129 per credit hour.

For out-of-state, the cost is roughly $552.

Both incur additional general fees and course expenses.

Online students are also eligible to apply for a full range of financial aid, grants, and scholarships.