Purdue Global’s new emergency management degree program prepares students to rebuild communities after disasters

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The 2023 summer brought torrential flooding, severe droughts and wildfires affecting populations several hundred miles away. As communities, disaster relief organizations and governmental agencies take an active approach to disaster planning, there is a need for emergency preparedness leaders. 

To better prepare the next generation of emergency management professionals, Purdue Global has launched a new Bachelor of Science degree in emergency management. The program, a streamlined pathway for those interested in emergency management careers, will focus on the discipline and professionalization of emergency managers and their roles in response, planning, mitigation and recovery. 

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Purdue Global’s program keys in on six main outcomes:

• Increased knowledge of the importance of ethics in emergency management.
• Enhanced global awareness of emergency and disaster planning.
• A comprehensive understanding of operations and strategies used in emergency management.
• An understanding of the social and psychological effects of emergency and disaster planning.
• Application of research methods in emergency and disaster planning.
• The application of technology in emergency management and disaster planning.

“Purdue Global’s Fire Science and Emergency Management program is responding to this urgent industry need,” said Shane Kelley, associate dean in Purdue Global’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “We are looking to train those who are beginning their careers as well as advanced emergency disaster professionals who want to grow their expertise.”

Potential postgraduation occupations include disaster response and recovery; emergency management planning; and opportunities with local, state and federal emergency management organizations and private-sector companies.

“Programs such as Purdue Global’s new emergency management degree help build an understanding of local, state and federal responsibilities before, during and after disasters. Programs like this can develop a more resilient whole community by building a dynamic group of emergency management professionals of the future,” said Christina Thornton, director of the Montgomery (Alabama) City-County Emergency Management Agency.

For more information, go to Purdue Global’s Bachelor of Science in emergency management online page.

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://stories.purdue.edu/purdue-global/.

Writer: Matthew Oates, 765-496-6160, oatesw@purdue.edu; @mo_oates 

Media contact: Adam Bartels, adam.bartels@purdueglobal.edu 

Sources: Shane Kelley, Christina Thornton