Department Head: Dr. Tanveerul Islam, tislam@jsu.edu
Doctoral Program Director: Dr. Alessandra Jerolleman, ajerroleman@jsu.edu
Doctoral Program Assistant Director: Dr. Shih-Kai Huang, shuang@jsu.edu
MS in Emergency Management Program Advisor: Denise DaSilva, ddasilva@jsu.edu
MPA Program Director: Dr. Allison Newton, anewton@jsu.edu
The Department of Emergency Management and Public Administration offers the Doctor of Science with a major in Emergency Management. JSU’s doctoral program provides the focused, interdisciplinary, and comprehensive analysis and applied research necessary for the complex work associated with emergency management. The curriculum is organized around specific knowledge, skills, and professional values unique to the practice of emergency management.
The department also offers courses leading to the Master of Science (MS) with a major in Emergency Management and the Masters in Public Administration. The MS in Emergency Management degree balances conceptual knowledge in emergency management with skill acquisition in crisis management, hazard assessment, and other analytic and management skills. It is a highly desired professional program for our changing world. The MPA degree offers students a public administration curriculum that includes the choice of a concentration to prepare students for leadership roles in a variety of public and non-profit organizations. For information on the MPA, please refer to the Public Administration section of this catalog.
A Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management is also available for non-degree students who wish to specialize in the area of emergency management. Upon satisfactorily completing the requirements of the graduate certificate, an entry will be made on the student’s transcript. A student who completes the Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management may apply the 15 hours credit toward the MA with a major in Integrated Studies, MPA with a concentration in Emergency Management, or the MS with a major in Emergency Management. All coursework for the MA, MPA, and MS degrees, including the emergency management concentration coursework, must be completed within six years. Please review our Graduate Certificate Disclosure information.
The Department of Emergency Management and Public Administration also offers courses for the Master of Arts (MA) with a major in Integrated Studies. For information on the MA with a major in Integrated Studies, please see the Integrated Studies section of this catalog within the College of Arts and Humanities. Graduate students in other majors may also be eligible to take graduate political science and/or public administration courses as electives.
All Emergency Management programs are only offered online. International students must remain in their home country to be eligible for admission to these programs.
- Emergency Management (Doctor of Science)
- Emergency Management (Graduate Certificate)
- Emergency Management (Master of Science)
- Public Administration - Administrative Management (Master of Public Administration)
- Public Administration - Criminal Justice (Master of Public Administration)
- Public Administration - Emergency Management (Master of Public Administration)
- Public Administration - Political Science (Master of Public Administration)
History of the profession; contemporary emergency management concepts, functions, and practices for government, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector.
Course examines the portrayal of disasters in electronic and print media. Emphasis will be on the impact that newspapers, websites, television, social media, and film have on affecting individual and societal constructions of natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and man-made disasters.
Legal context and constraints for emergency management; administrative law, administrative discretion, and liability.
Introduction to the fundamentals of exercise design, development and implementation. Includes a reivew of different types of exercises, how they are used, and how they are conducted. Provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop and conduct disaster exercises that test a community's emergency response plan and capabilities.
Prerequisite(s): EM 505.
Processes for short- and long-term recovery for individuals, families, and communities; provision of recovery assistance by both public and voluntary sectors.
The course provides students with the advanced skills necessary to safely respond to and manage incidents involving radiological hazards. Participants apply these skills in exercises based on realistic radiological indicent scenarios, set within the ICS structure. Students are required to complete the FEMA resident course PER-905 at the Center for Domestic Preparedness.
Historical aspects of shipping vulnerability including: seaports, ships, cargoes, operations, commerce, government coordination, international security conventions and practices, and related technology. Case studies of recent events and new initiatives in International maritime transportation security will be examined.
Comprehensive coverage of major analytical and statistical tools used in emergency management program administration.
Prerequisite(s): EM 505.
Incident management approaches for domestic and international terrorism; anti- and counter-terrorism organizational roles, responsibilities, and coordination, homeland security initiatives.
Prerequisite(s): EM 505.
Mitigation concepts, implementation approaches, and planning.
Prerequisite(s): EM 505.
Preparedness frameworks and strategies; techniques of emergency operations planning, exercise design and evaluation, and public education.
Prerequisite(s): EM 505.
Individual, social, economic and policy dimensions of vulnerability and client needs for disaster; service delivery strategies, coordination models, resource management and capacity building for nonprofit disaster relief organizations.
Prerequisite(s): EM 505.
Context of disaster response, response functions, assessment, resource mobilization and adjutication, and emergency operations center (EOC) operations.
Prerequisite(s): EM 505.
Contingency planning, business impact analysis, business resumption processes, risk/crisis communication and management, disaster recovery and organizational continuity.
A detailed review of global concerns for biosecurity including the history of biological warfare, bioterrorism, concerns for agroterrorism and current initiatives in biodefense. Included will be a thorough review of specific agents, the diseases they cause, detection methodologies, and consequence management considerations.
Prerequisite(s): EM 505.
Surveillance and rapid needs assessment, disaster epidemiology, disaster medical systems and approaches, and disaster mental health.
The course provides healthcare professionals with a foundation of knowledge on which to make critical decisions during various disaster scenarios affecting healthcare and public health systems. Students are required to complete the FEMA resident course MGT-901 at the Center for Domestic Preparedness.
The Advanced Public Information Officer for Health and Hospital Emergencies course is a four-day course that combines lectures, facilitated discussion, activities, and exercises, allowing participants to apply knowledge and skills to manage a Joint Information Center (JIC) in a healthcare emergency situation. The course has a healthcare focus but benefits all reponse disciplines. Students are required to complete the FEMA resident course MGT-902 at the Center for Domestic Preparedness.
The examination of current issues and concerns with Homeland Security including upcoming National Special Security Events that mandate comprehensive security planning and response capabilities. Innovations and reactions from politicians and citizens will serve to offer students insight into the challenges of implementing and maintaining homeland security.
This course will focus on modeling and simulation of high consequence events as a means of preparing emergency managers for future disasters. Several types of high consequence disasters will be examined from the perspectives of preparedness, prevention, decision-making and effective response.
Prerequisite(s): EM 505.
A historical review of the military role in disaster relief and humanitarian support missions. Primary emphasis will be on recent case studies of major disasters. The course will also discuss the possible expanding role of the military in future natural disasters and CBRN events. Students will conduct a small research project to explore a current issue surrounding the use of the US military in domestically-based incidents.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of Department.
Integration and synthesis of theory and practice for emergency management. Should be taken in the last term of program of study.
Prerequisite(s): Approval of instructor and program director.
In-depth study of selected topic of special project.
Prerequisite(s): Approval of instructor and program director.
Supervised practice experience in a professional emergency management setting.
Prerequisite(s): EM 505.
Leadership and organizational theory for emergency management; conflict management, use of power, group dynamics, and team performance.
On-campus integrative seminar during the first three years of program of study. Specialized topics include how to review and critique scholarly literature and research finding, how to present scholarly work at conferences, and how to write for journal publication. Opportunities for students to exchange ideas, present their work, and interact with faculty. Includes special topics of current interest.
On-campus integrative seminar during the first three years of program of study. Specialized topics include how to review and critique scholarly literature and research finding, how to present scholarly work at conferences, and how to write for journal publication. Opportunities for students to exchange ideas, present their work, and interact with faculty. Includes special topics of current interest.
On-campus integrative seminar during the first three years of program of study. Specialized topics include how to review and critique scholarly literature and research finding, how to present scholarly work at conferences, and how to write for journal publication. Opportunities for students to exchange ideas, present their work, and interact with faculty. Includes special topics of current interest.
In depth analysis of disaster management principles and practice, including historical and emergent trends and conditions relevant to the current state-of-the-practice and standards, plus future development.
Examination of the major theoretical topics, questions, and literature that inform the discipline and practice of emergency management, with topics including the nature of disaster, human and organizational behavior under stress, and risk perception and communication. An interdisciplinary approach whereby students think critically about the epistemological assumptions of alternative theoretical perspectives and divergent policy approaches.
Analysis of political, administrative, and fiscal relationships among governments in the provision of emergency management programs and disaster relief policy in the American political system. Exploration of the role of society in shaping institutions and how these institutions influence and structure public policy making and administration.
Analysis and application of systems thinking concepts and methodologies to problems encountered in emergency management.
Tools and methods used to manage risk associated with the hazards facing a community; role of emergency management programs in community resilience and sustainability.
Explores strategies public officials employ to cope with disasters and their impacts, risk-based operational considerations and management structures.
Examines emergency management functional demands and program delivery on a day-to-day basis; considers managerial practices such as communication with the public, the meaning of public service, making effective presentations to governing boards and legislatures, effective meetings and group facilitation, citizen engagement, media relations, and ethics.
Social science research methods including research design and approaches to inquiry (quantitative, qualitative, experimental, evaluation), the role of theory in empirical research, causal inference, and reporting and reviewing research.
Prerequisite(s): EM 853 -may be taken concurrently.
An examination of statistical and research techniques appropriate to emergency management applied research, including descriptive statistics, probability theory, sampling and statistical inference, hypothesis testing, regression and correlation analysis, analysis of variance, modeling and techniques for data reduction (e.g. factor analysis).
Prerequisite(s): EM 853 and EM 855.
Practical application of appropriate social science research methodology to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of public sector and nonprofit policies and programs, with topics including how to develop an evaluation plan; evaluation types such as process, impact, cost-benefit, and cost-effectiveness evaluations; and management of evaluation projects.
Prerequisite(s): consent of program director.
Directed reading and research in fields of special interest.
Prerequisite(s): Consent of program director.
Directed reading and research in fields of special interest.
Prerequisite(s): EM 834.
Unique considerations of nonprofit disaster management and service delivery, including volunteer administration, donations management, fundraising, and cross-sector collaboration.
Prerequisite(s): EM 834.
Overview of emergency management considerations for health and medical professionals and range of medical, public health, behavioral and psychological problems associated with disaster; incident management processes and organization that integrate health and medical assets into the response.
Examines theories related to risk perception and behavior; principles of risk communication and special communication challenges with diverse audiences; and development of crisis and emergency risk communication plans.
Classic and contemporary theories and models of leadership,with emphasis on the role of leadership in crisis situations; principles of crisis management.
Explores the importance of information in emergency management; information requirements and breakdowns; and information technologies applied to crisis and disaster situations.
Disaster-related applications of spatial analysis techniques; use of GIS software.
Prerequisite(s): Consent of program director.
Independent study under the direction of the instructor.
Prerequisite(s): Consent of program director.
Independent study under the direction of the instructor.
Prerequisite(s): Consent of program director.
Independent study under the direction of the instructor.
(1-6). At least 18 credit hours required. Continuous enrollment is required subsequent to passing qualifying exams for admission to candidacy. Students may register for 1-6 credit hours per semester with approval from advisor/program director.
Explores the evolutionary process of American public administration with the intent of focusing on theoretical and applied contexts of contemporary public administration. Special attention is placed upon the role of administration as it applies to the legislative-executive relations (including accountability, transparency and responsibility in democratic administration), the role of administration in the policymaking process, the legal basis for public administration, and financial and personnel responsibilities of administrators in the public sector.
An in-depth investigation of intergovernmental functions and major programs on the federal, state, and local levels of government, including modes of analysis, models of decision making, evaluation methods, styles of executive leadership, by employing examples of past and current policies.
The effective application of major theoretical frameworks to diagnose organizations' ethical cultures and exercising the various principles of leadership when resolving ethical issues in order to institute organizational change.
Examines the development, institutions, processes, and problems of state and local government in the United States and their interaction with each other and with the federal government.
Legal principles and procedures involved in administration of government agencies.
Functions, procedures, and problems of personnel management at all levels of government.
Collection, custody, and expenditure of public revenue, public borrowing and debt management, preparation and execution of the budget, and financial accountability for public spending.
This course is designed to enhance the study of complex organizational structures and the behavior of individuals working within those organizations. An emphasis is placed on public institutions and the affect different organizational structures and behaviors have on public policy.
Theories, or models, of administrative organization and behavior and examination of relationship between public administration and political process.
This public administration course examines how and why race, class, and gender differences inform and shape our legal and social structures and impact the legal decision-making process, social change, and social institutions of modern American Society.
Comparison of approaches to and problems associated with public administration in different nation types: western/nonwestern; developed/underdeveloped; large/small; and open/closed.
Prerequisite(s): Approval of the department head and approval of instructor.
In-depth study of selected topics.
Prerequisite(s): Approval of department head and approval of instructor.
In-depth study of selected topics.
Prerequisite(s): Approval of department head and approval of instructor.
Supervised assignment in office of an area public agency for a minimum of eight hours per week. Grades: Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite(s): Approval of department head and approval of instructor.
Supervised assignment in office of an area public agency for a minimum of eight hours per week. Grades: Pass/Fail.