2020-2021

Interdisciplinary Studies - Emergency Management 90-30, Bachelor

Public Administration and Justice Studies

Online, Statewide, and Education Innovation

This flexible bachelor's degree offers you an opportunity to design a plan of studies, in consultation with an advisor, to meet your individual educational needs. You may choose this degree if you plan to enter an occupation that requires a broad general education, if you are seeking career advancement or personal intellectual enrichment, or if you are considering a preprofessional plan.

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's diversity, liberal studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • 30 units of Emergency Management specialization Requirements

  • Completion of Computer Literacy, Communication Skills, and Science or Language Requirements

  • Up to 9 units of specialization prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy specialization requirements.

  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Major GPA C
Highest Mathematics Required MAT 114
Foreign Language Optional
Some online/blended coursework Required
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A Recommended
Progression Plan Link View Progression Plan

Purpose Statement

The purpose of the Emergency Management Program is to provide an outstanding education in the broad-based, interdisciplinary and expanding field of emergency management.  All communities are vulnerable to disaster, and emergency management professionals, be it full-time emergency managers or those assuming emergency management responsibilities along with their primary scope of duty, work to protect their communities from emergency events.  The Emergency Manager integrates the activities of community stakeholders to effectively prevent, prepare for, protect and mitigate disasters, and when a disaster strikes, to respond and recover.   In essence, practitioners of emergency management, regardless of whether they work in the public, private or non-profit sectors, act as stage managers, arranging the set and putting the pieces in place to allow first responders to effectively respond to emergencies.  Students studying emergency management at Northern Arizona University receive a strong foundation in this critically important area, thus enhancing their employment prospects, and strengthening their capacity to make vital contributions to their communities and the Nation.
 
In order to foster students’ success as emergency management practitioners, NAU’s Emergency Management Program emphasizes experiential learning by linking theory to specific professional situations and scenarios.  In addition, the Program focuses on vital emergency management components, including the phases of emergency management, Homeland Security, Incident Management Systems, emergency management and homeland security exercise design, development, conduct and evaluation planning, emergency management grants and administration and a basic understanding of the public sector environment, including ethics, in the context of the emergency management field.
 
Students will discover that NAU’s Emergency Management faculty make the difference!  They are a select group of caring, dedicated and knowledgeable faculty who possess years of relevant professional emergency management and public/private sector experience, including current and former City, County and State Emergency Managers, Emergency Management Preparedness Managers and Counterterrorism Specialists.  In addition faculty hold numerous emergency management certifications, such as Certified Emergency Manager and Master Exercise Practitioner. 

Student Learning Outcomes

Communication Skills

  • Students will be able to provide logically coherent pieces of written work
  • Students will be able to effectively organize and orally deliver content based on audience and purpose
Emergency Management
  • Demonstrate the ability to communicate in an effective manner
  • Apply and/or practice critical thinking in coursework
  • Provide relevant examples of ethical concepts in the public sector
  • Comprehend the importance of leadership, and demonstrate the knowledge and ability to model leadership skills in the public sector
  • Apply and integrate the principles and practices of emergency management by describing activities and/or concepts associated with the phases of emergency management:  prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery
  • Describe the budgeting process in the public sector

Liberal Studies Requirement
    • Students who have completed the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) from an Arizona public or tribal community college, the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), or California State University General Education (CSUGE) from a California public community college are considered to have satisfied NAU’s Liberal Studies Distribution Blocks and Foundation requirements as well as the US Ethnic and Global Diversity requirements.
    • Up to 9 units of specialization prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy specialization requirements.
    • Please contact an advisor for more information. 
Major Requirements

  • This major requires 54 to 55 units distributed as follows:

    • Emergency Management Specialization: 30 units
    • Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements: 24 to 25 units
      • Communication Requirement: 6 units
      • Foreign Language or Science Requirement: 18 to 19 units

  • All coursework in the Specialization Areas must be upper-division and from Northern Arizona University. Substitutions and use of credit from other institutions are not allowed in the Specialization.

Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements

  • Communication Requirements (6 units)

    Select 6 units in the following two categories. 

    • Performance-based courses, select one from the following (3 units)
      • CST 111, CST 311, CST 312, CST 314, CST 315, CST 318 (Performance-based courses are defined as having at least 51 percent of the evaluation of the student being based upon oral performance.)
      • Or advisor approved
    • Theory-based courses, select one from the following (3 units)

  • Please note that you cannot use CLEP or locally prepared exams to satisfy this requirement. Transfer credit used to satisfy this requirement must be approved by the program director.

  • Foreign Language Requirement Option (19 units)

    • Foreign Language Requirement (16 units)
      • You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or by testing out of all or part of it by taking CLEP, or other exams.
    AND
    • Computer Literacy (3 units)
      • This coursework must help you to understand, in general, the technical components of computers and information systems, how to solve problems using information systems technology, word processing, spreadsheet use, database management, graphic information software, website development, graphic design and use of statistical analysis software. Subject to advisor approval.
      • Select one from the following (3 units)
        • [BBA 293]
        • [ISM 120]
  • OR

    Science Requirement Option (18 units)

  • Science Requirement, select from the following (12 units):

    • ANT 101, ANT 250
    • GSP 130, GSP 150
    • Courses with Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Mathematics, Nutrition, Physical Science, Physics, Statistics prefixes. Please note that other courses must be approved by the program director.

  • AND

    Computer Literacy (6 units)

    This coursework must help you to understand, in general, the technical components of computers and information systems, how to solve problems using information systems technology, word processing, spreadsheet use, database management, graphic information software, website development, graphic design and use of statistical analysis software. Subject to advisor approval.

    • Select ISM 120 or BBA 293 (3 units)
    • BBA 340 or Advisor Approved coursework including the CIS or CS prefix (3 units)

     
General Electives

  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.