Online Program

Emergency Management

The mission of the emergency management major at Kansas Wesleyan University is to give students the theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and the sense of duty necessary to help save lives and property from the devastating impact of disasters.

Students who complete the Bachelor of Arts in Emergency Management should be able to:

• Understand and apply administrative, management, grant research and writing; leadership skills; ethics; managing projects, people and change; inter- and intra-agency coordinating, collaborating and networking.
• Demonstrate understanding of legal issues and concerns; Stafford Act and Patriot Act (as they relate to emergency management); legal environment and disaster laws.
• Utilize technology such as GIS, GPS, MIS, Emergency Communication, Interoperability communications and computer skills.
• Demonstrate understanding of national response framework, local emergency operation plans, and response agreements/memorandums of understanding.
• Identify actions to reduce or eliminate risk to people and property from hazards and their effects including long-term solutions to reducing risk.

Additional topics include: hazard identification and mapping, design and construction applications, land-use planning, financial incentives, insurance and structural controls.

EMGT 100 Introduction to Emergency Management –  Fall

The history and development of emergency management as a professional field of study will be reviewed, along with an exploration of the four phases of emergency management (preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery).

EMGT 104 Spiritual Care in Disaster Settings — Even Year Summer

This class will examine how spirituality is impacted by the experiences of a crisis setting. Issues of spiritual first aid, compassion fatigue, and the diverse cultural and religious considerations are examined through the lens of emergency management, planning, response and recovery.

EMGT 202 Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness — Even Year Fall/ Even Year Spring

Learn methods for implementation of hazard mitigation measures to reduce the overall impact of disasters. Learn the current trends and programs available to assist in creating more sustainable communities. reducing the impact and risk to citizens and their property.  Also, learn about the National Response Framework and its objectives and purpose. Explore the process for developing Local Emergency Operations Plans and conducting hazards and risks assessments. Discuss methods for conducting public outreach and education regarding general disaster and emergency preparedness.

EMGT 203 Crisis Communication — Odd Year Spring

This course covers the typical communication issues faced by public safety officials during an emergency/crisis situation, including the basics of verbal and non-verbal communication used by law enforcement, military, Hazmat and Amateur Radio.

EMGT 205 GIS/GPS — On Demand

Introduction to basic concepts of vector Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using several industry-specific software programs. Introduction to nomenclature of cartography and geography.

EMGT 208 Disaster Response & Recovery — Odd Spring

Learn the roles of local, state and federal government in disaster response. Discuss the role of emergency operation centers during this phase of disaster. Discuss programs applicable to disaster response under the Stafford Act. Additionally, students will explore victim assistance practices, challenges and programs available when dealing with both immediate and long-term recovery.

EMGT 210 Risk Analysis — Even Year Spring

This course introduces students to the analysis of risk, including the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) and Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) process for organizations. Students will acquire the competencies, knowledge and skills to effectively manage and develop interaction, including planning, which would involve relations between business, organizations and emergency services. Students will analyze the effect of policy on emergency management roles and use policy analysis in development of new policy. The course will examine the roles and responsibilities of local, state and federal agencies in terrorism investigation process.

EMGT 300/CRIM 300 Homeland Security — Even Year Fall

This course provides both traditional students and current practitioners with a comprehensive overview and assessment of contemporary homeland security issues, including foreign and domestic terrorism, immigration and custom enforcement, international travel and commerce, and a review of the various federal, state and local agencies involved.

EMGT 303 Sociology of Disaster — Odd Year Spring

This course provides a better understanding of the social dimensions of disaster. Analyses of key social-psychological concepts, such as risk and uncertainty, and understanding the sociological assessment of class, community, organization, technology and the media viewed globally.

EMGT 304 Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster — Odd Year Spring

Students will acquire an introduction and history of voluntary organizations that provide direct and ancillary services in response to disasters. Students will be expected to analyze the many roles and functions voluntary organizations can play in various disaster situations. Management and coordination of these agencies are also studied.

EMGT 305 Introduction to Cyber Warfare —  On Demand

This initial study provides the students a multidisciplinary approach to cyberwarfare, analyzing the information technology, military policy, social and scientific issues that are in play. This course will present detailed cases of cyberattack including interstate cyber conflict (Russia-Estonia), cyberattacks as an element of an information operations strategy (Israel-Hezbollah) and cyberattacks as a tool against dissidents within a state (Russian, Iran). The class will explore cyberattacks conducted by large, powerful, non-state hacking organizations, such as Anonymous and LulzSec. The course covers cyberattacks directed against infrastructure, such as water treatment plants and power grids. This course will utilize problem-solving and case study methodologies in order to examine mitigation responses, recovery and the impacts of a cyberattack.

EMGT 306 Social Vulnerability Approach to Disasters — Even Year Spring

This course introduces students to an approach to understanding hazards and disasters grounded in social vulnerability analysis. Using a multidisciplinary approach, it will examine historical, geographical, social and cultural factors and conditions that put people differentially at risk before, during and after disasters. In particular, the course will focus on global, national, regional and local patterns of development. Drawing on current theory and research, field studies, class activities and life experiences, students will explore how vulnerable social groups are affected by and cope with hazardous conditions and events, and strategies for community-based mitigation engaging those most at risk.

EMGT 320 Emergency Operations/Incident Management (NIMS) — Even Year Spring

This course will introduce students to emergency operations and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The course will further show students how NIMS serves as the nationwide framework for responding to disasters and emergencies. This framework is for state, local and tribal government and the private sector, for working together to prevent or respond to threats and incidents regardless of cause, size or complexity.

EMGT 350/CRIM 350 Multiculturalism in Public Safety — Fall

This course focuses on marginalized groups and expands understanding of how different groups are impacted by public safety organizations. Through the lens of victimization, offending, employment, issues of cross-cultural communication, cultural awareness and multicultural representation in the public service/ public safety sectors will be examined.

EMGT 386 The Wesleyan Journey — On Demand

This course combines service-learning with travel, either domestic or abroad, to provide students an opportunity to strengthen values and abilities, in addition to learning specific academic content. The service projects will be linked to the academic content of the class, and the course may require a co-requisite or stand-alone as its own special topics course. Credit varies based on the length of the journey and may involve additional fees for travel. Prerequisite: INTD 110 is recommended but not required for this course.

EMGT 405/CRIM 405 Terrorism —  Odd Year Fall

This course is a comparative survey of terrorism through the historical, structural, political, legal and philosophical approaches. The central concern of this course is the study of terrorism using criminal justice and emergency management framework, which focuses on terrorist origins, their goals, tactics, ideologies, media implications and the ramifications of public safety. No prerequisites are required, but it is reserved for students of junior or senior status.

CRIM 420/EMGT 420 Capstone —  Spring/Online Summer

This is the capstone course for graduating Criminal Justice or Emergency Management majors. A major focus is on an integration of knowledge developing a comprehensive, focused study of a modern criminal justice and emergency management issues, while applying solutions and predictions for future trends in criminal and social justice. Completion of departmental assessments is a requirement of this course.

The Emergency Management Minor requires 18 credit hours:

EM 100 Introduction to Emergency Management – 3 credit hours

EM 202 Hazard Mitigation & Preparedness – 3 credit hours

EM 208 Disaster Response Recovery – 3 credit hours

EM 320 National Incident Management Systems – 3 credit hours

6 Hours of EM Approved Courses

Imagine studying Emergency Management at Kansas Wesleyan University, named No. 8 nationally among the Top 20 Best Affordable programs in the country and the only Emergency Management bachelor’s degree offered in the state of Kansas, while simultaneously learning how to utilize unmanned aircraft system in emergency situations with courses from the No. 2 program on Drone Training HQ’s list of the “Top 20 Unmanned Aerial Systems Colleges in the United States,” Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus. These two schools are located in one place: Salina, KS.

Here is your chance to prepare for a career in Emergency Management with the additional ability to speak the language of UAS technology and understand what is involved in flying and interpreting data collected by UAS vehicles. This unique collaboration, the only one of its kind between a state university and a private institution, will put KWU students ahead of their peers in the Emergency Management field and will provide them with the tools and knowledge for more effectively and safely guiding response team efforts in emergency situations.

Read more:

• Unmanned Aircraft Systems Minor Requirements (Kansas State Polytechnic: College of Technology and Aviation)
• Kansas State Polytechnic offers UAS students new emergency management minor through agreement with Kansas Wesleyan University (sUAS News)

Kansas Wesleyan University is located near Crisis City, operated by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM), an unrivaled world-class, multi-discipline, multi-agency training environment developed to enhance the state’s capability to defend against terrorism threats and respond to disasters and emergencies.

The university enjoys strong partnerships with local, regional and national Emergency Management experts and organizations, and is currently the only institution in the state of Kansas selected to host FEMA’s 2015 L-363 Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Higher Education course.