Online Study
Disaster and Emergency Management
Program Overview
Recent events have heightened public and governmental awareness of the hazards associated with high technology. In many cases this has led to stringent new federal and state laws requiring communities to plan comprehensively for toxic chemical or radiation emergencies. Moreover, there has always been a need to protect the public during floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters.
The certificate in disaster and emergency management is intended to upgrade the skills of existing or aspiring public safety planners; emergency officials in industry; and emergency managers in police, fire, and ambulance work. The program is also an excellent capstone for individuals with associate degrees in fire science, environmental health and safety, or other areas of emergency response.
You will learn how to analyze disaster threats, write emergency plans to meet state and federal guidelines, understand problems facing response teams, and communicate knowledgeably with expert advisers in a crisis. Emergency management organizations have developed national standards for the professional certification of emergency managers.
Preparation for national certification
In recognition of the growing complexities of the emergency
professions and the necessity for higher standards, the International
Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) has developed
individual professional certification requirements. RIT’s certificate
in emergency management provides professionals with an excellent
opportunity to prepare to meet certification standards and to
become familiar with emerging technologies and knowledge.
Curriculum Review
The six-course sequence is designed to provide students with knowledge of the physical phenomena underlying emergency situations. These could include:
· 0634-311 Earth Science
· 0634-321 Manmade Hazards
· 0634-401 Emergency Preparedness Laws & Regulations
· 0634-471 Emergency Planning & Methodology
· 0634-475 Counter Terrorism for the First Responder
· 0634-481 Emergency Operations
Courses in this upper-level program may be applied toward professional requirements for the BS deree in applied arts and science or safety technology. All certificate courses were developed and are taught by professionals in emergency management. Up to four credits may be awarded for appropriate training or experience. A program GPA of at least 2.0 is necessary for certification. The certificate is offered on-campus and in an online learning format.
Admission Requirements
Enrollment is open to anyone who meets the course(s) prerequisites. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that he or she has the proper preparation to be able to succeed in the courses. Students are responsible for notifying the department when they have completed the requirements. Successful completion of a certificate requires a grade point average of 2.0 or greater.