Emergency Management Certificate

What you will study

The University of Central Missouri’s Emergency Management certificate will teach you all phases of emergency management — preparation, mitigation, response and recovery. You’ll learn to develop action plans, coordinate and track resources, ensure regulatory compliance and educate your peers or community regarding preparedness while taking these essential courses:

• Emergency Response Planning: Explore the tools, technology and facilities necessary for effective emergency response and help ensure their most effective use in a disaster.
• Catastrophic Readiness: Examine catastrophic events at the county, state and federal levels and assess the risk and vulnerability, as well as the resilience, of these agencies and their people.
• Disaster and Society: Discover how to collaborate and communicate with other government and non-government organizations for the benefit of your employees and community, as well as society as a whole.

Whether you take these courses on campus or online, you’ll have direct access to UCM faculty. As crisis and disaster management experts with real experience, our professors want to see you succeed in maintaining the safety of those under your watch. 

Earn continuing education units

As part of your curriculum, you’ll complete Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Independent Study courses — Introduction to the Incident Command System and An Introduction to the National Incident Management System — which can earn you continuing education units.

 

 

Unique learning opportunities in emergency management

While you pursue UCM’s Emergency Management certificate, you can attend learning and networking events alongside undergraduate students in our Crisis and Disaster Management program, such as:

• UCM’s Rural Emergency Management Summit, held annually and attended by local, regional and federal agency representatives
• CLEAN WATERWAYS Conference
• Other regional and national conferences hosted by FEMA and the Missouri and Kansas state emergency management agencies

We also regularly host guest speakers on campus, including city- and county-level emergency management directors, FEMA personnel and former Crisis and Disaster Management students who have moved on to graduate programs at UCM or Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as examples.

Get hands-on experience while you serve the community

Participate in voluntary community service projects in collaboration with the Institute for Rural Emergency Management (IREM). Previous projects have included developing emergency plans for daycares, churches and other small facilities, creating evacuation plans for small towns and planning and participating in full-scale preparedness exercises. Gain real-world experience that not only enhances your resume but also provides you a sense of accomplishment.

 

What can you do with a certificate in Emergency Management from UCM?

From severe weather and wildfires to chemical spills to active shooter events, communities and organizations are subject to a wide range of threats. With UCM’s Emergency Management certificate, you’ll be prepared to mitigate and manage the impacts of these dangers and others with disaster-related skills and knowledge. Add greater value to your current job, qualify for an entry-level emergency planning job or earn a promotion with organizations such as:

• Local public safety agencies, including police, fire and emergency management
• Federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security
• Colleges and universities
• Companies in other private industries, including oil, insurance and health care

Your future in emergency management

Explore your opportunities for a career in emergency management. The interactive tool below provides salary information and projected job growth to help you make plans after earning an Emergency Management certificate from UCM.

 

 

Financial assistance options for your Emergency Management certificate

In a year or less, you can be on your way to your first job — or an enhanced career — in the field of crisis and disaster management with UCM’s Emergency Management certificate. To help you get the education and skills you need, the University of Central Missouri maintains some of the nation’s most affordable tuition rates. We have been recognized for low student debt by LendEDU.

UCM resources to help finance your education

If you’re completing your undergraduate degree alongside your Emergency Management certificate, UCM offers to help finance your education, including loans and grants. You may also qualify for program-specific scholarships. Use the Scholarship Finder to determine your eligibility for funds made available by UCM and our generous supporters.