{"id":17545,"date":"2026-01-15T16:15:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T22:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/academics\/?post_type=program&#038;p=17545"},"modified":"2026-07-16T13:38:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T18:38:35","slug":"emergency-management","status":"publish","type":"program","link":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/program\/emergency-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Emergency Management"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When disaster strikes, communities need leaders who can act \u2014 people trained to coordinate emergency response, protect critical infrastructure, and keep others safe under pressure. The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management at Southern Arkansas University prepares you for that role.<\/p>\n<p>The program is designed for two kinds of students: new undergraduates who want to build a career in homeland security, emergency management, or public safety leadership; and working professionals in fire service, law enforcement, EMS, or the military who are ready to move into leadership, administration, or policy roles and need a bachelor&#8217;s degree to get there.<\/p>\n<h3>Topics Covered<\/h3>\n<p>Coursework blends theory with hands-on application across the major subject areas of modern emergency management:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Incident Command and Incident Management<\/strong> \u2014 the national ICS framework used by federal, state, and local responders to coordinate during disasters and large-scale emergencies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Homeland Security and Counterterrorism<\/strong> \u2014 domestic security policy, threat assessment, and the study of terrorism.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Critical Infrastructure Protection<\/strong> \u2014 safeguarding energy, water, transportation, communications, and public health systems.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Technology in Emergency Management<\/strong> \u2014 GIS, crisis communications, cybersecurity, and emergent technology applied to disaster response.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cyber Crime and Cybersecurity<\/strong> \u2014 investigation and prevention of digital threats that intersect with public safety.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ethics, Law, and Multiculturalism<\/strong> \u2014 the legal, ethical, and cross-cultural foundations of public safety leadership.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Who This Program Is For<\/h3>\n<p>The program is a strong fit for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Students entering college straight from high school with an interest in public safety, homeland security, or government service<\/li>\n<li>Adult learners and career-changers who already hold credentials or associate degrees in related fields and want to complete a bachelor&#8217;s to advance<\/li>\n<li>Military veterans transitioning to civilian emergency management or public safety leadership roles<\/li>\n<li>Working professionals in fire, police, or EMS seeking the degree required for promotion to chief, captain, or command-level positions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Consider this program if you want to lead emergency response and recovery operations at the community, state, or federal level; work in homeland security, counterterrorism policy, or critical infrastructure protection; transition from an active first-responder role into administrative or command leadership; or prepare for a graduate degree in public administration, homeland security, or a related field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When disaster strikes, communities need leaders who can act \u2014 people trained to coordinate emergency response, protect critical infrastructure, and keep others safe under pressure. The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management at Southern Arkansas University prepares you for that role. The program is designed for two kinds of students: new undergraduates who want to&#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/program\/emergency-management\/\"> Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":17546,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_genesis_title":"Emergency Management Degree | Southern Arkansas University","_genesis_description":"Earn a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management at SAU. Launching Fall 2026. Prepare for careers in homeland security, disaster response, and public safety leadership.","_genesis_noindex":"","_genesis_nofollow":"","_genesis_noarchive":"","_genesis_canonical_uri":"","_open_graph_title":"Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management \u2014 Launching Fall 2026","_open_graph_description":"SAU\u2019s new Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management prepares students and career-changers for leadership roles in homeland security, disaster response, and public safety. Transfer-friendly for fire, EMS, and law enforcement professionals.","_twitter_title":"Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management \u2014 Launching Fall 2026","_twitter_description":"SAU\u2019s new Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management prepares students and career-changers for leadership roles in homeland security, disaster response, and public safety. Transfer-friendly for fire, EMS, and law enforcement professionals.","_social_image_url":"","_social_image_id":"","redirect":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"college_department":[311,18304],"delivery":[28836,255],"types":[28854,28850],"class_list":["post-17545","program","type-program","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","college_department-behavioral-and-social-sciences","college_department-college-of-liberal-and-performing-arts","delivery-hybrid","delivery-on-campus","types-major","types-undergraduate","entry"],"acf":{"page_layout":"standard","landing_page_url":"","department_college":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/lpa\/depts\/bss\/\">Behavioral &amp; Social Sciences<\/a> |\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/lpa\">Dempsey College of Liberal &amp; Performing Arts<\/a>","badge_text":"","Number_of_Hours":"120","tuition_instate":"","tuition_outstate":"","estimated_total_tuition":"","start_dates":"","duration":"","Degree Plans":"<ul>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/catalog.saumag.edu\/preview_program.php?catoid=10&amp;poid=2496&amp;returnto=370\">2026-2027<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/files\/2026\/01\/Emergency-Management-PACT-8-2026-2027.pdf\">2026-2027<\/a> [pdf]<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","Program_Contact_Info":"[dirswitch contacts=\"miller-joshua\"]","Catalog Entry":"<h4>University Requirement (2 hours)<\/h4>\nGSTD 1002 - Freshman Seminar\n<h4>General Education (32 hours)<\/h4>\n<strong>Note<\/strong>: 3 hours of social science requirements are included in the major. CHEM 1013 \/1011 , CHEM 1023 \/1021 , or CHEM 1133 \/1131 are recommended to fullfil the physical science requirements.\n<h4>Emergency Management\/Homeland Security (45 hours)<\/h4>\nCRJU 2023 - Introduction to Emergency Management\nCRJU 3003 - Multiculturalism\nCRJU 3033 - Criminal Investigations\nCRJU 3103 - Ethics in Criminal Justice\nCRJU 3193 - Technology in Emergency Management\nCRJU 3233 - Cyber Crime\nCRJU 4113 - Study of Terrorism\nCRJU 4133 - Homeland Security\nCRJU 4153 - Critical Infrastructure Protection\nCRJU 4163 - The Incident Command System and Incident Management\nCRJU 4213 - International Law\n12 hours of upper-level Criminal Justice or Emergency Management electives\n<h4>Other Requirements (24 hours)<\/h4>\nFIN 2003 - Personal Finance\nIS 2053 - Business Information Systems\nPSCI 2003 - American Government: National\nPSCI 2013 - State and Local Government\nPSYC 2003 - General Psychology\nSOC 2003 - Introduction to Sociology\nSPCH 1113 - Introduction to Public Speaking\n3 hours of Chemistry electives\n<h4>Electives (17 hours)<\/h4>\n17 hours of unrestricted electives\n<h4>Total Hours - 120<\/h4>","minor_requirements":"","Admission Requirements or Deadlines":"Admission to the Emergency Management program follows Southern Arkansas University's standard undergraduate admission requirements. There are no additional prerequisites specific to this major.\r\n\r\nSAU accepts applications on a rolling basis \u2014 you can apply and enroll up through the 11th class day of any semester.\r\n\r\n<strong>Transfer and adult students are welcome.<\/strong> If you're coming from a fire science, criminal justice, EMS, or related associate-degree program, courses completed with a grade of C or higher may transfer toward your SAU degree, subject to evaluation. Students 25 or older may be admitted without ACT or SAT scores. Review SAU's full <a href=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/admissions\/apply\/transfer\/transfer-student-eligibility\/\">transfer policy<\/a> for details, and contact the program coordinator to discuss how your existing coursework may apply.","careers":"Graduates of the Emergency Management program are prepared for roles including:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Emergency Management Director or Coordinator<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Emergency Preparedness Specialist<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Disaster Response and Recovery Officer<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Homeland Security Analyst<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Command leadership in fire service, law enforcement, and EMS \u2014 Chief, Captain, Battalion Commander, Shift Commander<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Critical Infrastructure Protection Specialist<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Incident Commander within the Incident Command System used during disasters and large-scale emergencies<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Business Continuity Planner<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Federal, state, and local emergency management agency staff<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nExamples of the kinds of organizations that employ emergency management graduates include federal agencies such as FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security; state-level offices such as the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management; county and municipal emergency management departments; hospital and healthcare system emergency planning teams; school district and university safety offices; and private-sector disaster response and risk management firms. Demand is projected to grow as climate-driven disasters, cybersecurity incidents, and infrastructure risks continue to rise.","faq":null,"Accreditations":"","Testimonials":"","student_information":"","Advisors":"","rankings":"","keywords":"emergency management degree, bachelor of science emergency management, homeland security degree Arkansas, disaster response degree, incident command training, critical infrastructure protection, FEMA careers, public safety leadership degree, fire service bachelor's, law enforcement degree completion, EMT bachelor's degree, career change emergency management, Southern Arkansas University emergency management","custom_tab_title":"","custom_tab_text":"","rfi_shortcode":"[gf_embed site=\"1\" id=\"88\" type=\"Undergraduate\" comments=\"true\" notify_emails=\"jmiller@saumag.edu\"]"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/programs\/17545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/programs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/program"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/programs\/17545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17967,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/programs\/17545\/revisions\/17967"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"college_department","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/college_department?post=17545"},{"taxonomy":"delivery","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/delivery?post=17545"},{"taxonomy":"types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types?post=17545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}