Emergency Management and Homeland Security (Community Resilience), MA
Disaster Management, Emergency Operations Center, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hazards, Planning, Public Safety, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Terrorism, sustainability
This top-ranked degree program hones your knowledge of natural and technological hazards and acts of terrorism. Learn how to effectively promote community resilience and guide local or national responses to emergencies, disasters and other societal threats before, during and after a crisis.
ASU ranks No. 2 for best graduate homeland security and emergency management program by U.S. News & World Report, 2025.
Community resilience refers to the efforts of government and nongovernment actors to develop policies and practices aimed at reducing short- and long-term hazard risks in order to enhance safety, sustainability and resiliency through adaptive capacities.
This concentration within the Master of Arts program in emergency management and homeland security is focused helping you understand how community resilience is developed and promoted in coordination with government agencies (local, state and federal) as well as private and nonprofit sector organizations in which functional and operational responsibilities relate to planning, hazards mitigation, disaster recovery or sustainability.
- College/school:
Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions
- Location: Online
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
This program allows students to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. Accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for high-achieving students who want the opportunity to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of their master's degree. These programs feature the same high quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
33 credit hours including the required applied project course (PAF 593)
Required Core (18 credit hours) Concentration (6 credit hours) Elective or Research (6 credit hours) Culminating Experience (3 credit hours)
CRJ 511 Applied Data Analysis in Criminal Justice (3)
CRJ 554 Homeland Security (3)
PAF 551 Hazards Governance (3)
PAF 552 Integrated Emergency Management (3)
PAF 558 Program Evaluation for Emergency Management and Homeland Security (3)
PAF 559 GIS for Hazards Analysis (3)
PAF 553 Hazard Mitigation Planning (3)
PAF 560 Community Resilience (3)
PAF 593 Applied Project (3)
General university admission requirements:
All students are required to meet general
university admission requirements.
U.S.
applicants | International
applicants | English
proficiency
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in criminology or criminal justice, public administration or public service, sociology or social work, public safety or fire service management, parks and recreation management, applied sciences or another closely related field from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- two letters of recommendation
- a written statement
- evidence of current employment in an organization in this field, or at least two years prior professional experience in this or a related field, or a bachelor's degree in a related area
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Admission Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
The letters of recommendation should be from faculty or other academic staff who can evaluate the applicant's academic performance, or from professional sources such as a supervisor.
The written statement should be at least one page in length and describe the applicant's educational and career goals and long-term professional development strategy.
ASU offers this program in an online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. Applicants may view the program’s ASU Online page for program descriptions and to request more information.
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | Rolling | |
| Session B | Online | Rolling |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | Rolling | |
| Session B | Online | Rolling |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | Rolling |
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts faster-than-average job growth in the homeland security and emergency management fields over the next 10 years. Graduates are well suited for a variety of career opportunities, including:
- disaster recovery
- emergency management
- environmental quality
- hazard mitigation
- planner
- public health emergency preparedness
School of Public Affairs
|
UCENT 400
spa@asu.edu
602-496-0450
Program term definitions
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
