Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management

Published: Jun 22, 2021
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s in emergency management degree programs to help students further their career and strengthen their expertise in areas such as public safety, disaster mitigation, and crisis management.

Top 10 Online Master's in Emergency Management

University of New Haven
University of Central Florida
Virginia Commonwealth University
Clemson University
Creighton University
Nova Southeastern University
Adelphi University
Excelsior University
Eastern Kentucky University
Jacksonville State University

University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
DePaul University
Clemson University
University of Central Florida
Adelphi University
Creighton University
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Nova Southeastern University

Southern New Hampshire University 96%
Arkansas Tech University 94%
Auburn University at Montgomery 92%
University of New Haven 91%
Virginia Commonwealth University 91%
University of Nevada, Las Vegas 85%
University of Maryland, Baltimore County 81%
Saint Leo University 80%
University of Nebraska–Lincoln 79%
Jacksonville State University 78%

University of Central Florida 29 to 1
Excelsior University 23 to 1
Southern New Hampshire University 22 to 1
Regent University 21 to 1
Jacksonville State University 19 to 1
University of New Haven 19 to 1
Arkansas Tech University 18 to 1
University of Nevada, Las Vegas 18 to 1
University of Maryland, Baltimore County 18 to 1
Saint Leo University 18 to 1

Creighton University $45,590
University of New Haven $44,184
Adelphi University $43,800
DePaul University $42,840
Anna Maria College $41,010
Nova Southeastern University $36,300
Saint Leo University $27,050
Regent University $19,680
Southern New Hampshire University $15,380
Clemson University $14,118

Adelphi University $44,425
Nova Southeastern University $22,062
DePaul University $21,719
Southern New Hampshire University $18,900
Saint Leo University $18,436
University of New Haven $18,360
Creighton University $17,496
Regent University $16,028
National University $15,912
Virginia Commonwealth University $12,618

Arkansas Tech University
Saint Leo University
Bellevue University
Arkansas State University
Regent University
Southern New Hampshire University
Auburn University at Montgomery
Park University
National University
DePaul University

Excelsior University
Anna Maria College
Bellevue University
Arkansas Tech University
Auburn University at Montgomery
Saint Leo University
Jacksonville State University
National University
Park University
Regent University

Regent University 32%
University of Central Florida 41%
Clemson University 43%
Eastern Kentucky University 64%
Anna Maria College 70%
Arkansas State University 70%
DePaul University 70%
Adelphi University 73%
Creighton University 76%
Nova Southeastern University 76%

University of Nebraska Medical Center 2 to 1
Creighton University 11 to 1
Anna Maria College 12 to 1
Adelphi University 12 to 1
Bellevue University 13 to 1
Park University 14 to 1
Arkansas State University 15 to 1
Auburn University at Montgomery 15 to 1
Virginia Commonwealth University 16 to 1
Eastern Kentucky University 16 to 1

University of Central Florida $4,478
Arkansas Tech University $5,820
Arkansas State University $6,888
University of Nebraska–Lincoln $7,770
University of Nevada, Las Vegas $8,159
Auburn University at Montgomery $8,232
Bellevue University $8,790
University of Maryland, Baltimore County $9,056
Eastern Kentucky University $9,544
Jacksonville State University $9,990

Arkansas Tech University $5,481
University of Nevada, Las Vegas $5,976
University of Nebraska–Lincoln $6,138
Arkansas State University $6,282
Park University $6,663
University of Central Florida $6,916
Auburn University at Montgomery $7,812
University of Nebraska Medical Center $9,207
Jacksonville State University $9,840
Eastern Kentucky University $10,008

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Emergency Management Degrees

Pursuing a master’s degree in emergency management and homeland security can help further your career and strengthen your expertise in areas such as public safety, disaster mitigation, and crisis management.

This degree combines two unique but closely-related fields, providing students with an understanding of the emergency response tactics required in the face of natural, technological, or human-made disasters.

Students can pursue this 30- to 45-credit degree both online or in person, with most completing their studies in about two to three years.

What will I be learning?

Programs often require a thesis or final project and courses cover topics like homeland security, public health administration, and multi-agency coordination.

Graduates will have the opportunity to advance in their current roles or obtain jobs like risk management specialists,security analysts, and emergency management directors.

Learn more about what you can do with a mater’s in criminal justice.

How do we determine the best online emergency management master's degree programs?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Emergency Management Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management

Degree Level: Master's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $10,348
Avg. Expenses*: $15,971
Avg. Starting Salary*: $70,834
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $76,763
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 5 years
Job Growth: 3.32%
Number of Jobs: 1,378,000
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Managers, All Other	3.35%	$106,040
Emergency Management Directors	3.39%	$86,794
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	3.12%	$84,600
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary	2.42%	$70,208
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other	3.61%	$68,169

Average Career Salaries

Bottom 10%	Median	Top 10%
$57,806	$91,167	$140,184

Promising Job Markets

State	Cost of Living	Avg. Salary
#2 Delaware	2% higher than average	$125,220
#3 Illinois	7% higher than average	$109,061
#4 California	26% higher than average	$143,829
#5 New Jersey	13% higher than average	$126,666
#6 Colorado	3% higher than average	$114,885
#7 Texas	10% higher than average	$97,187
#8 Ohio	14% higher than average	$92,496
#9 Washington	7% higher than average	$113,418
#10 New York	5% higher than average	$110,650
#11 Virginia	5% higher than average	$100,308
#12 Minnesota	4% higher than average	$99,271
#13 Michigan	15% higher than average	$88,076
#14 Pennsylvania	5% higher than average	$95,353
#15 Missouri	16% higher than average	$81,968
#16 Florida	6% higher than average	$90,507
#17 Wisconsin	7% higher than average	$89,060
#18 Idaho	7% higher than average	$88,225
#19 Arizona	5% higher than average	$90,086
#20 New Mexico	7% higher than average	$87,433
#21 North Carolina	11% higher than average	$81,395
#22 Nebraska	6% higher than average	$85,727
#23 Massachusetts	24% higher than average	$112,516
#24 District of Columbia	49% higher than average	$135,145
#25 Maryland	18% higher than average	$106,649
#26 Iowa	9% higher than average	$82,195
#27 Kansas	9% higher than average	$81,219
#28 Connecticut	18% higher than average	$104,780
#29 Alabama	13% higher than average	$76,735
#30 North Dakota	average	$88,740
#31 West Virginia	11% higher than average	$78,561
#32 Utah	4% higher than average	$84,584
#33 Louisiana	9% higher than average	$79,554
#34 Georgia	13% higher than average	$76,339
#35 Oklahoma	13% higher than average	$76,208
#36 South Carolina	8% higher than average	$80,548
#37 Oregon	11% higher than average	$96,238
#38 Hawaii	40% higher than average	$117,478
#39 Alaska	23% higher than average	$101,706
#40 South Dakota	7% higher than average	$75,737
#41 Rhode Island	20% higher than average	$97,382
#42 New Hampshire	13% higher than average	$90,675
#43 Kentucky	14% higher than average	$68,223
#44 Vermont	13% higher than average	$89,646
#45 Nevada	5% higher than average	$83,000
#46 Tennessee	14% higher than average	$65,569
#47 Wyoming	2% higher than average	$74,196
#48 Montana	3% higher than average	$71,565
#49 Arkansas	16% higher than average	$61,339
#50 Indiana	11% higher than average	$63,593
#51 Maine	9% higher than average	$77,736
#52 Mississippi	18% higher than average	$58,059

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Managers, All Other	$106,040
Emergency Management Directors	$86,794
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$84,600
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary	$70,208
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other	$68,169

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management

Top 10 Online Master's in Emergency Management

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Emergency Management Degrees

Why get a master’s in emergency management and homeland security?

How long does it take to get a master’s in emergency management?

What will I be learning?

How will getting a master’s in emergency management and homeland security help me in my career?

Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at University of New Haven

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at University of Central Florida

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Virginia Commonwealth University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Clemson University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Creighton University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Nova Southeastern University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Adelphi University

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Eastern Kentucky University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Jacksonville State University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Anna Maria College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at University of Nebraska Medical Center

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at DePaul University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at National University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Park University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Auburn University at Montgomery

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Southern New Hampshire University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Regent University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Arkansas State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Bellevue University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Saint Leo University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Arkansas Tech University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Students with Emergency Management Degree

Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management

Degree Level: Master's

Career Salaries

Average Career Salaries

Promising Job Markets

Top Industries