Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management

BEST ONLINE MASTER'S IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

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

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  1. University of Nebraska–Lincoln
  2. Virginia Commonwealth University
  3. University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  4. DePaul University
  5. Clemson University
  6. University of Central Florida
  7. Adelphi University
  8. Creighton University
  9. University of Maryland, Baltimore County
  10. Nova Southeastern University
  1. Eastern Kentucky University 98%
  2. Auburn University at Montgomery 97%
  3. University of New Haven 94%
  4. Arkansas Tech University 94%
  5. Virginia Commonwealth University 93%
  6. Nova Southeastern University 93%
  7. Southern New Hampshire University 92%
  8. University of Nevada, Las Vegas 83%
  9. University of Maryland, Baltimore County 81%
  10. University of Nebraska–Lincoln 81%
  1. University of Central Florida 31 to 1
  2. Jacksonville State University 21 to 1
  3. Southern New Hampshire University 21 to 1
  4. Excelsior University 19 to 1
  5. Regent University 19 to 1
  6. Virginia Commonwealth University 18 to 1
  7. University of Nevada, Las Vegas 18 to 1
  8. University of New Haven 18 to 1
  9. Arkansas Tech University 17 to 1
  10. DePaul University 17 to 1
  1. Creighton University $44,524
  2. University of New Haven $42,898
  3. Adelphi University $42,475
  4. DePaul University $42,012
  5. Anna Maria College $40,208
  6. Nova Southeastern University $34,570
  7. Saint Leo University $26,050
  8. Regent University $18,820
  9. Southern New Hampshire University $15,380
  10. Clemson University $14,118
  1. Adelphi University $43,040
  2. Nova Southeastern University $21,153
  3. Southern New Hampshire University $18,900
  4. DePaul University $17,951
  5. University of New Haven $17,820
  6. Creighton University $17,190
  7. Regent University $15,590
  8. National University $15,480
  9. Saint Leo University $15,218
  10. Virginia Commonwealth University $12,618
  1. Excelsior University
  2. Anna Maria College
  3. Bellevue University
  4. Arkansas Tech University
  5. Auburn University at Montgomery
  6. Saint Leo University
  7. National University
  8. Jacksonville State University
  9. Park University
  10. Regent University
  1. University of Central Florida 36%
  2. Regent University 41%
  3. Clemson University 49%
  4. National University 55%
  5. Arkansas State University 63%
  6. DePaul University 69%
  7. Saint Leo University 71%
  8. Anna Maria College 73%
  9. Jacksonville State University 76%
  10. Adelphi University 77%
  1. University of Nebraska Medical Center 2 to 1
  2. Anna Maria College 12 to 1
  3. Creighton University 12 to 1
  4. Adelphi University 12 to 1
  5. Arkansas State University 14 to 1
  6. Park University 15 to 1
  7. Eastern Kentucky University 15 to 1
  8. Bellevue University 16 to 1
  9. Clemson University 16 to 1
  10. University of Nebraska–Lincoln 16 to 1
  1. University of Central Florida $4,478
  2. Arkansas State University $5,232
  3. Arkansas Tech University $5,736
  4. University of Nebraska–Lincoln $7,770
  5. University of Nevada, Las Vegas $7,949
  6. Auburn University at Montgomery $7,992
  7. Bellevue University $8,310
  8. University of Maryland, Baltimore County $8,878
  9. Eastern Kentucky University $9,452
  10. Jacksonville State University $9,720
  1. Arkansas State University $4,986
  2. Arkansas Tech University $5,414
  3. University of Nevada, Las Vegas $5,823
  4. University of Nebraska–Lincoln $6,138
  5. Park University $6,435
  6. University of Central Florida $6,916
  7. Auburn University at Montgomery $7,578
  8. University of Nebraska Medical Center $9,207
  9. Jacksonville State University $9,600
  10. Eastern Kentucky University $9,900

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.

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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.

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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.

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

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

Best Online Master's in Emergency Management and Homeland Security

Emergency Management Directors Salaries by Percentile in the U.S.

The following graph depicts the average salaries of Emergency Management Directors for each percentile in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

SVG Attribution: Wikipedia

Total Employed: 10320
10%
15%
50%
15%
10%
bell-curve
466705935076730100450133580
10th Percentile25th Percentile75th Percentile90th Percentile

Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management Degree Programs

  1. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Acceptance

    36%

    Graduation

    75%

    Student body

    63K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1250/27

    Online Degrees

    MS in Emergency And Crisis Management
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  2. #4

    Clemson University

    Clemson , SC
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $16K

    Acceptance

    49%

    Graduation

    85%

    Student body

    26K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1300/29

    Online Degrees

    MPA in Public Administration

    Concentrations

    • Emergency Management
    • Homeland Defense And Security
    • Local And State Government
    • Nonprofit Management
    • Regional Sustainability
    • Required Credits: 39-42
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  3. #6

    Nova Southeastern University

    Fort Lauderdale , FL
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $35K

    Acceptance

    93%

    Graduation

    61%

    Student body

    14K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1135/23

    Online Degrees

    MS in Disaster and Emergency Management

    Concentrations

    • Criminal Justice
    • Environmental Hazards
    • Fire Administration
    • Public Health
    • Maritime Safety And Security
    • Emergency Preparedness Leadership
    • Cyber Security
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  4. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Acceptance

    98%

    Graduation

    48%

    Student body

    12K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1060/22

    Online Degrees

    MS in Safety, Security and Emergency Management

    Concentrations

    • Occupational Safety
    • Corporate Security Operations
    • Emergency Management and disater Resilience
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  5. #11

    Anna Maria College

    Paxton , MA

    Tuition + fees

    $40K

    Acceptance

    73%

    Graduation

    48%

    Student body

    1K

    Online Degrees

    MA in Public Administration

    Concentrations

    • Emergency Management
    • Fire And Emergency Services
    • Required Credits: 33
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  6. Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    MPH in Emergency Preparedness
    • Required Credits: 42
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  7. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Acceptance

    81%

    Graduation

    66%

    Student body

    22K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1215/25

    Online Degrees

    MS in Emergency Preparedness
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MPA in Public Administration

    Concentrations

    • Emergency Management
    • Required Credits: 39
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MPH in Public Health

    Concentrations

    • Emergency Preparedness
    • Required Credits: 42
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  8. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    81%

    Graduation

    71%

    Student body

    11K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1250/27

    Online Degrees

    MS in Emergency Health Services
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  9. #16

    DePaul University

    Chicago , IL
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $42K

    Acceptance

    69%

    Graduation

    70%

    Student body

    19K

    Online Degrees

    MPA in Public Administration

    Concentrations

    • Emergency Management
    • Public Management
    • Metropolitan And Urban Affairs
    • International Public Management
    • Required Credits: 104
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MS in Public Service Management

    Concentrations

    • Emergency Management
    • Healthcare Administration
    • Higher Education Administration
    • Metropolitan Planning And Urban Affairs
    • Required Credits: 104
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  10. #17

    National University

    La Jolla , CA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $13K

    Acceptance

    55%

    Graduation

    47%

    Student body

    25K

    Online Degrees

    MS in Homeland Security and Emergency Management
    • Required Credits: 45
    • Completion time: 2.5-3.5 years
    • Format: Online
  11. #18

    Park University

    Parkville , MO
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Graduation

    24%

    Student body

    7K

    Online Degrees

    MHA in Healthcare Administration

    Concentrations

    • General
    • Disaster Emergency Management
    • Finance
    • Homeland Security
    • Human Resource Management
    • Global Business
    • Management Accounting
    • Management Information System
    • Project Management
    • Quality and Innovation Management
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MPA in Public Administration

    Concentrations

    • Criminal Justice Administration
    • Disaster and Emergency Management
    • Information Systems and Business Analytics
    • M.P.A.
    • Management Information Systems
    • Nonprofit and Community Services Management
    • Project Management
    • Public Management
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  12. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $15K

    Acceptance

    92%

    Graduation

    39%

    Student body

    102K

    Online Degrees

    MS in Management

    Concentrations

    • Construction Management
    • Emergency Management
    • Healthcare
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  13. #21

    Regent University

    Virginia Beach , VA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $19K

    Acceptance

    41%

    Graduation

    62%

    Student body

    7K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1080/25

    Online Degrees

    MPA in Emergency Management And Homeland Security
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 2.5 years
    • Format: Online
  14. #23

    Bellevue University

    Bellevue , NE
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Graduation

    23%

    Student body

    9K

    Online Degrees

    MS in Emergency Management
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  15. #24

    Saint Leo University

    Saint Leo , FL
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $26K

    Acceptance

    71%

    Graduation

    46%

    Student body

    9K

    Online Degrees

    MS in Emergency And Disaster Management

    Concentrations

    • Fire Science Administration
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MS in Criminal Justice

    Concentrations

    • Emergency And Disaster Management
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online

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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.

Resources for Prospective Grad Students

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.