Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management

Published: Jun 22, 2021
Updated: Sep 8, 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 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

Eastern Kentucky University 98%
Auburn University at Montgomery 97%
University of New Haven 94%
Arkansas Tech University 94%
Virginia Commonwealth University 93%
Nova Southeastern University 93%
Southern New Hampshire University 92%
University of Nevada, Las Vegas 83%
University of Maryland, Baltimore County 81%
University of Nebraska–Lincoln 81%

University of Central Florida 31 to 1
Jacksonville State University 21 to 1
Southern New Hampshire University 21 to 1
Excelsior University 19 to 1
Regent University 19 to 1
Virginia Commonwealth University 18 to 1
University of Nevada, Las Vegas 18 to 1
University of New Haven 18 to 1
Arkansas Tech University 17 to 1
DePaul University 17 to 1

Creighton University $44,524
University of New Haven $42,898
Adelphi University $42,475
DePaul University $42,012
Anna Maria College $40,208
Nova Southeastern University $34,570
Saint Leo University $26,050
Regent University $18,820
Southern New Hampshire University $15,380
Clemson University $14,118

Adelphi University $43,040
Nova Southeastern University $21,153
Southern New Hampshire University $18,900
DePaul University $17,951
University of New Haven $17,820
Creighton University $17,190
Regent University $15,590
National University $15,480
Saint Leo University $15,218
Virginia Commonwealth University $12,618

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

University of Central Florida 36%
Regent University 41%
Clemson University 49%
National University 55%
Arkansas State University 63%
DePaul University 69%
Saint Leo University 71%
Anna Maria College 73%
Jacksonville State University 76%
Adelphi University 77%

University of Nebraska Medical Center 2 to 1
Anna Maria College 12 to 1
Creighton University 12 to 1
Adelphi University 12 to 1
Arkansas State University 14 to 1
Park University 15 to 1
Eastern Kentucky University 15 to 1
Bellevue University 16 to 1
Clemson University 16 to 1
University of Nebraska–Lincoln 16 to 1

University of Central Florida $4,478
Arkansas State University $5,232
Arkansas Tech University $5,736
University of Nebraska–Lincoln $7,770
University of Nevada, Las Vegas $7,949
Auburn University at Montgomery $7,992
Bellevue University $8,310
University of Maryland, Baltimore County $8,878
Eastern Kentucky University $9,452
Jacksonville State University $9,720

Arkansas State University $4,986
Arkansas Tech University $5,414
University of Nevada, Las Vegas $5,823
University of Nebraska–Lincoln $6,138
Park University $6,435
University of Central Florida $6,916
Auburn University at Montgomery $7,578
University of Nebraska Medical Center $9,207
Jacksonville State University $9,600
Eastern Kentucky University $9,900

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.

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%

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50%

15%

10%

466705935076730100450133580

10th Percentile25th Percentile75th Percentile90th Percentile

Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management Degree Programs

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.

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?

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

Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management Degree Programs

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What can I expect from an online college course?+

Is online college easier?+

Why does accreditation matter in online college?+

Will I be able to transfer my online college degree?+

Will employers respect my online degree?+

What are the disadvantages of online classes?+

What are the advantages of online classes?+

Resources for Prospective Grad Students