Emergency Administration and Planning

Your Future In Emergency Administration and Planning

Are you the type of person who plans ahead? Are you calm under pressure? Do you possess strong leadership skills? A career in emergency administration may be for you. The University of North Texas offers the nation’s first and most respected Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Administration and Planning.

Professionals in this field help individuals, businesses, governments and nonprofit organizations prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters such as floods, tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, terrorist attacks and epidemics.

Employment opportunities may be found as a(n):

• American Red Cross emergency director
• Business continuity specialist
• Federal Emergency Management Agency manager
• Hospital disaster planner
• Local and state emergency management coordinator

Graduates typically find careers in government agencies, private businesses and humanitarian organizations.

What we offer

By studying Emergency Administration and Planning at UNT, you will be a part of a program that has become a model for similar undergraduate programs across the nation.

Our rigorous curriculum helps you develop valuable skills in disaster planning, interpersonal communication and leadership. Mastering these competencies are essential to providing professional leadership in educating communities on strategies to prepare for and alleviate natural, technological and civil hazards. Other features of our program include:

• Courses offered in the late afternoon and evening so you can balance work and academic obligations
• Practical, hands-on experience with emergency management technologies through courses utilizing our state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center lab
• Study abroad opportunities in Mexico, Turkey, India and Thailand

You will learn from accomplished faculty members who have researched national and international hazards and catastrophes. They have also worked in emergency management and related fields for county governments, FEMA, the American Red Cross and corporations in the private sector.

In some cases, you might assist a faculty member with research. Joint student-faculty articles have appeared in recognized publications such as the Public Administration Review, Disaster Prevention and Management, Journal of Emergency Management and Journal of the Spanish Language Media

Our program also provides you with opportunities for community service. Students often volunteer with the local chapter of the American Red Cross or participate in other disaster-related community service activities.

We sponsor a student chapter of the International Association of Emergency Managers that provides opportunities to participate in relevant social, educational and training activities. Additionally, a Residents Engaged in Academic Living Community involves students who live on campus in leadership and service activities. More information about the UNT SERVES community is at housing.unt.edu.

Scholarships are available to qualified students. Information about these scholarships is at pacs.unt.edu/public-administration.

What to expect

You will enroll in six core courses that provide the basic knowledge of emergency preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. Electives have more specific focuses such as:

• Complex interaction between terrorism and disaster management
• International disasters
• Needs of special populations (for example, the elderly, hospitalized, incarcerated and children) in disasters
• Technological applications in planning for and managing disasters

Students with no experience in emergency management are required to complete an internship. Many of these internships are paid.

Our Career Center and professional academic advisors are among the many valuable resources that are available to you at UNT. The Career Center can provide advice about internships, future employment opportunities and getting hands-on experience in your major. Academic advisors will help you plan your class schedule each semester.

How to enroll at Unt

High school students

We encourage you to fulfill the graduation requirements for the Texas Recommended or Distinguished Achievement Program or the equivalent in high school.

In your junior year, take the SAT or the ACT and have your scores sent to UNT.

In your senior year, apply for admission at www.applytexas.org by March 1 and request that your high school transcript be sent to the UNT admissions office.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses can count toward college credit at UNT. For details, visit www.unt.edu/credit.

Transfer students

If you’re attending a Texas community college, you should consult our Transfer Articulation web page, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor/advisor to review your degree plan. Proper planning will help you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

Our Transfer Center will help you make a successful transition to college life at UNT by connecting you with a peer mentor and other campus resources. More than 3,500 students transfer to UNT each year. The center is in the University Union, Room 320. More information is at transition.unt.edu.