Bachelor of Science in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management Online
Learn how to lead your community through emergency situations with this B.S. in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management program.
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Program Overview
Learn more about our online emergency management degree
Earn your degree in a field that empowers you to lead your community through emergency situations. Our 100% online B.S. in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (DPEM) degree provides you with the ability to develop plans for response, recovery, mitigation and planning of environmental and health disasters.
In this DPEM program, you will learn to identify risk factors and conduct assessments related to equipment and processes; study social, cultural and economic factors relevant to emergency management; and build the communication skills needed to guide organizations and communities. Special emphasis is placed on the relationship between disasters and mental health—and the importance of respecting diverse populations when coordinating emergency management.
This well-rounded emergency management bachelor’s degree program prepares you for a role in federal, state or local government entities, such as FEMA; hospital systems; nonprofits that work in a response planning capacity, such as the Red Cross; or within a for-profit company that has a response planning group.
Prepare for a role in disaster preparedness such as:
- Emergency Services Manager
- Safety Specialist
- Disaster Recovery Manager
- Public Information Officer
- Emergency Services Manager
- Safety Specialist
- Disaster Recovery Manager
- Public Information Officer
Learn industry-relevant skills that employers seek:
- Communication
- Decision-making
- Organization and planning
- Critical thinking and risk assessment
- Communication
- Decision-making
- Organization and planning
- Critical thinking and risk assessment
Also available:
A-State offers a variety of undergraduate programs in a convenient online format. Explore our full range of online undergraduate programs.
Accreditation
All degrees in the Arkansas State University Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management program are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Education (CAEMHSE).
Tuition
Financial aid packages are available to those who qualify
A-State's online programs are affordable and convenient. You may also qualify for financial aid. Learn more.
The B.S. in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management online program offers the same low, pay-by-the-course tuition to all U.S. residents. All fees are included. Tuition may be subject to change on a yearly basis.
Tuition breakdown:
Transfer your credits for lower tuition
Use our Tuition Estimator to see how affordable your degree could be. Slide the notch to the number of credits you've already earned—which may qualify for transfer credit—to get an estimate of what your degree might cost.
Transcripts sent from other colleges and universities will be evaluated, and accepted credits will be added to the student's A-State record. The Tuition Estimator is not a guarantee or predictor of the number of credit hours that will be accepted.
You may be closer to Graduation than you think!
A-State-approved credit for prior learning recognizes your previous accomplishments, reducing your tuition costs and time to graduation.
Calendar
The schedule for our DPEM bachelor’s program
Our B.S. in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management is a flexible online program featuring accelerated coursework and multiple start dates per year.
Please note Summer 1 and Summer 2 terms are 5 weeks in duration for this program.
Term | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Payment Due | Last Class Day |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spring 1 | 1/13/25 | 12/16/24 | 12/18/24 | 1/9/25 | 1/10/25 | 2/28/25 |
Spring 2 | 3/10/25 | 2/24/25 | 2/28/25 | 3/6/25 | 3/7/25 | 5/2/25 |
Now enrolling:
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Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from A-State?
Admissions
Are you ready to apply? Check our admission requirements.
Arkansas State University has a streamlined admission process that makes it easy for you to enroll in the B.S. in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management online program. Enrollment specialists are available to walk you through the admission process, so you will be able to complete your application quickly.
Admission Requirements:
- Online application
- Official transcripts
- 2.0 GPA for transferring credits
There are several paths to admittance at A-State:
- If you have 13 or more transferrable college credit hours, you would be admitted if you have a cumulative college GPA of at least 2.0 on previous college coursework
- If you have 0-12 transferrable college credit hours and have been out of high school for five years or more, you would be admitted if you:
- Have a high school diploma or state-approved equivalent
- Have completed 12 or fewer earned college hours
- Have never enrolled as a student at A-State
- If you have 0-12 transferrable college credit hours and have been in high school within the last 5 years, you would be admitted if you have one of the following:
- 3.0 cumulative high school grad point average (or GED test score equivalent), OR
- 19 minimum ACT super score or minimum 990 combined SAT super score, OR
- Class rank in the top 20% of your graduating class
Application Submission Requirements
Submitting your application takes three easy steps: filling out the application, submitting your documents and paying the application fee.
- When completing the online application, select 100% online student and then complete all the steps on the online application.
- Pay $30.00 non-refundable application fee.
- Submit all official college transcripts.
- Submit official high school transcripts (if applicable).
- Submit official ACT/ SAT test scores (if applicable).
Note: If you have 0-12 transferrable college hours, test scores will still need to be submitted for reporting purposes to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE); however, they are not needed for an admission decision. Accuplacer test scores are an acceptable alternative to ACT/SAT scores.
If you have any questions along the way, call us at 866-621-8096 and we’ll be happy to help answer questions.
Document Submission Address
Submit all documents to:
A-State OnlineP.O. Box 2520
State University, AR 72467
Fax: 870-972-3548
Email: [email protected]
For Non-US Postal Mail Overnight Delivery Only:
A-State Onlinec/o Central Receiving
2713 Pawnee St.
Jonesboro, AR 72401
Courses
What you'll learn in disaster preparedness and emergency management courses
To earn your Bachelor of Science in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, you need to complete 120 credit hours of coursework. The program includes 38 credit hours of general education courses, 60 credit hours of major courses, and 22 credit hours of electives. You can finish faster by transferring previously earned credit hours. Transfer credit hours will be evaluated during the admission process.
Visit the Course Registration page to view the course schedule for this degree.
These courses must be taken to complete your degree.
You must complete 22 credit hours of electives to satisfy the 120 credit hours required for this program, and 15 of the 22 hours must be 3000 or 4000 level courses to ensure the upper-level minimum requirement needed for a bachelor's degree at A-State is met. Courses may be chosen with the assistance of an advisor and per your degree plan. Electives can come from any courses offered as long as prerequisites are met.
Students must take the following courses.
First-year course - Students must take the following Making Connections online course. If you transfer in more than 12 credit hours, you will not be required to take the Making Connections course. You may replace that 3 hour course with a 3 hour elective course.
First-year course (3 hours)
UC 1013
Communication Requirement (6 hours)
ENG 1003
ENG 1013
Mathematics Requirement (3 hours)
Students must take MATH 1023 or any MATH course that requires MATH 1023 as prerequisite.
Arts and Humanities Requirement (6 hours)
You must complete 6 credit hours from this section. At least one course must be selected from MUS 2503, THEA 2503, or ART 2503, and at least one course must be selected from ENG 2003, ENG 2013, or PHIL 1103.
Social Sciences Requirement (12 hours)
Students must complete 12 credit hours of Social Sciences courses. At least one course must be selected from POSC 2103, HIST 2763 or HIST 2773.
HIST 2763
HIST 2773
POSC 2103
SOC 2213
PSY 2013
MDIA 1003
HIST 1013
HIST 1023
ECON 2313
ECON 2323
ECON 2333
Life Science Requirement (4 hours)
Students must complete BIO 1003 with BIO 1001 lab or BIO 2203 with BIO 2201 lab.
Physical Sciences Requirement (4 hours)
Students must complete CHEM 1043 with CHEM 1041 lab.
Request Information
Submit the form below, and an Enrollment Specialist will contact you to answer your questions.
Or call 866-621-8096
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