Bachelor's degree in emergency management: Learning to help others

Emergency management demands a cool head, calm planning and a desire to create order out of chaos. Students interested in getting an emergency management degree can expect to find excellent career prospects as employment is expected to grow much faster than average.

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Emergency Management Careers

Emergency management specialists respond to disasters and crisis situations, implementing plans for recovery and resolution. Dealing with man-made crises and natural acts such as hurricanes, tornadoes or fires, emergency management personnel can be responsible for the evacuation and relocation of individuals, medical care coordination, and more.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for emergency management specialists will grow about 20 percent between 2008 and 2018. The mean annual wage was $56,900 in May 2009, according to the BLS, but emergency management wages can vary greatly from industry to industry. The fields with the highest level of income, or mean annual wage, include:

Oil and gas extraction - $100,530
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution - $77,700
Waste treatment and disposal - $75,730
Scientific research and development services - $73,970
Remediation and other waste management services - $75,640

Getting an Online Bachelor's Degree in Emergency Management

When choosing to study for an emergency management degree, the best candidates have complex problem solving abilities, the ability to make decisions quickly, and advanced critical thinking skills. While many of these traits are inherent and not learned in school, there are many reasons to get a bachelor's degree in emergency management.

When you study emergency management, some of the areas of study you might focus upon include homeland security, disaster relief, emergency preparedness, public safety management, disaster preparedness and security management. Emergency management specialists learn the skills necessary to review and update emergency plans; apply new federal, state, and local rules and regulations; manage federal funding for disasters; coordinate training with local agencies and disaster preparedness groups; and communicate with local health organizations regarding their training and preparedness.

Choosing to study for a bachelor's degree in emergency management can be done at an online school, which allows for you to take charge of how and when you learn. The coursework you will encounter, whether at an online school or a more traditional on-campus school might include:

Strategic planning
Organizational skills, including working with people, information and resources
Crisis management
Risk analysis
Situation analysis
Communication during disasters
Leadership skills

Once you receive your degree and start working, there are professional certifications that can enhance your career knowledge and standing. The International Association of Emergency Managers offers one such certification which can keep you abreast of new developments in your industry, and help you with career development opportunities.

Emergency management isn't the right career for everyone; you need to be able to respond effectively and quickly in highly stressful situations. But if you want to help people when disaster strikes, emergency management offers a lucrative and rewarding career. With jobs availale within government and the private sector, now is a great time to get into this field.