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  • Degrees Available:
    • B.S.
  • Major: Yes
  • Minor: Yes
  • Graduate Degree: No
  • Campus: Macomb
  • Study Opportunities:
    • GradTrac
    • Honors

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Undergraduate Majors, Minors & Programs of Study

Program: Emergency Management

Program Overview

The Emergency Management degree program in the Department of Health Sciences has a threefold design. First, the program educates students regarding disaster response or emergency management coordination activities. Second, students learn how to prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes) and technological (e.g., hazardous materials spills, nuclear power plant emergencies) disasters, and bioterrorism situations. Finally, degree candidates develop effective emergency management networking skills in working with the public and private sectors, voluntary agencies, and community-based organizations.

Career opportunities are diverse, consisting of the public sector (including local, state, or federal government), volunteer organizations (e.g., the American Red Cross), international organizations (non-governmental organizations), humanitarian or relief agencies, business and industry, and consulting.

Faculty

Faculty who teach in the Emergency Management program bring varied expertise and background including natural sciences, natural disasters, public health, man-made disasters and weapons of mass destruction. Faculty in the Department of Health Sciences hold doctoral degrees from distinguished universities across the United States such as Southern Illinois University, Oklahoma State University, University of Toledo, Indiana University, Oregon State University, the University of Arkansas, and the University of New Mexico. The Department of Health Sciences at Western Illinois University offers a Bachelor of Science degrees in Emergency Management, Health Sciences, and Health Services Management and a Master of Science in Health Education on both the Macomb and Quad Cities campuses.