MS in Health Care Emergency Management

The Master of Science in Health Care Emergency Management prepares individuals to work across the spectrum of emergency and crisis management, focusing on multiple areas of biomedical sciences and healthcare, along with practical experience. The program consists of a 36-credit, 12-month full-time course of study with a part-time option.

The master’s program can be completed in person or remotely through our virtual classroom. Our virtual classroom experience is a real-time distance learning environment; using the Zoom platform, our students are able to attend class from wherever they happen to be. The virtual classroom gives students the flexibility to attend graduate school without the major upheaval in their lives that relocation would involve.

From its focus on healthcare environments, to the hands-on training in exercise development and incident command, the innovative Health Care Emergency Management program provides students with a comprehensive background for facing the challenges of a career in emergency/disaster preparedness.

The Health Care Emergency Management program prepares students to practice as professionals in the diverse aspects of crisis management and its implications on the health and medical services delivery systems. The Health Care Emergency Management program embraces three central themes and core learning objectives:

• Defining the basic concepts and building the ground/framework of crises—applied theory;
• Identifying and performing practical aspects of crisis management—process; and
• Researching an aspect of crisis management for practicum and thesis to afford direct experience—application.

As part of this program, and as a means to facilitate understanding of diverse areas of study comprising the healthcare emergency management-related disciplines, learning objectives include the ability to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the health and medical services objectives and requirements in crises.
• Describe the health and human services procedures and practices and administration.
• List and describe community-based medical care and service and support systems.
• Describe aspects of crisis and disaster management methods and practices and those specifically related to health and healthcare delivery including triage procedures and practices.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply the incident and unified command and control methods and practices.
• Develop management plans for routine and extreme condition methods of operations as they relate to crisis management planning, response, recovery, and mitigation.
• Prepare risk communication messaging that includes understanding of the psychological and sociological impacts of crisis.
• Demonstrate ability to use modeling and simulation and risk-planning methods and practices.

Sample Programs

HEM One-Year Track

Fall Semester

• GMS BC 600 Biology, Chemistry & Physics of Natural and Man-made Hazards (3 cr)
• GMS BC 610 Medical Consequences of Natural and Man-made Hazards (3 cr)
• GMS BC 700 The Disaster Life Cycle (3 cr)
• GMS BC 710 Methods and Practices of Incident Command (3 cr)
• GMS BC 640 Experimental Design and Statistics (2 cr)

Total: 14 credits

Spring Semester

• GMS BC 620 Psychology and Sociology of Disasters and Methods of Risk Communication (3 cr)
• GMS BC 650 Community Health and Emergency Management (3 cr)
• GMS BC 730 Principles, Methods, and Practices of Modeling and Simulation (3 cr)
• GMS BC 630 Ethical and Policy Issues in Health and Medical Services Emergency Management (3 cr)
• GMS BC 692 Directed Studies (2 cr)

Total: 16 credits

Summer Sessions I & II

• GMS BC 971 Research Practicum and Thesis: Designing Crisis Management Research (2 cr)
• GMS BC 972 Research Practicum and Thesis: Conducting Crisis Management Research (2 cr)
• GMS BC 692 Directed Studies (4 cr)

Total: 6 credits

GRAND TOTAL: 36 credits

HEM Two-Year Track

FIRST YEAR

Fall Semester

• GMS BC 600 Biology, Chemistry & Physics of Natural and Man-made Hazards (3 cr)
• GMS BC 610 Medical Consequences of Natural and Man-made Hazards (3 cr)

Total: 6 credits

Spring Semester

• GMS BC 630 Ethical and Policy Issues in Health and Medical Services Emergency Management (3 cr)
• GMS BC 650 Community Health and Emergency Management (3 cr)

Total: 6 credits

Summer Sessions I & II

• GMS BC 692 Directed Studies (2 cr)
• GMS BC 640 Experimental Design and Statistics (2 cr)

Total: 6 credits

First Year Total: 18 credits

SECOND YEAR

Fall Semester

• GMS BC 700 The Disaster Life Cycle (3 cr)
• GMS BC 710 Methods and Practices of Incident Command (3 cr)

Total: 6 credits

Spring Semester

• GMS BC 620 Psychology and Sociology of Disasters and Methods of Risk Communication (3 cr)
• GMS BC 730 Principles, Methods, and Practices of Modeling and Simulation (3 cr)

Total: 6 credits

Summer Sessions I & II

• GMS BC 971 Research Practicum and Thesis: Designing Crisis Management Research (2 cr)
• GMS BC 972 Research Practicum and Thesis: Conducting Crisis Management Research (2 cr)
• GMS BC 692 Directed Studies (could be a hospital internship) (2 cr)

Total: 6 credits

Second Year Total: 18 credits

GRAND TOTAL: 36 credits