Emergency Management and Homeland Security
Offered through the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering and supported by GW's Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management (ICDRM), the graduate certificate program in Emergency Management and Homeland Security has replaced Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness and Response. It provides an interdisciplinary education for those engaged in or seeking careers in emergency management, business crisis management, continuity of operations, and homeland security in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
All courses are held in-person on GW's main campus in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Courses are typically held in the early evening to accommodate working professionals. The multi-disciplinary nature of students in these courses adds significantly to the value of in-classroom discussions compared to the virtual classroom.
Course Structure
The program is comprised of 12 credit hours completed through six courses:
- Required course: EMSE 6305 Crisi and Emergency Management
- Required course: Homeland Security: The National Challenge or accepted substitute
- Electives: Selection of two additional courses from course list approved by the department. These currently include the following:
- EMSE 6310 Information Technology in Emergency Management
- EMSE 6315 Risk Management, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-based Decision-making
- EMSE 6320 International Disaster Management
- EMSE 6325 Medical and Public Health Emergency Management
- EMSE 6345 Building the Resilient Organization: Continuity, Crisis, and Disaster Recovery Management
- EMSE 6350 Managing Disaster Resilience through Hazard and Threat Mitigation
- EMSE 6992 Leadership in Crisis & Catastrophe
Admissions Requirements
Prospective students must fulfill the certificate admissions requirements through submission of a complete online application form and other documents as listed by the deadlines noted.
Please note: First-time international applicants may not apply directly to a certificate program.
Current graduate students who wish to complete a certificate along with their master's or doctoral program must also follow the certificate admissions requirements, but may opt to have their transcripts and documents transferred from their previous application. Please contact [email protected] to make the request.
Current CCAS Graduate Students
Current students studying in the Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Policy programs may be eligible to apply for this graduate certificate program. Students are encouraged to consult with their faculty advisor before following the steps below to officially apply to the program.
Steps to Applying:
- Consult with your faculty advisor
- Complete the CCAS Dual Enrollment Application Form
- Submit the formal application form
- If you do not receive an admissions decision within 5 business days after submitting the application form, please email [email protected]
Transfer to Master's Program
Upon successful completion of a certificate program, students have the option to transfer credits to a full master's program at the School of Engineering & Applied Science, pending successful completion of the master's program admissions requirements.
Please note: You must receive a B or higher in each course in order for it to transfer. Additionally, you must submit a new application for the selected master's program and provide the required documents and exam scores listed as part of the master's program admissions requirements.
For any questions, please contact [email protected].