Today, more so than ever before, the integration of federal, state and local resources, communication and collaboration has become the norm. Issues concerning terrorism, critical infrastructure protection/management, risk, business continuity, fire, hazardous materials, law enforcement, public health and safety are no longer domains unto themselves but part of the new fabric of this highly integrated and complex environment. Consequently, more is now required and expected of our traditional first responders and those charged with the leadership and management roles of these individuals and organizations.

The Bachelor of Emergency Management program focuses on developing skills to lead and manage individuals and organizations in an increasingly complex environment. The program builds upon an individual's technical capabilities derived from education, training and experience in fire, law enforcement, military or other related fields. This technical expertise is then combined with a curriculum of business administration, emergency management and homeland security instruction. This focus gives students the operations management knowledge to lead and manage individuals, departments or agencies on a day-to-day basis as well as during times of crisis at the local, regional, national or international levels. This degree is built specifically to meet the needs of those who provide administrative oversight, supervisory control, leadership or management roles within the fields of fire, law, emergency medical services, and security (to include other related fields) at the local, state, federal and international levels. The degree also provides those at the responder level the opportunity to further their education, increase their competitive advantage for promotion and advance their operational understanding of the highly integrated emergency management and homeland security environment of today.