Online Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management

Every Sector Has Emergencies. Everyone Needs This Training.

Request Brochure View Curriculum

100% online

NO SET CLASS TIMES

Instructor-led

CONNECT WITH LEADERS

5 courses

FINISH IN ONE YEAR

All backgrounds

ANY BACHELOR’S FROM

AN ACCREDITED INSTITUTION

$475/credit

Competitive tuition

Earn a Credential in Emergency Management in Just One Year

If your organization has people, assets or operations to protect, it needs someone who knows how to plan for the worst.

Every organization faces emergencies at some point. They need someone who knows how to plan for the worst before it happens. Increasingly, that person has a credential in emergency management.

The online Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management transforms your ability to lead through emergency situations. You can complete the full program in one year, fully online. The curriculum covers organizational planning, business continuity, emergency law and disaster response.

Earn Your Certificate, Then Your Master’s Degree

If you’re considering a master’s degree in the future, all 15 credits apply directly toward Adelphi’s Master of Science in Emergency Management. You can complete the certificate first and then can go on to finish the full MS in as little as 1.5 years.

See how we’ve designed our emergency management certificate for working professionals →

Request Program Brochure

To learn more about Adelphi University’s online Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management and download a brochure, fill out the fields to request information or call us at 516.619.2209 to talk with one of our enrollment specialists.

First Name*

Last Name*

Email*

Phone*

By checking this box, I authorize Adelphi University and its representatives to contact me via text messages. Participation is voluntary. Message and data rates may apply. Messages may be sent using an autodialer or other automated system for the selection or dialing of numbers. This consent is not required as a condition of enrollment. Reply STOP to opt out. Terms.

By checking this box, I consent to receiving autodialed informational and marketing calls, including those using prerecorded, artificial, or interactive voice technology, from Adelphi University and its representatives. This consent is not required as a condition of enrollment. Terms.

Adelphi University has engaged AllCampus to help support your educational journey. AllCampus will contact you shortly in response to your request for information. About AllCampus. Privacy Policy. You may opt out of receiving communications at any time.

* All Fields are Required. Your Privacy is Protected. Are you enrolling from outside the US? Click here.

Graduate Certificate Program Benefits

A Direct Line to a Master’s Degree

Every credit you earn in the certificate program applies toward our emergency management master’s program. If you decide to continue, you’re already on your way.

A Cross-Sector Credential for Maximum Applicability

Emergency management principles apply across every sector and industry. The certificate’s all-hazards curriculum is built to be useful wherever you work.

Faculty With Field Experience

Adelphi’s emergency management faculty have managed real disaster response: terrorist attacks, health epidemics, natural disasters and major public events. They bring that experience to every course.

Complete in One Year

You’ll take all five courses (15 credits) online with no set class times. Most students devote 8 to 10 hours per week to coursework and finish the certificate within a year.

“

Emergency management is an umbrella. It can really direct interested students to any career path.”

Terry Cooper

Director of the Emergency Management Program

Curriculum Overview

The online Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management is a 15-credit, five-course program that can be completed in one year. Students take five courses: four are required and one is your choice of elective.

Required Courses

Introduction to Emergency Management
Organizational Planning and Response
Business Continuity Planning
Emergency Management Law

Electives

Health Management in Times of Disaster
Public Policy and Administration in Emergency Management
Securing the Homeland
Epidemic and Pandemic Planning and Responses
Special Needs of Vulnerable Groups During Disasters

See full course descriptions →

Emergency Management Certificate: Who Is This Program For?

For the professional whose role has grown to include emergency preparedness: The professionals who earn this certificate come from every corner of the workforce—healthcare, education, technology, business and more. If emergency preparedness has become part of your role, this gives you the formal grounding to handle it more confidently.
For the EM professional who’s ready for graduate-level work: If you’re considering the Master of Science in Emergency Management but want to experience the curriculum first, the Graduate Certificate is a smart place to start. All five courses apply directly toward the MS. If you decide to continue, you’re already nearly halfway there.

See our full admissions requirements

“

More and more, the emergency management and public safety fields will be asking for individuals with more education… It is no longer a profession to ‘fall into.’”

Jim McKay,

Editor, Emergency Management

Emergency Management Career Landscape

Emergency management salaries have risen 11.3 percent over the past three years, far outpacing national wage growth. The median advertised salary for roles requiring emergency management skills is $78,700.

The jobs that require this knowledge span far beyond traditional emergency response roles. Here’s a sample of organizations whose recent job postings ask for emergency management skills:

Public Safety and Government: FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, City of New York, State of Florida, State of New York
Healthcare: HCA Healthcare, Hackensack Meridian Health, Stanford Health Care, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Ascension, Mercyhealth, CHRISTUS Health
Consulting and Engineering: WSP Global, ICF International, CDM Smith, Amentum, Capgemini
Private Sector: Marriott International, Sysco, PNC
Nonprofits: American Red Cross, The Salvation Army

Salary data sourced from Lightcast Data Analytics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job posts data sourced from Lightcast.

Frequently Asked Questions: Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management

What is emergency management?

Emergency management is the professional discipline of planning for and responding to disasters and crises. It covers the full lifecycle of an emergency, from the preparation that happens long before a crisis strikes to the recovery work that follows.

In practice, that means identifying risks before they become emergencies and building the plans and systems that guide response. Emergency managers work across every sector: government agencies, hospitals, utilities, consulting firms, nonprofits and private-sector businesses all need professionals in this field.

The discipline has grown significantly in recent decades. The increasing frequency of natural disasters, combined with the expanding threat of cyberattacks and public health crises, has broadened what emergency management covers and who needs it.

Do I need a background in emergency management to enroll?

You do not need prior emergency management experience, as the certificate is designed for working professionals from any field who need to build emergency preparedness knowledge and earn a formal credential. We see students from sectors such as healthcare, government, education and business in addition to public safety.

How does the certificate relate to the MS in Emergency Management?

The Graduate Certificate covers the same courses as the first phase of the MS in Emergency Management. You’re doing graduate-level work from day one.

All five courses apply directly toward the full degree, so if you decide to continue, you’ll have 15 of the 33 required MS credits already completed. That puts you on track to finish the full master’s degree in as little as 1.5 years after finishing the certificate.

What are the admissions requirements?

Admission requirements for the online Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management include:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
Minimum 2.7 cumulative undergraduate GPA
No GRE required

We don’t require a previous degree in emergency management, but you do need to be able to tell us about why you are interested in this field in your application. Visit our admissions page for more information.

How much does the program cost?

Visit the tuition page for fees and financial aid information. You can also contact an enrollment specialist 516.619.2209 or online@adelphi.edu to discuss how you can finance your degree.

How does Adelphi help with career development or job placement?

The emergency management programs draw on Adelphi's connections to agencies, first responder organizations and private-sector emergency management teams across New York and nationally.

Many faculty members are active practitioners in the field, giving you direct access to people currently working in FEMA, state and local emergency management offices, public safety agencies, hospitals and corporate continuity roles.

Students and alumni have access to Adelphi's Center for Career and Professional Development for résumé reviews, interview prep and job search support. They also have access to Handshake, which puts you in front of 1 million+ employers, including every Fortune 500 company.

My question isn’t answered here. How can I get personalized guidance?

An enrollment specialist can walk you through program details, admissions requirements and financial aid options. Call 516.619.2209 to start the conversation or email online@adelphi.edu to set up a time to talk.