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EDMG101 Introduction to Emergency Management (3 semester hours)
This is designed to introduce students to the concepts of emergency management. Students will gain a general understanding of the threats faced by communities. Students will explore the role of emergency management as well as the activities taken during the various phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Topics covered in this class include the history and development of emergency management, hazard identification and risk analysis, mitigation, communications, international disaster management, and the future of emergency management. Through a simulation exercise, the students use publicly available tools to take on the role of an emergency manager. They will be tasked with doing a comprehensive risk assessment of a fictional town and apply the results to a Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) using different man-made, technological, and natural hazards that culminates in a peer-review assessment.
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.
EDMG220 Emergency Planning (3 semester hours)
Effective emergency planning is the key to surviving natural and man-made disasters. Risk analysis and the formulation of a comprehensive plan, followed by a vigorous and continuing testing program, are essential elements to surviving an emergency. Topics covered include threat assessment, risk analysis, the formulation of a plan, emergency operations center (EOC) staffing, coordination with supporting agencies, the importance of liaison continuity, actual incident management, and effective follow-up analysis. Various actual case studies are discussed. Students build upon their knowledge and use the Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) developed in EDMG101. If they have not taken the course, a generic completed HVA will be provided to develop a section of an Emergency Operation Plan. Students will also have the ability to work through a self-paced optional “refresher” module on the creation of the HVA.
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.
EDMG230 Emergency and Disaster Incident Command (3 semester hours)
This course is a study of the theory and practice of incident command, the various methods of incident command, and specific focus on the Incident Command System (ICS) used in crises, disasters, and emergency management response systems. The roles and responsibilities of the ICS system are identified. The different agencies and incidents in which the ICS system is used are discussed. Cases are studied in order to assist students in understanding the management and leadership complexity associated with modern emergencies and disasters. The student will participate in a 2D/3D simulation and take on a new role within an incident command scenario shifting from being an information producer, to an information consumer, and decision-maker. The scenario will feature a terrorist event at a university graduation where students will be required to activate their incident command system, working the scenario to its conclusion using decision-making points throughout.
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.
EDMG240 Chemistry of Hazardous Materials (3 semester hours)
This course gives the student an in-depth study of the chemistry of hazardous materials as emergency management personnel must deal with these types of materials. The course covers a great amount of material on the chemistry and physical properties of common materials that an emergency responder will commonly find in the course of responding to emergencies. It is important for emergency responders to have this knowledge for the safety of them and others. This course presents the chemical basis for classification of, and emergency response to incidents involving, hazardous materials. It is designed for the non-chemist emergency responder, transporters and others who need to understand the implications of single product and multiple product spills, releases and incidents.
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.
EDMG259 Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness (3 semester hours)
This course will provide the student with an overview of society's need for planning for hazardous situations. Every community faces the potential of hazards, both natural and manmade. Only when people are injured and property is damaged by a hazard does a disaster occur. Due to patterns of population growth and development in the United States, disasters now occur more frequently than ever before. Mitigation and preparedness strategies are critical ways of making a community more resilient against the impacts of hazards.
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.
EDMG320 Natural Disaster Management (3 semester hours)
This course covers the basic principles of natural disaster management in the United States. This course highlights several hazard types as topical investigations, as well as the processes and considerations of management options for preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. This will include, but not be limited to, understanding basic natural hazard mechanisms, the range of physical and human impacts, linkages to demographic and environmental transitions, and both structural and non-structural mitigation techniques. All management techniques are framed within existing U.S. federal guidelines, however management techniques covered in this course may be applied widely. The course covers organization, operations, training, and other issues associated with the management of natural disasters. The student will participate in a simulation taking on a decision-making role and must react to information about a specific natural disaster that develops over a series of weeks. The students will be presented with a series of weather-related information and will be assigned a specific role. They must make leadership decisions on how they will utilize their resources responding regularly to the incident commander (course professor) explaining what actions need to be carried out along with their rationale for their actions. Wrapping up the scenario, a Hot Wash is conducted with three UP (good) things and three DOWN (need improvement) things and provided to the incident commander so that the student will be able to better handle the next disaster as a lessons-learned phase.
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.
EDMG321 Social Media Application to Emergency and Disaster Management (3 semester hours)
This course explores social media and other forms of communication; their value and limitations in today’s environment; and cross-functional employment in support of emergency management, homeland security, and public health emergency operations. In addition, this course evaluates the contributions of the internet and social media within a larger media/public relations context, as a stand-alone mass notification/information-sharing platform, and as part of a communications strategy for disaster response. Through a simulation, the student experiences a vital role within emergency and disaster management, that of a public affairs officer. Within the course, the student explores the utility and challenges of using social media as an emergency management communication tool to support homeland security and public health emergency operations. Using private locked-down Facebook and Twitter groups, students develop social media posts specific to their assigned roles and what they need to convey to the town as the public affairs officers during a severe storm scenario and a terrorist attack threat scenario. In addition to these roles, one student is assigned the role of the antagonist, and another is assigned the disruptor role with the goal of spreading rumors, myths, and misinformation. The purpose is to emulate some of the key challenges that emergency management public affairs officers encounter on a regular basis. The intent is for all students to learn the use of social media and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Social Media Toolkit as a way to improve their communications during an emergency.
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.
EDMG330 Managerial Issues in Hazardous Materials (3 semester hours)
This course covers managerial issues in hazardous materials. The impact hazardous materials have on humans, wildlife, and the environment will be covered. The major laws that are applicable to hazardous materials at the Federal, State, and local levels will be discussed. The student will learn about writing an effective contingency plan and the importance of coordination and collaboration across multiple agencies when dealing with a hazardous material response. This course examines all facets of hazardous materials including regulatory issues, hazard analysis, multi-agency contingency planning, response personnel, multi-agency response resources, agency policies, procedures and implementation, public education and emergency information systems, health and safety, command post dynamics, strategic and tactical considerations, recovery and termination procedures, and program evaluation.
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.
EDMG340 Consequence Management (3 semester hours)
This course addresses the potential results from nuclear, biological, and chemical incidents or uses. Topics include public health consequences of such incidents, emergency planning and response measures in place among U.S. agencies, and emerging detection and management technologies. Existing vulnerabilities to these types of incidents and attacks will also be discussed. Objectives of the course include identification of the historical development and use of chemical and biological weapons; definition of the types of chemical and biological weapons and their impacts; analysis of case studies related to the development and use of chemical and biological weapons, and research on chemical and biological warfare.
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.
EDMG420 Risk Communications (3 semester hours)
This course examines media management during local/national disasters and/or events. It will also address the media and all levels of governmental response. The focus will be on actual operations and on-site issues. This course provides the student an arsenal of useable tools and techniques that are universally prescriptive and can be implemented in nearly every risk-associated situation, from public health to accidents to terrorist attacks and even to challenges to corporate reputation management. Students who complete this course will be prepared to make the best possible decisions during a crisis emergency about the affected population’s wellbeing, and communicate those decisions, within nearly impossible time constraints, and ultimately, to accept the imperfect nature of choices as the situation evolves.
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.
EDMG498 Senior Seminar in Emergency & Disaster Mgmt. (3 semester hours)
This senior capstone course allows students majoring in emergency and disaster management to participate in a simulated disaster scenario that develops and spans the entire course using the knowledge and understanding gained through the required courses and a significant number of the major courses in the program. (Prerequisite: Completion of a minimum of 106 hours towards your program)
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.
EDMG499 Independent Study in Emergency and Disaster Mgmt (3 semester hours)
This course gives students an opportunity to pursue an independent research project or examine a specific area of study under the mentorship of a single professor. The course is open to upper division students only. Participation is at the discretion of the faculty member and must be approved by the Program Director or Dean. The course will typically involve a major research paper (20-30 pages). Students will submit a proposal prior to the start of the course. To be eligible for an independent study, students must be enrolled in a bachelors degree program, must have completed 24 hours at APUS toward their current degree program, and should have already contacted a professor and gained approval for the independent study topic. Once these conditions are met the student should contact their academic advisor. Once the course is open the student must complete an official online registration for the course.
View the course schedule AMU or APU to find out details about each course including prerequisites, course objectives, course materials, a snapshot of the syllabi, and session dates.