96 Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine—Disaster and Emergency Management Program • a nalyze the disaster process and differentiate disaster response actions, including recovery operations, from routine emergency operations • e xhibit competencies for disaster mitigation, response, and recovery at the individual, community, state, and federal levels • d emonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to build resilience post-disaster in a variety of disaster settings • e nter the field of emergency management and be leaders within this discipline Course of Study The M.S. program consists of six core courses (18 credits hours) which include: 1) an introductory course in bioterrorism and all-hazards preparedness; 2) applied research methods; 3) disaster planning and evaluation; 4) a course in management and leadership; 5) a course covering different types of potential hazards, threats, and impacts to a community; and 6) a community research practicum. Along with these core requirements, the student can choose one of several concentrations, or choose to pursue a more generalized educational program in disaster and emergency management. If one of the six concentrations is chosen, it requires four courses (12 credit hours) related to that chosen concentration. To complete the degree, an additional two courses (6 credit hours) will be taken from any electives throughout the curriculum. This can include additional management and leadership courses, threats/hazards/impacts courses, general electives, or electives from any one of the six areas of concentration. If a more generalized program of study is desired, the student must take six courses (18 credit hours), in addition to the required courses, from any part of the curriculum. These may include additional management and leadership courses, threats/hazards/impacts courses, general electives, or any of the concentration electives. All students also have the option of choosing up to two courses (6 credit hours) from a preapproved selection of courses from the Master of Science in National Security Affairs and International Relations, a partner degree program offered by the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. These credits would substitute for general electives in the M.S. DEM program of study. In order to analyze the broad spectrum of hazardous events and to appropriately assess and employ the large volume and rapidly evolving literature in this field, all students are required to take an applied research course, an introductory course in all-hazards preparedness, and a course in writing and analyzing different types of disaster plans, as well as the practicum in their chosen concentration. In addition to the four courses required for all students, each student must take a core of 3 credit hours from the Management and Leadership cluster and 3 credit hours from the Threats, Hazards, and Impacts cluster. Realizing that disaster and emergency management often crosses the boundaries of interests, as well as the professional lines of homeland security and other disciplines, students in the program will be able to take courses from related programs at NSU, such as public health or national security affairs, as a substitute for up to 6 general elective credit hours (with permission of the adviser). Admissions Requirements The Master of Science in Disaster and Emergency Management program evaluates the overall quality of its applicants, including academic achievement, life experience, recommendations, knowledge of the field of emergency management, and personal motivation. Though other criteria will be used to assess the overall quality of applicants, they must have • a bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, or terminal professional degree from a regionally accredited college or university or from a college or university accredited Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) Accrediting Commission • a cumulative, overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale • t he ability to express themselves in writing through a written statement submitted with the application. Applicants must briefly explain (500-word minimum) why they are interested in the program, as well as their professional goals, assessment of their abilities to manage the challenges of graduate school, and any other information they would like to provide. • two letters of recommendation from nonrelative college or university instructors, employers, work colleagues, etc., who are familiar with the applicant’s character, scholastic aptitude, work ethic, and desire to protect the community Any applicant who has graduated from a college or university in another country where English is not the primary language, regardless of United States residency status, must obtain a minimum score of 550 on the written, 213 on the computerized, or 79–80 on the Internet-based TOEFL, a score of 54 on the Pearson Test of English—Academic, a score of 6.0 on the IELTS, or a score of at least 100 on the Duolingo English. An official set of scores must be sent directly from the testing service to NSU’s EPS. Application Procedures The M.S. in Disaster and Emergency Management program accepts applications year-round. Applicants may apply for matriculation into any one of three semesters (fall, winter, or summer).
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