Located in Trenton, New Jersey, Thomas Edison State College opened in 1972 and is home to more than 16,000 undergraduate students. The university grants an associate in science in public and social services and a bachelor of science in human services in emergency disaster services. All students in the bachelor program take courses in sociology, psychology, economics, crisis intervention, social work and statistics. The curriculum also features classes in emergency planning, occupational safety, civil defense and disasters like fire, radioactive meltodowns, terrorism and natural events. An internship with a disaster response agency is available for majors who are United States citizens. Some courses are offered online or as self-paced, independent studies.
Thomas Edison State College
101 West State St.
Trenton, NJ 08608
888-442-8372
tesc.edu
Western Carolina University is a public institution in Cullowhee, North Carolina, a rural area 50 miles west of Asheville, North Carolina and 150 miles northeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Among the bachelor of science degree programs offered for the school's more than 7,100 undergraduate students is a major in emergency and disaster management. The required curriculum features coursework in homeland security, emergency planning, risk analysis, disaster response and emergency public policy. Internships are available for interested majors. Students may complete the program through in-person classes or online. The university also offers a minor in disaster management. Around two-thirds of freshmen and half of all continuing students at Western Carolina receive some type of financial aid, reports the 2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges.
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 28723
828-227-7317
wcu.edu
Founded in 1890, the University of North Texas is in Denton, a city 35 miles north of Fort Worth. The public institution has more than 31,000 undergraduate students, and its emergency administration and planning program is one of its highest rated academically, according to the 2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges. Started in 1983, the program was the first of its kind in the United States, explains the university's web site. Majors have the opportunity of focusing on federal, state or local levels of emergency management or on non-profit organization disaster response. The university has an Emergency Operations Center laboratory that mimics a real-life disaster response center, allowing students to participate in mock drills and exercises. All students must complete internships prior to graduation. Opportunities are also available for service-learning and assisting with faculty research.
University of North Texas
1155 Union Circle #311425
Denton, TX 76203
940-565-2681
unt.edu