Emergency management is "the discipline and profession of applying science, technology, planning, and management to deal with extreme events [such as natural disasters, transportation accidents, industrial explosions, terrorist activity, etc] that can injure or kill large numbers of people, do extensive damage to property, and disrupt community life." (p. xvii in Drabek and Hoetmer, eds., Emergency Management: Principles and Practice for Local Government, 1991, ICMA: Washington D.C.)

Emergency management involves numerous actors and agencies from the public, private and non-profit sectors. The public sector includes city and county emergency managers, various departments at the local government level, state emergency management offices, and many agencies at the federal level (including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Defense, and others). The private sector includes numerous businesses and corporations as well as engineering firms, transportation companies, utility providers, insurance agencies, hospitals, etc.

The non-profit sector includes the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, faith-based organizations and a host of non-government agencies. At the international level, the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the Organization of American States, the United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, and many humanitarian and development organizations are involved in emergency management related issues.

EADP classes explore important theoretical debates in the field including: emergent behavior, groups and organizations; myths and evacuation behavior; the impact of the American political system on emergency management; bureaucratic planning versus problem solving approaches; differing perspectives of disasters (acts of God, technocratic, social construction); the complex and interrelated nature of the four phases of disaster; the causes of disaster vulnerability; the applicability of the incident command system to disasters; hypotheses relating to coordination; the assumptions of new disaster paradigms (resistance, resilience, sustainability, etc.); change and disasters; differing perspectives on development and its relation to disasters and the environment; etc.

The EADP program allows students to select from nearly 40 courses that pertain to disasters and emergency management. This includes core courses in the Emergency Administration and Planning Program as well as electives in business, geography, public administration, sociology, etc. Students earning an EADP degree will acquire a comprehensive education that will prepare them for the complexities of modern disasters and the increasingly-important profession of emergency management.

Internships
The EADP program requires internships for students without relevant professional work experience. Under the direction of a dedicated internship coordinator, students complete a 240 hour internship with public agencies and departments, or in the private and nonprofit sectors. If you want to read more, Click Here

Field Trips and Study Abroad
Students enrolled in EADP courses participate in field trips to various emergency management offices including FEMA Region VI headquarters, FEMA’s National Processing Service Center, the Red Cross Chapter in Dallas, the emergency operations center in Fort Worth, and Texas’ emergency operations center in Austin. These trips complement class lectures about theoretical issues, reinforce students’ understanding of emergency management concepts and operations, and provide networking opportunities in the real-world setting of emergency management. In the future, the program will explore the possibility of field trips to the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Weather Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. EADP students have also participated in Study Abroad trips to India, Mexico and Turkey.

Scholarships
The EADP program provides scholarships each year to exceptional students. These include the Tom Joslin Memorial scholarship. These scholarships provide $1000 of funding for tuition to be broken up in equal payments over the Fall and Spring semesters. If you want to read more, Click Here

IAEM-SC Student Organization
The IAEM-SC chapter at UNT was created by students interested in advancing the field of emergency management through the promotion of academic standards and the experience of practical education. IAEM-SC is a valuable networking resource and provides education and training experiences outside the regular curriculum to enhance learning and prepare them for a career in the profession.EADP students periodically have the opportunity to assist professors with research projects. Students have worked with professors to gather research materials on response coordination during the Fort Worth Tornado, administer surveys to 911 dispatch centers, and write papers on many other important topics in emergency management. Some students have published their work with EADP professors. If you want to read more, Click Here

Guest Lecturers
Besides providing a strong theoretical foundation, the EADP program also emphasizes a practical orientation. For this reason, guest lecturers from the public, private and non-profit sectors are frequently invited to participate in class lectures and discussions. These visiting speakers have provided valuable information pertaining to disaster planning, exercise design and implementation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, grant writing, hospital disaster planning, the American Red Cross, severe weather identification, tornado warning systems, wind engineering, flood plain management, hazard mitigation plans, business continuity planning, emergency operations centers, hazardous materials clean up, airport planning, disaster response and recovery operations, preparedness for terrorism and WMD, etc.

Conferences
The EADP program is involved in many conferences with topics ranging from academic debates about current theoretical approaches to practical discussions about ways to improve our efforts to prevent, prepare for, respond to or recover from disaster. Students are strongly encouraged to attend (and in some cases actively participate) in conferences such as Disaster Day Workshops that are hosted by the program and department. Students have likewise attended annual conferences sponsored by FEMA (Higher Education Workshop), professional associations (International Association of Emergency Managers), and state emergency management offices (Texas Division of Emergency Management). These conferences expand the student’s knowledge of emergency management and allow for networking opportunities with practitioners from the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Professional Networking
EADP students are frequently provided with the opportunity to network with professionals in the field in general and in their desired area of specialization. Guest lectures, field trips, internships and conferences are some of the many events and venues that allow students to interact with emergency managers and others.

Service Learning
EADP students have participated in a wide variety of service learning projects. These range from participating in disaster exercises and the updating of the University of North Texas’ emergency operations plan to actual involvement in disaster response and recovery operations. These service learning opportunities reinforce what is taught in class, provide students with additional experience and credentials, and help communities and other organizations prepare for and respond to disaster events.

Partnerships
Emergency Administration and Planning interacts frequently with numerous entities and organizations both on and off campus. The EADP program is housed in the Department of Public Administration and works closely with the College of Health and Public Service. EADP has expanded its ties to other academic programs including geography, sociology, etc. EADP has contact with officials in the Federal Emergency Management, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the American Red Cross, and local emergency management offices. Emergency Administration and Planning is also involved in the Emergency Management Association of Texas.

Information Resources
The Emergency Administration and Planning Program is intent on having sufficient resources for students to learn more about emergency management and other relevant disciplines and professions. EADP continually purchases materials for Willis library at the University of North Texas. Available emergency management journals include the Australian Journal of Emergency Management, Disaster Prevention and Management, Disasters, Environmental Hazards, International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, Journal of Civil Defense, Journal of Contingency and Crisis Management, Natural Hazards, Natural Hazards Review. Related journals are also available in Sociology and Public Administration. Books are also ordered for the library and include important works such as Disasters by Design, Living with Hazards – Dealing with Disasters, Crucibles of Hazard, Disaster-Induced Employee Evacuation, The Angry Earth, Disaster Planning and Recovery, The Gendered Terrain of Disaster, Recovering from Disaster, Development in Disaster Prone Places, etc. EADP also has its own library of manuals and training videos from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Red Cross and other disaster related organizations.

Alumni Support
EADP alumni take an active role in the program. Many graduates visit EADP classes as guest lecturers while others serve an internship hosts. Others participate in conferences sponsored by Emergency Administration and Planning and/or the Center for Public Management. If you want to read more, Click Here

EMDS faculty are nationally and internationally known for their cutting-edge research on a diverse and complex range of topics related to hazards, disasters, and emergency management.  Recent projects, for example, have examined evacuation and return entry processes, long-term community recovery, donations management, tribal preparedness, and improvisation among first responders.  Our faculty are widely published and have received significant external funding for their research from various agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the Texas Department of Public Safety.  They are also dedicated teachers who have received multiple departmental and university-wide awards for teaching excellence.

The diversity of our faculty is a major strength of EMDS.  They have been trained by leading scholars at some of the world’s most highly recognized centers and institutes devoted to advancing our knowledge of hazards and disasters and improving the profession of emergency management.  They have earned doctoral degrees in sociology, geography, public affairs, and other disaster-related disciplines.  Thus, they bring a breadth of knowledge and experience to both their research and teaching.