Bachelor of Disaster & Emergency Management

The new Bachelor of Disaster & Emergency Management (BDEM) degree program—launching September 2010— is offered as a 90-credit Bachelor, 120-credit Specialized Honours and 120-credit Honours degree program, with an Honours minor and Honours double major and major/minor options.

As a student in our program, you will gain the conceptual and analytical tools necessary to critically assess the principals and practices underpinning emergency management and prepare for a rewarding career in this rapidly growing field. Through the exploration of topics such as business continuity planning and disaster risk management, you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of how to apply key concepts, methodologies and technologies used by emergency management professionals to complex real-life challenges. You will also learn how to:

Understand how various fields - such as sociology, psychology, politics and ethics - intersect in the context of disaster and emergency management.
Gather and assess information relevant to the field and especially as it pertains to the planning, coordination, analysis and recovery of disasters and emergencies.
Apply critical thinking and analytical skills at all phases of the emergency cycle - mitigation, preparation, response and recovery.

Take advantage of experiential learning opportunities and interact with leading professionals who will provide you with a deeper insight into the field. You'll have the option to complete a field experience that will help to foster a greater understanding of the complexities and realities emergency management professionals face. You'll also learn from experienced professors, many of whom have been active in the field.

Read our program details page for more, or see below for program and admission requirements.

Program and Admission Requirements

Students in each of the various degree options are required to complete (1) a specified set of core courses and (2) a specified number of credits from a list of course options. The degree requirements are as follows:

BDEM Specialized Honours: 57 credits in the major: 39 required credits and 18 additional credits from a list of course options;
BDEM Honours: 48 credits in the major: 36 required credits and 12 additional credits from a list of course options;
90 credit BDEM: 33 credits in the major: 30 required credits and 3 additional credits from a list of course options;
BDEM Honours Minor: 33 credits in the major: 27 required credits and 6 additional credits from a list of course options.

Graduation requirements are as follows: a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 5.0 with a major GPA of 5.5 for the Honours and Specialized Honours and a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 5.0 with a major GPA of 5.0 for the 90 credit. The BDEM is designed as a professional baccalaureate degree. Similar to the BAS and the BHRM, the proponents believe for students to be successful in the profession they will require the knowledge and skills that a minimum GPA of 5.0 (90-credit) and 5.5 (Honours) denotes.

To be eligible to graduate with a major in disaster and emergency management, students in the double major degree program must have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 5.5 in the courses constituting the major in disaster and emergency management. Students will be responsible for tracking their progress and GPA in the minor for which an on-line calculator will be provided. The Academic Advisor for SAS will send an email at the end of each session to students reminding them to calculate their GPA to ensure that they are meeting the requirement of a minimum cumulative GPA of 5.5 in the major in order to graduate with the major in disaster and emergency management designation.

Language requirements are as follows:
YELT - Overall band 1-3
TOEFL - Computer: 237, Paper: 580, iBT: 95
IELTS - 7

BDEM Specialized Honours: 120 Credits

Note: Students are required to have completed 12U Advanced Functions or equivalent prior to entry to the program. Students transferring into the program must have a minimum grade point average of 5.0.

Residency: A minimum of 30 course credits and at least ½ (50%) of the course credits required in each undergraduate degree program major/minor must be taken at York University.

Minimum cumulative grade point average: Students must successfully complete the required 120 credits with a minimum overall cumulative grade point average of 5.0 and a major grade point average of 5.5.

General education requirements: 24 credits of General Education chosen from Humanities, Modes of Reasoning, Natural Science and Social Science, including a minimum of six credits in each of Humanities, Natural Science and Social Science.

Major: 57 credits including:

9 additional credits from the following:
AP/ADMS 3705 3.00 Emergency Management: Field Experience
AP/ADMS 3706 3.00 Disasters and Humans
AP/ADMS 3708 3.00 Social Issues in Disaster Management
AP/GEOG 3180 3.00 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
AP/HRM 3440 3.00 Leadership and Management Skills
AP/POLS 3195 3.00 Multi-level Gov, Policy & Prog. Delivery in Canada
ES/ENVS 3450 3.00 Environment and Health
SC/EATS 3300 3.00 Geographical Information Systems and Spatial Analysis

9 additional credits from the following:
AP/ADMS 4704 3.00 Disasters and Logistics
AP/ADMS 4705 3.00 Comprehensive Emergency Management II: The Canadian Context
AP/ADMS 4708 3.00 Research Seminar in Disaster and Emergency Management
AP/ADMS 4709 3.00 Terrorism: The New Threat
ES/ENVS 4440 3.00 Environmental Disasters
SC/EATS 4400 3.00 GIS and Data Integration

At least 12 credits in the major must be at the 4000 level.

Upper level requirement: At least 36 credits at the 3000 or 4000 level, including at least 18 credits at the 4000 level.

Required credits outside the major: 18 credits

BDEM Honours: 120 Credits

Residency: A minimum of 30 course credits and at least ½ (50%) of the course credits required in each undergraduate degree program major/minor must be taken at York University.

AP/ADMS 1000 3.00 Introduction to Administrative Studies
AP/ADMS 2700 3.00 Fundamentals of Emergency Management
AP/ADMS 2320 3.00 Quantitative Methods
AP/ADMS 2400 3.00 Introduction to Organizational Behaviour
AP/ADMS 3701 3.00 Disaster Risk Management
AP/ADMS 3702 3.00 Comprehensive Emergency Management I
AP/ADMS 3703 3.00 Business Continuity Planning
AP/ADMS 3704 3.00 Emergency Management Communications
AP/ADMS 3707 3.00 Ethics: Society, the Environment and Disasters
AP/ADMS 4421 3.00 Qualitative Methods
SC/EATS 1410 6.00 Natural, Technological and Human Induced Disasters

3 additional credits from the following:
AP/ADMS 3705 3.00 Emergency Management: Field Experience
AP/ADMS 3706 3.00 Disasters and Humans
AP/ADMS 3708 3.00 Social Issues in Disaster Management
AP/GEOG 3180 3.00 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
AP/HRM 3440 3.00 Leadership and Management Skills
AP/POLS 3195 3.00 Multi-level Gov, Policy & Prog. Delivery in Canada
ES/ENVS 3450 3.00 Environment and Health
SC/EATS 3300 3.00 Geographical Information Systems and Spatial Analysis

9 additional credits from the following:
AP/ADMS 4704 3.00 Disasters and Logistics
AP/ADMS 4705 3.00 Comprehensive Emergency Management II: The Canadian Context
AP/ADMS 4708 3.00 Research Seminar in Disaster and Emergency Management
AP/ADMS 4709 3.00 Terrorism: The New Threat
ES/ENVS 4440 3.00 Environmental Disasters
SC/EATS 4400 3.00 GIS and Data Integration

At least 12 credits in the major must be at the 4000 level.

Upper level requirement: At least 36 credits at the 3000 or 4000 level, including at least 18 credits at the 4000 level.

Required credits outside the major: 18 credits

BDEM Honours Double Major

The Honours BDEM program described above may be pursued jointly with approved Honours Double Major degree programs in the Faculties of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Environmental Studies, Fine Arts, Faculty of Health or Faculty of Science and Engineering. For further details on requirements, refer to the listings for specific Honours programs that may be pursued jointly with other Faculties. Students wishing to combine a major in disaster and emergency management with a major in another discipline or field of study must follow the requirements below. [This Honours option does not include a stream.] Note: In a double major program, a course may count only once toward major credit.

Note: Students are required to have completed 12U Advanced Functions or equivalent prior to entry to the program. Major: 48 credits including:

9 additional credits from the following:
AP/ADMS 4704 3.00 Disasters and Logistics
AP/ADMS 4705 3.00 Comprehensive Emergency Management II: The Canadian Context
AP/ADMS 4708 3.00 Research Seminar in Disaster and Emergency Management
AP/ADMS 4709 3.00 Terrorism: The New Threat
ES/ENVS 4440 3.00 Environmental Disasters
SC/EATS 4400 3.00 GIS and Data Integration

At least 12 credits in the major must be at the 4000 level.

Upper level requirement: At least 36 credits at the 3000 or 4000 level, including at least 18 credits at the 4000 level.

BDEM Honours Major/Minor

The Honours program BDEM described above may be pursued jointly with approved Honours Minor degree programs in the Faculties of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Environmental Studies, Fine Arts, Faculty of Health or Faculty of Science and Engineering. For further details on requirements, refer to the listings for specific Honours programs that may be pursued jointly with other Faculties. Students wishing to combine a major in disaster and emergency management with a minor in another discipline or field of study must follow the requirements below. [This Honours option does not include a stream]. Note: In a major/minor program, a course may count only once toward major credit or minor credit.

Note: Students are required to have completed 12U Advanced Functions or equivalent prior to entry to the program.

Major: 48 credits including:
AP/ADMS 1000 3.00 Introduction to Administrative Studies
AP/ADMS 2700 3.00 Fundamentals of Emergency Management
AP/ADMS 2320 3.00 Quantitative Methods
AP/ADMS 2400 3.00 Introduction to Organizational Behaviour
AP/ADMS 3701 3.00 Disaster Risk Management
AP/ADMS 3702 3.00 Comprehensive Emergency Management I
AP/ADMS 3703 3.00 Business Continuity Planning
AP/ADMS 3704 3.00 Emergency Management Communications
AP/ADMS 3707 3.00 Ethics: Society, the Environment and Disasters
AP/ADMS 4421 3.00 Qualitative Methods
SC/EATS 1410 6.00 Natural, Technological and Human Induced Disasters

3 additional credits from the following:
AP/ADMS 3705 3.00 Emergency Management: Field Experience
AP/ADMS 3706 3.00 Disasters and Humans
AP/ADMS 3708 3.00 Social Issues in Disaster Management
AP/GEOG 3180 3.00 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
AP/HRM 3440 3.00 Leadership and Management Skills
AP/POLS 3195 3.00 Multi-level Gov, Policy & Prog. Delivery in Canada
ES/ENVS 3450 3.00 Environment and Health
SC/EATS 3300 3.00 Geographical Information Systems and Spatial Analysis

At least 12 credits in the major must be at the 4000 level.

Upper level requirement: At least 36 credits at the 3000 or 4000 level, including at least 18 credits at the 4000 level.

BDEM Honours Minor

The BDEM Honours Minor in Disaster and Emergency Management may be pursued jointly with any Honours Major degree program offered by the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Fine Arts, Faculty of Health or Faculty of Science and Engineering that offers a major/minor option. Students must complete 33 credits in the minor and at least 6 credits must be at the 4000 level.

Note: Students are required to have completed 12U Advanced Functions or equivalent prior to entry to the program.

Minor: 33 credits including:

AP/ADMS 1000 3.00 Introduction to Administrative Studies
AP/ADMS 2700 3.00 Fundamentals of Emergency Management
AP/ADMS 3701 3.00 Disaster Risk Management
AP/ADMS 3702 3.00 Comprehensive Emergency Management I
AP/ADMS 3703 3.00 Business Continuity Planning
AP/ADMS 3704 3.00 Emergency Management Communications
AP/ADMS 3707 3.00 Ethics: Society, the Environment and Disasters
SC/EATS 1410 6.00 Natural, Technological and Human Induced Disasters

6 additional credits from the following:
AP/ADMS 4421 3.00 Qualitative Methods
AP/ADMS 4704 3.00 Disasters and Logistics
AP/ADMS 4705 3.00 Comprehensive Emergency Management II: The Canadian Context
AP/ADMS 4709 3.00 Terrorism: The New Threat
ES/ENVS 4440 3.00 Environmental Disasters