| Location | Email Address | Program Website |
|---|---|---|
| 282 Atkinson Building | mdemgpa@yorku.ca | dem.gradstudies.yorku.ca |
The Master in Disaster & Emergency Management is a unique program developed in response to the growing recognition of the urgent need for graduate level education in this new and important field. Business, industry, government and non-profit sectors increasingly recognize the necessity of having better educated planners and policy makers at senior levels who can bring to bear a sophisticated analytical perspective informed by current research.
The program takes both a theoretical and problem-oriented approach to Disaster & Emergency Management, exploring beyond simple cause and effect models to consider the complex interactions between environmental, social and technological systems. Students acquire the knowledge and understanding needed to pursue and enter a career in the field of disaster management, or to engage in more advanced studies. Studying on either a full-time or part-time basis in a flexible program that allows the pursuit of students’ own areas of special interest, they learn from an impressive group of academics with expertise in areas like environmental risks and management, natural hazards, business continuity, emergency planning, decision-making, leadership, public health, humanitarianism, crisis management, war, and complex emergencies.
The program is intended for those with an academic background in emergency and disaster management as well as those aspiring to become disaster and emergency management professionals. It is designed to build on a student’s existing foundational knowledge to develop knowledge needed for mid to senior level emergency managers. For applicants with nonstandard qualifications, opportunities exist to acquire this foundational knowledge before beginning the program.
The Graduate Program in Disaster & Emergency Management can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.
Admission Requirements
Master in Disaster & Emergency Management Program
To be considered for admission into York’s Master in Disaster & Emergency Management program, candidates must have:
1. an Honours undergraduate degree program in Emergency Management or equivalent (typically a four-year full-time program) from an accredited post-secondary institution with a minimum grade point average of B+ in the final two years of study.
OR,
2. an Honours undergraduate degree program or equivalent (typically a four-year full-time program) from an accredited post-secondary institution with a minimum grade point average of B+ in the final two years of study with at least one of the following:
a) certificate in the area of emergency management from a recognized university or a recognized professional granting body, with a minimum grade point average of B+;
b) completion of a post-graduate College certificate in Emergency Management with a minimum grade point average of A from a recognized College program;
c) completion of the following core undergraduate courses in emergency management offered by York University with a grade of no less than B+ in any course: Atkinson/Administration Studies 2700 3.0: Fundamentals of Emergency Management; Atkinson/Administration Studies 3701 3.0: Emergency Management: Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment; and Atkinson/Administration Studies 3702 3.0: Emergency Management: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Recovery or the equivalent;
d) successful completion of a comprehensive exam on emergency management fundamentals administered by the Graduate Program in Disaster & Emergency Management;
e) successful completion of the Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Administrative Studies Bridging 4799 0.0: “Short Course on Disaster & Emergency Management”; and/or,
f) extensive experience in the emergency management field as assessed by the graduate admissions committee of the Disaster & Emergency Management program.
The graduate program admissions committee may recommend applicants to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for admission on condition that they complete specified courses in emergency management at the undergraduate level.
Proof of language proficiency is required for applicants who do not meet one of the following criteria:
1. their first language is English; OR
2. they have completed at least two years of full-time study at an accredited university in a country (or institution) where English is
the official language of instruction.
Applicants must submit a statement of intent outlining their interests and career goals in relation to a proposed area of study (approximately 500 words), two letters of recommendation and a résumé.