Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

William L. Waugh, Jr., Faculty Advisor

The Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management is intended to provide professional education for students preparing for careers in emergency management and practitioners seeking to broaden their knowledge and skills in this field. The certificate provides a professional credential for emergency managers preparing to apply for the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) program; emergency responders and public health personnel needing to know how their professions fit into the national, state, and local emergency management systems; administrators in educational, business, and other settings where a knowledge of emergency management policies and programs may be needed; and students preparing for academic careers teaching emergency management or related courses.

The course requirements are designed to satisfy most of the educational requirements of the Certified Emergency Manager program administered by the International Association of Emergency Managers. Students in the M.P.A., M.S. in Urban Policy Studies, or joint Ph.D. in Public Policy programs may choose either disaster management as a career track or specialization and earn the certificate while they complete degree requirements.

Atlanta is home to a number of large emergency management agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Region IV office; the Georgia Emergency Management Agency; the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency; several large international humanitarian organizations, including CARE-USA and the International Rescue Committee; numerous nonprofit agencies that deal with disasters, including the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army; and numerous public safety and emergency response agencies. Students without professional work experience in the field are strongly encouraged to complete an internship with one of these agencies.

Regulations for the Certificate Program

1. Application.

   All Graduate Certificate students will be required to be admitted as master's students. The application procedures, regulations, and policies given in the master's degree section apply to all certificate students. The time limit for completing the certificate program is three years from the term of entry.

2. Required Courses:

       PAUS 8271    Disaster Management
       PAUS 8281    Disaster Relief and Recovery

3. Elective Courses (Choose any 2 from the following):

       PAUS 8021    Urban Planning Planning
       PAUS 8371    Environmental Policy, Planning, and Evaluation
       PAUS 8561    GIS Applications to Planning and Policy Analysis
       ECON 8320    Environmental and Natural Resource Economics and Policy
   

4. Awarding of the Certificate.

   After completing the requirements for the certificate according to these regulations, the student must make a written request to the Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies to have the certificate awarded. The request and an official GSU transcript must be sent to the departmental coordinator. The faculty advisor then reviews the student's record. If all requirements have been met, the certificate, signed by the Certificate Program Coordinator and the Chair of the Department, will be issued to the student.

Download the certificate procedures forms.