Master of Science in Emergency Management

The Master of Science in Emergency Management program prepares graduates with the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to lead the diverse range of organizations facing complex problems and fast-paced rates of change.

The University of New England is accredited by New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

The Master of Science in Emergency Management consists of twelve (12) courses (thirty-six (36) graduate credit hours) that prepare graduates with foundational, specialized, and technology skills that align with the core responsibilities found in relevant job postings for positions within the emergency management and response industry. These skills include: people management, budget management, operational strategy, quality assurance/control, project management, communication skills, teamwork/collaboration, planning, systematic inquiry, problem solving, and the technologies facilitating these skills.

MINIMUM GRADE POINT AVERAGE

Matriculated graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) or better. Failure to do so will result in academic probation and possible termination from the program. Any student receiving a grade below B- on any individual course has failed that course must re-enroll and repeat the course to achieve a grade of B- or better. Students receiving a grade of F in any course will be immediately placed on academic probation. Any student who receives a grade of F in two (2) or more courses is dismissed from the program.

GRADUATION

Candidates must fulfill all program requirements and are required to earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 to be eligible to graduate. All students must file an Application to Graduate with the registrar’s office via U-Online. Please access the following link for complete instructions and the answers to frequently asked questions: www.une.edu/registrar/graduation.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 p.m. of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean’s Office. 

COURSE WITHDRAWAL POLICY

Add/Drop Period

A student may add or drop a course during the time frames published on the UNE Academic Calendar. Courses dropped during the add/drop period will not appear on a student’s official transcript.

Course Withdrawal Period

A student may withdraw from a course after the add/drop period has ended through the designated withdrawal deadline, which is approximately at the 60% point of the course's length. The withdrawal period for each semester and session is published on the UNE Academic Calendar.

Grade for the Course Withdrawal

A course withdrawal during the withdrawal period results in a grade of W, which will appear on a student’s official transcript. The grade of W is awarded only if a student has submitted a completed Course Withdrawal Form to the Registrar’s Office by the deadline. A W grade does not impact the term or cumulative GPA.

Consultation Before a Course Withdrawal

Before deciding to withdraw from a course, students must consult their Program/Academic Director and are encouraged to discuss the situation with the instructor. 

International students must obtain the approval of the Office of Global Education, as withdrawals may affect visa status.

Students are strongly urged to consult with Student Financial Services, as course withdrawals may affect financial aid or Veterans benefits. 

Course Withdrawal Process

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must submit a Course Withdrawal Form, signed by their Program/Academic Director and Office of Global Education (if applicable), to the Registrar’s Office before the Course Withdrawal deadline.

Ceasing to attend classes or notifying the instructor does not constitute an official withdrawal.

Late Withdrawal

Requests to withdraw from a course after the withdrawal period will only be considered in extreme circumstances. To request a late withdrawal, a student must consult with their Program/Academic Director and submit a completed Academic Petition stating the extenuating circumstances and a letter of support from an advisor, faculty member, or Program/Academic Director to the College’s Dean’s Office offering the course for consideration. 

If approved, a W grade will appear on the transcript, not impacting the GPA calculations.

Late withdrawal petitions must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the last day of the class.

Note: All deadlines, procedures, and policies related to course withdrawal are subject to the guidelines specified on the UNE Academic Calendar.

UNIVERSITY WITHDRAWAL

All matriculated students who wish to withdraw from the University must complete notification documentation available from the Registrar’s Office. Documentation must be signed by designated academic and administrative services.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE (ACADEMIC STOP OUT)

Students may stop out of their program for up to two (2) semesters. Students need to coordinate stop outs in advance with their assigned student support specialist, and stop out time is considered part of the time allotted to complete the academic program. Application for readmission is not necessary if the student returns as planned. However, the student who does not return at the specified time or who exceeds two (2) semesters of stop out will be administratively withdrawn and will be subject to readmission procedures. Readmitted students are subject to the re-admittance term’s catalog (this may mean that policies and/or program requirements have been changed or updated since previous admission, and should be reviewed for potential impact on degree requirements, time to complete the degree, and degree planning).

Note: It is the responsibility of the student to contact the Student Support Specialist and Student Financial Services to indicate a change of plans; stop out time can affect financial aid eligibility and repayment.

AUDIT POLICY

A student may, with prior consent of the Program Director or designee, enroll in a course for an audit grade (AU). This must be requested at the time of registration for the course and must be accompanied by signed approval of the instructor and Program Director or designee. This applies to both matriculated and non-matriculated students. Reversal or change of an audit grade is not possible. Once enrolled for AU the grade becomes permanent on a student's academic record. The student who wishes later to be graded for such a course must re-enroll in and pay for graded credit. In auditing a course, the student is expected to complete all lectures and discussion boards, but is not permitted to submit coursework for evaluation, take examinations, receive grades, or earn credit. Auditing a course does not count toward enrollment status (i.e. part-time, full-time, etc.) and therefore cannot be considered for financial aid purposes, veteran's benefits, etc.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
• Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
• Action that destroys or alters the work of another student.
• Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one (1) course without permission of each instructor.
• Plagiarism is the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. The appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in The College of Professional Studies Student Handbook.

OFFICE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The Student Access Center works to ensure that the University promotes respect for individual differences and that no person who meets the academic and technical standards needed for admission and continued enrollment at UNE is denied benefits or subjected to discrimination due to a disability. Toward this end, and in conjunction with federal and state laws, the University provides reasonable accommodations for qualified students.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Experiential learning is highly valued by The College of Professional Studies. Many courses within the College feature experiential learning components. However, at this time, no credit will be awarded to students for purely experiential learning experiences undertaken in place of coursework

At the conclusion of the program, the student will be able to:

Mitigation

• Describe the capabilities of various local, state, federal and tribal organizations that can assist in all four (4) phases of emergency management (Learning Outcome 1 – LO1).
• Evaluate community vulnerabilities in order to establish engineering controls and code enforcement (LO2).

Preparedness

• Critically appraise grant and federal/state funding processes to address multiple phases surrounding pre and post-event disaster management (LO3).
• Conduct a hazard risk assessment and SWOT analysis to determine organizational/regional preparedness and training activities (LO4).
• Appraise the impact of climate change-related disasters regarding infrastructure, public health, and economic concerns (LO5).

Response

• Successfully coordinate an organization's response to a disaster (LO6).
• Design recommendations to regional, state, or federal officials regarding emergency response action/orders (LO7).
• Assess appropriate proactive and real-time responses to cyberthreat identification (LO8).

Recovery

• Establish defined transition criteria from recovery completion to the start of mitigation processes (LO9).
• Compile information to complete a State disaster declaration, Stafford Act grant, or Presidential disaster declaration (LO10).

TRANSFER CREDIT

Upon acceptance, students may apply to transfer up to three (3) courses (maximum of nine (9) credits) into the Master of Healthcare Administration program.

To request consideration for transfer credit, a student must provide an official transcript and a course syllabus for each course. Transfer credit is awarded at the discretion of The College of Professional Studies based on specific program details listed below. Requests for approval of transfer credit should be submitted to and will be granted at the discretion of the Program Director.

Transfer courses must:

• Be classified as graduate level
• Have been taken within five (5) years of application
• Have been completed with a grade of B or better
• Be worth three (3) credits
• Be equivalent to one (1) of the required program courses or an elective course that meets the goals of the student’s education

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• A bachelor’s degree or above from a regionally accredited institution or its equivalent. See International Admissions for details regarding evaluation of international degrees for grade and degree equivalency.
• Applications are reviewed holistically as a determination of academic readiness. The admissions committee values previous academic performance as indicated on transcripts and considers it as part of the review process.
• Computer with an internet connection, including the hardware and software requirements described in our Technical Requirements. Must also possess sufficient computer skills to navigate the internet as all classes are accessed 100% online.

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Completed online application: http://go.une.edu/apply
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Goal Statement / Writing Sample
• Two (2) professional/academic references
• Official transcripts reflecting conferral of a bachelor’s degree or above from a regionally accredited institution

Note: Transcripts for any coursework appearing as transfer credit on the transcript of the conferred degree can be waived if the coursework is unrelated to the degree being sought. The program admissions committee defines all coursework not eligible for waiver.

PROCEDURES AND POLICIES

• Applications for admission are accepted through UNE’s online application only. Detailed instructions are included in the online application.
• Official transcripts, as well as other documents to support the application, must be submitted to the College of Professional Studies, either electronically or sent to 716 Stevens Ave, Portland, ME, 04103.
• International applicants and applicants with international degrees must have their transcripts evaluated for degree and grade equivalency to that of a regionally accredited US institution. See International Admissions.
• All applicants to UNE must be able to understand and communicate in English to be admitted to the university. UNE accepts several methods of English Proficiency, see International Admissions.
• If an applicant cannot prove English Proficiency in another way, scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are required and must be submitted as a part of the completed application.
• All materials submitted as part of the application become the property of UNE and will not be returned or released to anyone, including the applicant. This policy includes letters of reference, primary and secondary applications, personal statements, transcripts, and other supporting materials.

For additional information on the admissions process and requirements, please visit the Master of Science in Emergency Management webpage.

POLICY EXCEPTIONS

The Master of Science in Emergency Management Program and the Emergency Management Admissions Committee in collaboration with the College of Professional Studies reserve the right to make exceptions to the admissions criteria and to make changes or exceptions to policies and procedures, on a case-by-case basis, when it deems such a decision is necessary and appropriate.

TUITION AND FEES

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.