Professional Studies Emergency Disaster Management (MPDM)
MPDM 5000 Ethics Critical Dec Making 3 Credits
The Ethics course is a core course in all Georgetown SCS MPS programs. Students are introduced to ethical methodologies, principles, values, and frameworks as related to the processes of risk assessment, vulnerability assessment, and consequence prediction and management. Students study discipline- and field-specific codes of ethics within the profession. The course explores the ethical responsibilities all disaster management professionals have to themselves, organizations, the government, and the public. Students will apply an ethical decision-making framework and gain experience in decision-making surrounding ethical issues in disaster management with an all-hazards perspective including aspects of public health engagement. Discussions include ethical situations based on past and current real-world scenarios, including the uncertainty, probability, and consequences of risk assessment and communication, with topic discussions focusing on the ethical issues facing emergency managers. During their final project, students codify an individual code of ethics in relation to professional codes.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPDM 5600 Theory Legal Framework 3 Credits
This course will provide the disaster risk management student with an advanced All-Hazards preparedness view of the complexities of emergency management and disaster response, from local, state, and international/ global perspectives. It grounds students in the historical context and rapidly changing factors impacting Global and U.S. emergency management practices, including theoretical concepts (such as risk, hazard, sustainability, resilience, disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation), legal structures, the risk assessment community and their skill sets and core competencies. Students understand the evolution of the emergency management system, environmental public health systems (and opportunity for integration), and public expectations, perceptions, and engagement. By the end of this course, students will demonstrate how to respond to historical and hypothetical scenarios by applying knowledge of hazards, public health considerations, community readiness, and regulations.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
MPDM 5610 Project Mgmt Budgeting 3 Credits
Disaster management professionals must learn how to develop all-hazards preparedness plans addressing multiple types of emergencies and disasters (including natural disasters, terrorist attacks, public health emergencies, and technological disasters). This course equips students with the knowledge and tools they need to successfully execute project management techniques and thereby perform efficient planning and response activities. Students will practice competent risk assessment and risk communication processes with ethical project management strategies. This course also teaches students how emergency management programs fit into the strategic/fiscal plans and priorities of governments and organizations. Furthermore, students learn how to develop and manage a budget and how to create a realistic fiscal plan for high consequence/low probability events. By the end of the course, students will be able to advocate for the importance of prevention, mitigation, and financial preparedness in emergency and disaster management.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
MPDM 5620 Risk Perception Awareness 3 Credits
In this course, students develop the skills to successfully communicate with various stakeholders concerning disaster preparedness and management. Particular emphasis is given to the awareness of risk perception, and its subsequent effects on risk tolerance and hazard mitigation.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
MPDM 5630 GIS for EDM 3 Credits
This course is for emergency and disaster management students interested in learning the many facets of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for emergency management. The unfortunate reality is that emergencies and disasters will continue to proliferate in size, scope, and intensity. More people in diverse geographical contexts will be affected by future emergencies. Given that emergencies are fundamentally spatial in nature, GIS plays a critical role in emergency management. In this course you will learn the conceptual, technological, analytical and representational capacities of GIS as as they apply to the policy and practice of emergency management.
Note that this course is not a comprehensive GIS software training course. Rather, the course has been designed to give you ideas and examples that will show you what GIS is capable of doing for emergency management. You will learn basic geographic data and software skills in order to begin using GIS for emergency management applications. This course will prepare you for further in depth course work on GIS as a standalone subject and/or the application of GIS to your specific emergency management interests.
Note that this course is not a comprehensive GIS software training course. Rather, the course has been designed to give you ideas and examples that will show you what GIS is capable of doing for emergency management. You will learn basic geographic data and software skills in order to begin using GIS for emergency management applications. This course will prepare you for further in depth course work on GIS as a standalone subject and/or the application of GIS to your specific emergency management interests.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
MPDM 5925 Methods for EDHU Crisis Mgmt 3 Credits
The emergency and disaster management discipline is increasingly faced with complexity--complexity in crisis situations, politics and policy, social vulnerability and resilience, community perceptions of risk, and more. These complexities can be addressed by collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data and results, and it is important to understand the different research approaches available to researchers and knowledge practitioners. It’s also important to understand the different philosophical assumptions and interpretive foundations that frame our understanding. This course explores quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research approaches, drawing on the interdisciplinary literature that emergency and disaster management draws from. Students will conduct critical evaluations of research design and dissemination, and construct a research proposal for a topic of their choice. This course also explores the many ethical considerations taken when conducting research in the emergency and disaster management discipline.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPDM 6530 Resilient Urban Systems 3 Credits
This seminar explores how are concepts of urban resiliency inform urban planning decisions with an emphasis on urban infrastructure and systems. Students develop proficiency in systems thinking in order to critically explore how urban infrastructure systems are defined, conceived, delivered and maintained. A review of best practice case studies introduces concepts of urban resiliency which directly inform the contemporary debate on urban infrastructure. Topics include new urban challenges associated with climate change, such as sea-level rise, storm events, flooding and coastal inundation, among many others.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 6640 Natural Hazards Disasters 3 Credits
This course explores natural hazards and the multidimensional aspects surrounding these events that result in disaster. Students will gain an understanding of the underlying physical processes behind hazards, the socioeconomic characteristics that manufacture risk and result in disproportionate impacts on communities, and potential mitigation, response, and recovery strategies. Coincident with case studies and readings on the underlying processes of hazards, the course will explore the topic of societal vulnerability and resilience. Students will learn through case studies, policy readings, and academic literature. Students will apply their knowledge by evaluating best practices and applying the theoretical frameworks covered throughout the course.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 6650 WMD Terrorism 3 Credits
This course introduces the students to the emergency management aspects of a terrorist attack. A range of scenarios will be examined, including the challenges associated with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive hazards. Students will look at the planning challenges from preparedness through to recovery, with comparative analysis to natural disasters to determine the different requirements. Particular focus will be given to real world examples where possible. Terrorism & WMD requires students to examine the elements of a coordinated, multi-jurisdictional, multi-discipline response. When planning against such high impact-low probability scenarios students will explore horizon scanning for threats and countermeasures, risk communication and the use of ICT to support planning and decision making.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 6660 Internat Humanitaria Disasters 3 Credits
Over the past few decades the humanitarian sector has gone through an extensive transformation. The world in which we operate has changed dramatically as well, which will be central to future changes. From a sub-sector of disaster relief to a billion-dollar humanitarian assistance industry, the work has grown and now crosses many sectors and influences international agendas and geopolitics.
One of the reasons for growth is that our understanding of needs and assistance has grown and become more nuanced. More effective techniques for identifying, preventing, responding to and recovering from crises are available. Unfortunately, as capabilities have expanded, so have the needs of affected populations. Yet the funding to address these needs and prevent future crises is becoming more limited. Innovation and more efficient systems will help but cannot fill the existing gap. Nor can incremental program changes address the challenges that are anticipated to impact our world. Revising best practices is not enough, further transformation is needed.
This class will challenge students to examine the ways in which the work environment is changing and what this means for international humanitarian action, with a special focus on disasters. It is not an operational instruction course, but rather a survey class to introduce students to a broad range of issues and research. Students will gain an understanding of the current humanitarian system and its limitations in addressing crises. Students will explore a cross-section of disaster management systems in other countries, the impacts of conflict and climate, the United States’ Government’s changing role, and a range of topical challenges that face leaders at multiple levels.
One of the reasons for growth is that our understanding of needs and assistance has grown and become more nuanced. More effective techniques for identifying, preventing, responding to and recovering from crises are available. Unfortunately, as capabilities have expanded, so have the needs of affected populations. Yet the funding to address these needs and prevent future crises is becoming more limited. Innovation and more efficient systems will help but cannot fill the existing gap. Nor can incremental program changes address the challenges that are anticipated to impact our world. Revising best practices is not enough, further transformation is needed.
This class will challenge students to examine the ways in which the work environment is changing and what this means for international humanitarian action, with a special focus on disasters. It is not an operational instruction course, but rather a survey class to introduce students to a broad range of issues and research. Students will gain an understanding of the current humanitarian system and its limitations in addressing crises. Students will explore a cross-section of disaster management systems in other countries, the impacts of conflict and climate, the United States’ Government’s changing role, and a range of topical challenges that face leaders at multiple levels.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 6670 Socio-Cultural Dimensions 3 Credits
This course focuses on the many ways in which socio-cultural features of a community may impact different aspects of disaster planning, response, and recovery. Students learn to integrate these considerations into the planning process and how to incorporate considerations for vulnerable populations. This course also teaches students to recognize and plan for socio-cultural and/or geo-political sensitivities while minimizing unintended social or health consequences.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPDM 6690 Hazard Mitigation Planning 3 Credits
Hazard mitigation is vital in enhancing community resilience and sustainability by reducing the risks from natural and anthropogenic hazards. This course explores the theories and concepts of hazard mitigation, with particular attention paid to planning and the planning process employed to develop hazard mitigation plans. Students will become familiar with the legal and policy frameworks around hazard mitigation, the plan documents themselves, and the importance of critically evaluating plans in order to identify opportunities and constraints in implementing mitigation. Coincident with case studies and readings, students will apply their knowledge through online discussions, evaluating hazard mitigation plans, and developing a mock mitigation plan.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPDM 6700 Hazard Economics 3 Credits
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the multi-scalar and multi-dimensional economic aspects of natural and anthropogenic hazards. The course explores hazard economics prior, during, and after a disaster in both the US and across the globe. Topics of discussion include hazard-specific economic impacts and losses, insurance and policies related to risk, the moral hazards of disaster relief, business continuity, critical infrastructure, climate change, and more. Students will gain an understanding of hazard economics through case studies, peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed literature, discussions with their peers, and research centered around an economic aspect within the emergency and disaster management field.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the MPS-PRSE-O or NDGD-PRSE-O programs.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 6710 Advanced GIS 3 Credits
Reducing the impacts of future disasters requires a comprehensive understanding of disaster risk in all its dimensions including vulnerability, capacity, exposure, hazard characteristics and the environment. Understanding how to measure and communicate disaster risk is a core principle for both global disaster risk reduction. Through all phases of disaster management, GIS provides tools and methods to examine and anticipate hazards and risks, protect lifelines, and enhance resilience, while helping to illustrate complex information to improve decision making. Risk analysis provides the factual basis for hazard mitigation planning and disaster risk reduction activities. In this course, students will learn fundamental concepts, tools, and methodologies for applied GIS analysis and visualization of hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities. The first half of the course provides a hand-on tutorial of ArcGIS Pro, a powerful and industry-leading software for geospatial analysis. Students will benefit from lab assignments and project-based exercises, coupled with readings. The course integrates perspectives from contemporary literature in the physical and social sciences to identify and describe risk, vulnerability, and disaster resilience with empirical data and real-world examples. Students will apply their understanding of course concepts and methods in a semester- long, iterative final project in which they develop a GIS data and analysis to support practical, evidence-based decision-making for emergency and disaster management.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 6720 Public Health Emeg. Mgmt 3 Credits
This course investigates the role of public health and emergency management professionals in planning for and responding to public health (PH) emergencies. Topics covered include: public health law, public health preparedness and response, pandemics/outbreak detection and response, the impact of natural and manmade disasters on community health, disaster epidemiology (post-disaster disease spread), and the psychosocial impact of disasters.
This course also provides perspectives on managing PH emergencies in the developing and “Third” world as well as “First World” environments. Case studies of recent events will be explored as well as analysis of historical public health crises such as Katrina, SARS, H1N1, COVID-19, and major earthquakes/tsunamis. Cases will highlight the challenges that complex disasters have on the health of communities and how these health issues further complicate emergency management efforts.
This course also provides perspectives on managing PH emergencies in the developing and “Third” world as well as “First World” environments. Case studies of recent events will be explored as well as analysis of historical public health crises such as Katrina, SARS, H1N1, COVID-19, and major earthquakes/tsunamis. Cases will highlight the challenges that complex disasters have on the health of communities and how these health issues further complicate emergency management efforts.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 6730 Climate Change 3 Credits
The climate is changing, and humans are a main cause. The impacts of climate change will shift the frequency, intensity, duration, and spatial extent of extreme weather events we have seen in the past. However, planning efforts to adapt to climate change and build resilience are still in their early stages. The role of emergency management and disaster risk reduction is often described in the field as critical to efforts to adapt to climate change - yet few communities are successfully demonstrating what it looks like to have emergency and disaster management fully engaged in climate mitigation and preparedness.
The fundamental science behind climate change is well-established, however, uncertainties about both human behavior and downscaling to the time horizon of extreme events will never make perfect climate prediction possible. There are many aspects of resilience that can be improved despite this challenge, and climate science continues to evolve its best practices for using physical and social science to support decisions that require greater precision, including the design of infrastructure. Communities that are successfully planning for climate change are moving past debates on science to equitable engagement that facilitates knowledge sharing across the silos of planning, hazard mitigation, public works, public finance, public health, ecosystem management, and economic development. There is tremendous potential for the perspectives of emergency and disaster management to inform this dialogue and sustain learning for adaptation and resilience building, but this will require transformative approaches that bridge the traditional timescales of EDM, focused on past events, with those of planning, which acknowledge that the weather patterns of yesterday are not the weather patterns of tomorrow.
This class will challenge students to examine how emergency managers and others involved in disaster risk reduction can engage with adapting to and mitigating the consequences of climate change at the local, state, federal, and international levels. It is not an operational instruction course, but rather a survey class intended to introduce students to a broad range of issues, practical research, and the state of practice.
The fundamental science behind climate change is well-established, however, uncertainties about both human behavior and downscaling to the time horizon of extreme events will never make perfect climate prediction possible. There are many aspects of resilience that can be improved despite this challenge, and climate science continues to evolve its best practices for using physical and social science to support decisions that require greater precision, including the design of infrastructure. Communities that are successfully planning for climate change are moving past debates on science to equitable engagement that facilitates knowledge sharing across the silos of planning, hazard mitigation, public works, public finance, public health, ecosystem management, and economic development. There is tremendous potential for the perspectives of emergency and disaster management to inform this dialogue and sustain learning for adaptation and resilience building, but this will require transformative approaches that bridge the traditional timescales of EDM, focused on past events, with those of planning, which acknowledge that the weather patterns of yesterday are not the weather patterns of tomorrow.
This class will challenge students to examine how emergency managers and others involved in disaster risk reduction can engage with adapting to and mitigating the consequences of climate change at the local, state, federal, and international levels. It is not an operational instruction course, but rather a survey class intended to introduce students to a broad range of issues, practical research, and the state of practice.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 6760 Post Disaster Recovery 3 Credits
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 6800 Global Health Crisis Manage 3 Credits
This course examines current issues and challenges of global health, with a focus on analyzing and responding to global health challenges and international policies. Analysis of national and transnational health trends, including communicable and non-communicable disease burdens. The course introduces essential concepts, principles, and goals of global health and the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to addressing global health problems. It will then analyze the different social, political, and economic determinants of health disparities across the globe. Students will apply these concepts to current and emerging global health priorities such as climate change and how to effectively manage future pandemics and crises. Throughout the course, students will gain critical thinking experience in applying tools and frameworks towards addressing diverse global health needs.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 6900 EDM Int’l Field Study 3 Credits
This course will provide students with an academic experience that allows them to apply classroom theoretical concepts in a real world practical application environment. The course will assist in evolving skills in all four continuous areas of emergency and disaster management developing knowledge in mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery through an immersive learning environment. Further, this course provides students the opportunity to engage directly with cross-culturally expert Emergency and Disaster Managers across the field site and the globe to better understand the opportunities and constraints that challenge the EDM field. A particular emphasis of the course will be resilience enhancing strategies that serve to reduce the overall impact of emergency and disaster management events. Course locations are specific to the semester; details are provided via the course notes.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPDM 6977 Humanitarian Logistics 3 Credits
This course examines the supply chain challenges and strategies that are inherent in humanitarian relief efforts. Areas covered include both surge efforts (e.g., emergency and disaster response) as well as ongoing efforts (e.g., international relief and development projects). Students also examine the role and management of factors such as governments, NGOs, beneficiaries, infrastructure, donations, temporary structures, and country-specific conditions. The course demonstrates the importance of coordinating communications and efforts amongst stakeholders for maximum effectiveness.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.
MPDM 7066 Emergency and Disaster Communi 3 Credits
During a natural disaster, mass terror, or another catastrophic event, effective communication is key to ensuring stakeholders get the most accurate information quickly and efficiently and to guide crisis response. This said, the heightened reaction times and immediacy to resolve such events can create barriers between activated teams, especially emergency disaster management technicians and communication professionals. Through these interdisciplinary, team-taught course students will develop the necessary skills to craft, execute, and facilitate messaging during high-stress and high-impact events that affect human life. Students can expect to gain leadership skills that will strengthen and streamline communication between key emergency players, practice role playing emergency scenarios, draft critical documents, and work with the media to ensure both speed and accuracy. This will provide the opportunity for students to understand traditional gaps in the crisis communication management and provide them the techniques to minimize these crisis management inhibiting challenges.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 7949 Tutorial 3 Credits
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 7950 EDM Internship 3 Credits
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the MPS-PRSE or MPS-PRSE-O programs.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
MPDM 7990 Capstone 3 Credits
This course is primarily focused on the culminating project required to graduate with the Masters of Emergency & Disaster Management degree from Georgetown University. The Capstone course is designed to guide students through the process of integrating the knowledge gained during their EDM coursework into the final requirement of their degree—the Capstone project. The class will assess a student’s ability to conduct research and apply their knowledge to a real-world problem or to a specific issue within the field.
For their Capstone project, students will utilize research skills to identify a topic that meets the approval of the EDM Faculty Director, articulate a research question, propose a thesis, utilize existing literature and arguments, select methods, collect and analyze data, draw conclusions, and make recommendations. Students will work with a dedicated advisor to develop the project, orally present the project to a review committee, present their work at a poster session at SCS, and submit their written Capstone project for final evaluation. Although the Capstone project is largely self-directed, this course is designed to add structure to the process of completing the project. A foundation in research and methodology will be laid in the early part of the semester but as the course progresses, the student is expected to function independently. The course instructor and the Capstone Advisor will provide guidance and feedback throughout the semester. To ensure each student completes their project on time, elements of the Capstone project will be due and graded throughout the semester.
Enrollment in this course is through application and approval. A minimum final grade of “B” is required in the Capstone course in order to qualify for graduation, regardless of the student’s cumulative GPA. If a student receives a final grade below B in the Capstone course, s/he must retake the course.
For their Capstone project, students will utilize research skills to identify a topic that meets the approval of the EDM Faculty Director, articulate a research question, propose a thesis, utilize existing literature and arguments, select methods, collect and analyze data, draw conclusions, and make recommendations. Students will work with a dedicated advisor to develop the project, orally present the project to a review committee, present their work at a poster session at SCS, and submit their written Capstone project for final evaluation. Although the Capstone project is largely self-directed, this course is designed to add structure to the process of completing the project. A foundation in research and methodology will be laid in the early part of the semester but as the course progresses, the student is expected to function independently. The course instructor and the Capstone Advisor will provide guidance and feedback throughout the semester. To ensure each student completes their project on time, elements of the Capstone project will be due and graded throughout the semester.
Enrollment in this course is through application and approval. A minimum final grade of “B” is required in the Capstone course in order to qualify for graduation, regardless of the student’s cumulative GPA. If a student receives a final grade below B in the Capstone course, s/he must retake the course.
Level: Graduate
Prerequisites: (MPDM 500 or MPDM 5000) and (MPDM 600 or MPDM 5600) and (MPDM 610 or MPDM 5610) and (MPDM 620 or MPDM 5620) and (MPDM 630 or MPDM 5630)
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt, PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt or PS: Emergency Disaster Mgt.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the School of Continuing Studies college.