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Emergency Preparedness, Professional Certificate

emergency preparedness online degree

Program Description

The United States is part of a global community responding to disasters that may be man-made or natural in origin. Although the response is often tailored to event characteristics, basic concepts are common to all disasters.

Given the changing landscape for a secure and prosperous nation, the citizens of this country look to experts in the fields of disaster and emergency preparedness for leadership and guidance in difficult times. A well prepared nation minimizes the impact of such disasters and recovers more quickly and effectively. Leadership that is well equipped with the knowledge and experience to respond to such events is required both globally and in this country.

This online graduate-level professional certificate in Emergency Preparedness serves to increase the student's overall knowledge in the field of Emergency Preparedness. The Federal Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) core focus areas have been adopted as the structural and conceptual basis for all course development and are as follows: Prevent, Protect, Respond and Recover.

This curriculum is unique nationally. The key emergency preparedness content material is structured and will be delivered through four core courses based on the above essential core areas, and supplemented with core public health foundational courses.  

Special Accreditation

Council on Education for Public Health accreditation logoIn addition to the Higher Learning Commission accreditation carried by all University of Nebraska degrees, the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health is also accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.

The U.S. Department of Education recognizes CEPH as the accrediting body for schools and programs of public health.

Delivery Format

Home Campus: University of Nebraska Medical Center

Method of Delivery: 100% Online - what's this?Program can be completed fully at a distance. Courses are asynchronous, meaning students and instructor may access content at any time and do not have to be connected to the Internet at the same time. If your program includes an internship or practicum, experiences may be completed in the student's local area.

All online courses are accessed via the Internet and use a learning management system. Technology requirements may vary by program and course, but all campuses have basic recommended requirements. High-speed Internet is required.

Interaction with professors and other students may include:

  • E-mail
  • Online discussion boards
  • Phone or video conferencing
  • Other forms of electronic and print communication

Supplemental materials for some courses may include:

  • Printed material and scanned documents
  • Digital resources accessed through university libraries
  • Videos accessed via the Internet, CDs or DVDs
  • Other media

To be successful, students taking online classes should be reasonably comfortable using a computer and the Internet. Learn more about online student tips for success.

Courses are taught by the same faculty who teach on campus. Students may be required to write papers, complete projects, conduct research, and communicate with professors. Students may work independently on assignments and with coworkers on group projects, do case presentations, take quizzes and exams, just as students on campus are required to do.

Academic Year 2012 - 2013

Tuition rates are effective for the academic year listed. Tuition is subject to change.

Nebraska Resident:

 TuitionDistance Ed. FeeTechnology FeeLibrary FeeTotal
Per credit hour$560.00$55.00$0.00$4.00$619.00
3 credit hour$1,680.00$165.00$0.00$12.00$1,857.00

Non-Resident:

 TuitionDistance Ed. FeeTechnology FeeLibrary FeeTotal
Per credit hour$560.00$55.00$0.00$4.00$619.00
3 credit hour$1,680.00$165.00$0.00$12.00$1,857.00
Note: In addition to the costs outlined above, students will be assessed a $150.00 technology fee each semester they enroll in courses. Students are also required to complete a background check. The fee for the background check is $35.

Students in this online emergency preparedness professional certificate program will complete a total of 18 credit hours of graduate-level coursework.  

The Federal Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) core focus areas have been adopted as the structural and conceptual basis for all course development and are as follows: Prevent, Protect, Respond and Recover. The key emergency preparedness content material is structured and will be delivered through four core courses based on the above essential core areas, and supplemented with core public health foundational courses.

The plan of study consists of the following core courses:

  • HPRO 810/CPH 550 Emergency Preparedness: Prevention
  • EPI 811/CPH 631 Emergency Preparedness: Protection
  • HPRO 812/CPH 553 Emergency Preparedness: Response
  • HPRO 813/CPH 554 Emergency Preparedness: Response and Recovery 
     

Plus a choice of two of the following courses:

  • HPRO 830/CPH 500 Foundations of Public Health
  • EPI 820/CPH 504 Introduction to Epidemiology
  • CRCJ 8230 Terrorism (UNO Course)

 

 

Course Name
Course #
Credits
Elective Courses

Foundations of Public Health

CPH 500
3
This is an introductory survey course, which will ensure that all public health students, within their first full year of study, are exposed to the fundamental concepts and theories that provide the basis for the body of knowledge in the field of public health. This course will prepare students to work in public health with a sound theoretical, conceptual, and historical basis for their work.

Emergency Preparedness: Prevention

CPH 550
3

This course is designed to prepare the graduate student to work in a world where emergency preparedness and response skills are essential to the public health infrastructure, in preparation for naturally occurring disasters, intentional acts of terrorism and new emerging infectious disease threats. Major topics to be covered include an introduction to the National Response Framework, the Incident Command System (ICS) and the history of federal disaster legislation. Students will then explore various response agencies and initiatives to include the Strategic National Stockpile Program, culminating in an overview of risk assessment, disaster planning and the process of exercising disaster plans.

Emergency Preparedness: Respond

CPH 553
3
This course is designed to prepare the graduate student to work in fields where emergency preparedness and response skills are essential to the public health infrastructure, in preparation for naturally occurring disasters, intentional acts of terrorism and new emerging infectious disease threats.  The course curriculum is designed to be reflective and inclusive of current and nationally endorsed competencies and focuses on topic areas related to the actual response to an event. Major topics to be covered include an introduction to on-site incident management, responder safety and health, animal disease emergency response, mass sheltering, citizen evacuation, and weapons of mass destruction (WMD), culminating in an overview of mass casualty triage and medical system surge.

Emergency Preparedness: Respond and Recover

CPH 554
3

The course curriculum is designed to be reflective and inclusive of current and nationally endorsed competencies and focuses on topic areas related to the response to and recovery from an event. Major topics to be covered include a review and in-depth look at medical surge, mass immunization/dispensing, behavioral health, and mass fatalities culminating in an overview of short term and long term recovery concepts inherent to restoring economic, health, vital infrastructure, and community services.

Terrorism

CRCJ 8230
3

A course devoted to an exploration and analysis of contemporary special problems in the broad spectrum of law enforcement and corrections.

Emergency Preparedness: Protection

EPI 811/CPH 631
3

This course is designed to prepare the graduate student to work in fields where emergency preparedness and response skills are essential to the public health infrastructure, in preparation for naturally occurring disasters, intentional acts of terrorism and new emerging infectious disease threats. Major topics to be covered include an introduction to Critical Infrastructure Protection (Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 7), agriculture defense and the history of emerging infectious disease. Students will then explore various protection agencies and initiatives to include the BIOSENSE Program, culminating in an overview of surveillance and detection.

Introduction to Epidemiology

EPI 820/CPH 504
3
The objective of the course is to understand the application of survey and research methodology in epidemiology, especially in the community setting. Theoretical aspects will be taught as an integral part of understanding the techniques of study design and community survey. Concepts to be covered include measure of disease occurrence, measures of disease risk, study design, assessment of alternative explanations for data-based findings, and methods of testing or limiting alternatives. Students will be expected to address an epidemiological question of interest to them, first developing the hypothesis and conducting a literature search, then developing a study design and writing, in several stages, a brief proposal for the study.

University of Nebraska online programs have the same quality instructional faculty as on campus; individuals from a variety of backgrounds, who embody the combined qualities resulting from research experience and professional/field experience.

 

Philip W. Smith, MD, Professor

Sharon Medcalf, RN, MEd, Ph.D. Candidate, Associate Director

Peter C. Iwen, Ph.D., Professor

Angela Hewlett, MD , Assistant Professor

Steven Hinrichs, MD, Professor

John Lowe, PhD Candidate, Instructor

Keith Hansen, MBA, Assistant Director

Shawn Gibbs, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Guidelines for Admittance

To participate in this program the student must:

  1. Provide official transcripts reflecting an earned bachelor’s degree, with a 3.0 or higher grade point average for the last 60 undergraduate or the last 18 graduate/post-baccalaureate credit hours completed.
    Note: If official transcripts or mark sheets of college-level work are not in English or in the standard U.S. grading scale they must be sent to a credential evaluation service for evaluation.

  2. Present official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores if primary language is not English or undergraduate degree is from a college or university outside of the United States.

Application Checklist

  1. Complete an online application for admission and submit your $75.00 non-refundable application fee
    • Select "Certificate of Public Health Emergency Preparedness" as your program on the application
  2. Complete the UNMC College of Public Health Application Packet
    • CoPH Application Cover Sheet
    • Official transcripts
    • Two letters of reference
    • A one-page personal statement describing the applicant’s:
      • Interest in and potential for contributing to the field of public health  and preparedness
      • Career objectives
      • Self-assessment of computer, quantitative analysis, and personal skills and general preparation for succeeding in a public health certificate program

Download the UNMC Certificate of Public Health application instructions > >

Application Deadlines

All materials must be received by the application deadline to be considered for admission.

Fall Semester July 1
Spring Semester November 1

Contact

Online Worldwide Educational Representative
Phone: 888.622.0332
E-mail: online@nebraska.edu

Program Contact
Phone: 402.552.9867
E-mail: coph@unmc.edu

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