An Integrated Approach for Meteorology and Emergency Management Education

Building on the ongoing efforts by the National Weather Service for a Weather-Ready Nation, which sets the framework for connecting science and decision-making to link accurate and timely forecasts and warnings for life and property-saving decisions, Millersville University has designed and implemented four pathways for educating students through an integrated approach. Emergency management is a relatively young profession and the first generation of emergency management professionals were trained on the job and through training courses and programs through local, state and federal government agencies. With the professionalization of the field, there is a marked trend towards requiring higher education degrees to fill these positions. In response to this demand, Millersville University has developed an undergraduate minor in Environmental Hazards and Emergency Management, an undergraduate multidisciplinary degree in Environmental Hazards and Emergency Management, a graduate degree in Emergency Management, and a graduate certificate in Disaster and Emergency Management. Even though these various degree offerings attract students with a broad spectrum of professional and educational backgrounds, through advisement, in particular, students earning a B.S. in meteorology students are encouraged to seek one of these opportunities to better prepare for the opportunities and challenges that come with professional positions in meteorology and related fields. A large percentage of the students seeking a BS degree in meteorology at Millersville University choose to complete the minor (18 credits) and some choose to also meet the requirements of a second major focusing on emergency management. In recent years, approximately 30 percent of all meteorology graduates have selected to finish the 30 credit-hour Master of Science in Emergency Management program. All program offerings include specifically designed courses in emergency management, but also focus on an integrated approach that combines science, communication, decision making and decision support, planning, and include strong social science context. This presentation will provide an overview of the programs, learning objectives, the benefits of these programs and approach for future workforce development and preliminary results in terms of student success and job placement.