Diploma in Emergency Management at Cape Breton University

Emergency Management

• Degree Type: Diploma, Undergraduate and Major
• Length: 3 years, 4 years
• So You Can: contribute to creating safer and more resilient, sustainable communities to cope with hazards, risks and vulnerabilities from natural, technological and/or human-caused incidents.

Being Prepared Prepares You for the Unexpected

Every day, emergency management professionals around the world are working hard to safeguard people from natural, technological or human-caused incidents. The demand for knowledgeable and competent emergency managers, planners and responders contributing to safer, more resilient and sustainable communities is on the rise in Canada and globally, and CBU is the Atlantic Canadian university that focuses on the applied aspects of Emergency Management.

What is the Study of Emergency Management?

The study of Emergency Management is about understanding hazards, risks and vulnerabilities, and how to deal with them. It’s about everything that can be done to prevent and mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all sorts of emergencies and disasters by developing, implementing, maintaining and evaluating strategic management processes.

This interdisciplinary applied program will prepare and support students to gain a holistic understanding of how Emergency Management interacts with other disciplines such as communication, business, political science and public health.

Why Study Emergency Management at CBU?

Become part of an industry that provides the opportunity to save lives, protect property, critical infrastructure and the economy, and preserve the environment.

• CBU offers mid-career professionals and high school students the eligibility to graduate with one of the following three credentials –
  • Diploma in Emergency Management (consisting of 45 credits)
  • Bachelor of Emergency Management (consisting of 90 credits)
  • Bachelor of Emergency Management, Major in Health Emergency Management (consisting of 120 credits)
• All three offer students a comprehensive understanding of, and prepares them to work within, all aspects of Emergency Management while gaining a sound understanding of relevant social, political, economic and health factors.
• Students develop advanced skills as well as the strategic and critical thinking needed to make decision confidently, take appropriate action, and provide sound leadership when an emergency strikes.
• Graduates are prepared for leadership and management roles in organizations and services to effect and improve public policy and protect communities.
• There are opportunities for hands-on, applied assignments while obtaining relevant industry emergency management certificates.
• Students have the option to study their choice of credential either part-time or full-time, and either entirely online or by attending classes on campus.

Popular Career Paths & Future Possibilities

Graduates will have achieved a solid academic foundation to either continue in post-graduate studies or further professional training, or to enter the workforce for positions in either the public, private or non-governmental organization (NGO) sectors.

Workplaces where one can apply an Emergency Management education include:

• Public Safety at the municipal, provincial/territorial and federal levels
• National and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (such as Red Cross/Red Crescent, Salvation Army, St. John’s Ambulance, UN-Habitat, World Health Organization, etc.)
• First response management (such as law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services)
• Industry consultant
• Risk management business
• Business continuity management planner
• Health emergency management (such as public health, hospitals, etc.)
• Public policy analyst