Careers
Graduates from the program will enjoy a wide range of career opportunities as emergency management specialists, homeland security officers, hospital emergency preparedness administrators, public health planners, communication officers, and emergency response technicians. The program also prepares students for Ph.D. programs in emergency management, public health, and related fields. Funding opportunities in the form of assistantships are available for both domestic and international students.
State and national level data strongly suggest that there will be significant growth in demand for trained specialists in Disaster Studies. For example, the Texas Workforce Commission projects 20% growth in disaster/emergency management employment opportunities through 2020. Furthermore, training in the proposed program may also be a vehicle for career advancement for public sector employees that are not directly involved in disaster or emergency management. Given that government is the single largest employer in the RGV, this can be an important source of enrollment for the program while also benefiting the community.
At the national level, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 8%-14% growth in the number of job openings for Emergency Management Directors. U.S. News and World Report listed Emergency Management as one of the top 50 best jobs in terms of growth through 2020.