Developing Competency-Based Emergency Management Degree Programs in Public Affairs and Administration

Over the last decade, the world has experienced catastrophic disasters both natural and human-made. In 2001, terrorist attacks occurred on September 11th. Between 2004 and 2005, there were both the devastation of the tsunami in Sri Lanka and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Perhaps not coincidentally, emergency management programs and course offerings have also increased significantly during the last several years. The nature of jobs of emergency managers have also become more complex with a strong orientation toward collaboration and networking. The core competencies required to effectively carry out their jobs are manifold and multifaceted. This article shares the experiences of developing an emergency management program within a public administration program that is based on core competencies identified in the emergency management literature.