Disaster & Emergency Management

The Master of Disaster & Emergency Management program at York is the first graduate program of its kind in the province, and one of only two in Canada.

This exciting program provides students with advanced-level knowledge and the skills needed to enter the growing field of Emergency Management. Experts passionate about Disaster & Emergency Management teach engaging courses on such subjects as medical and public health, natural disasters and their causes, terrorism, social and behavioural concepts, ethics, critical infrastructure protection, business continuity planning and public safety and security.

Students will develop the skills and knowledge to prevent, prepare for, respond to, mitigate and recover from local, national and international disasters and emergencies. The evaluation and analysis of hazards also form an integral part of the program. Recent disasters and case studies are used for class discussions and the development of planning strategies to reduce disaster risk.

Disasters are complex and dynamic systems, each one different from the last. As future decision makers, we study disasters to save lives.

The program attracts a variety of students aspiring to become professionals in Disaster & Emergency Management in public, private and non-profit sectors. The program is useful for those who are currently working in the field and would like to assume a position of increasing responsibility by acquiring higher education.

For those tangentially related to the field who would like to pursue a career in Disaster & Emergency Management more directly, the program provides a suitable platform to develop relevant skills. The mixture of practitioners and academics in the program allows the students to leverage knowledge from one another and foster networking opportunities. This program is offered on either a full-time or part-time basis, allowing practitioners to continue working while completing the program.

 Careers with a Disaster & Emergency Management (MDEM) degree

Graduates of this growing field have gone on to find careers in public, private, and not-for-profit organizations working as business continuity planners, disaster recovery coordinators, crisis communication specialists, emergency public health managers, NGO disaster relief coordinators and project managers.

The department also hosts an annual career fair, and a few of the representatives present include the City of Brampton’s Emergency Management Office, the City of Toronto’s Office of Emergency Management, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Regional Health Services, Enbridge and Red Cross Canada.

Some popular resources for those interested in a career in Disaster & Emergency Management include: