The online Emergency Management program at Kansas Wesleyan University has been ranked number four in Value Colleges Top 50 Best Value Online Bachelors of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The list drew from universities and colleges that follow nationally recognized FEMA Higher Education curriculum guidelines. The FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Project now recognizes 310 Emergency Management programs and 224 Homeland Security programs on its College Master List. The current total four-year cost for the online program is $33,600.
“It is exciting for our program to receive another national recognition,” said Dr. Lonnie Booker Jr., assistant professor and director of the university’s Emergency Management program, who is a regular featured speaker at the FEMA higher education conferences. “Having our program fully online allows anyone, anywhere to earn a degree, recognized by FEMA, for a very affordable price.” Kansas Wesleyan University ranked fourth behind the University of Florida, Emory Riddle Aeronautical University and Tulane University.
The program consists of 30 classes (120 hours) that can be completed online or on ground. The program has three concentrations: Homeland Security, Business Continuity and Non-Governmental Organizations, that allows students to tailor their degrees to their current jobs or preferred career field. The Bachelor of Arts in Emergency Management, launched in 2013, is the only degree of its kind in Kansas.
In August 2016, the university announced an agreement with Kansas State Polytechnic Institute that allows students in the Emergency Management program to earn a minor in Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Some KWU students also choose to combine the Emergency Management degree with a minor in Criminal Justice, which is also a degree offered fully online.
This is the second national honor for the Emergency Management program since its inception. In 2014, Emergency Management Degree Program Guide named Kansas Wesleyan University in the “20 Top Emergency Management Bachelor’s Degree Programs Under $23,000 Average Net 2014.”
“It is an honor to be selected as one of the top Emergency Management programs in the nation,” said Booker. “We are fortunate to be located near Crisis City, operated by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM), and to have partnerships with local, regional and national Emergency Management experts and organizations.”
