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ORLANDO, Feb. 20, 2008 — UCF Graduate Studies has approved the Department of Public Administration’s new Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management and Homeland Security (EMHS) program. Admission to the program will officially begin in summer 2008.
 The program of study will prepare graduate students for careers in the administration of emergency management and homeland security. The new graduate certificate program is identified on the Web site of the FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Project within the FEMA Emergency Management Institute.
Assistant Professor Naim Kapucu, one of the certificate program’s founders, said, “There is increased demand in every level of government for individuals with experience, training and education in EMHS.” He explained that many public agencies are responsible for functions related to emergency management and homeland security, even in times between emergencies and disasters.
 Skills learned in this program may be applied at local, state and federal levels, including Central Florida fire and police departments, state and local emergency operations centers, and federal public safety departments, specifically FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. Nonprofits and private consulting firms also show interest in individuals with EMHS experience.
The program’s course work is interdisciplinary, offering core courses from a public administration and management perspective and diverse electives from other departments, such as CGN 6655: Regional Planning, Design and Development offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
The course work consists of 18 semester hours at the graduate level, including three new offerings:
- Foundations of Emergency Management and Homeland Security
- Managing Emergencies and Crises
- Cross Sectoral Governance
In addition to four core courses, students will choose two electives. For more information about these courses and the certificate’s requirements, see the UCF Graduate Catalog.
Kapucu said some students are taking Foundations of Emergency Management and Homeland Security this spring.
Apply online at www.graduate.ucf.edu.
-- Catherine Carson
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