The Institute for Disaster Management offers an undergraduate minor in disaster management that pairs well with any major, from public health and journalism to geography and international affairs. Through the minor program, students acquire a strong foundation in the knowledge and skills they need to apply disaster management to their specific area of focus or to continue on in the field of disaster management.

The structure and topical focus of the minor program engages students in both applied and scholarly work in emergency and disaster management. Coursework for the minor in disaster management focuses on the societal impacts and causes of natural and human-made hazards, including how these disasters can be mitigated, planned for, and adapted to.

Below, you will find information on the course work for the minor program and how to apply. More detailed information about each course is available here.

Coursework

The minor consists of 15 semester hours of coursework, which must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.

The required anchor course for the minor is DMAN 3100, “Disasters and Society.” In this course, students explore the social contributors and impacts of disasters, and analyze key findings related to human behavior in disaster settings. Upon completion of the course, students will have a broad understanding of the core theories and frameworks that guide emergency preparedness, response, and research of disasters.

Following the foundations provided by DMAN 3100, students take an additional 12 semester hours of coursework. Here, at least three courses or 9 semester hours must be from the DMAN prefix, and no more than six hours of independent study credit may count toward the minor. Elective options for the minor include, but are not limited to, the following:

Sample Plans of Study

For the sample plans below, students may substitute one course or 3 credit hours for an elective outside of the Institute for Disaster Management. Students typically follow a 2-year plan of study. These are meant to serve as sample plans of study only.

2-Year Traditional Fall and Spring
Year 1: Fall DMAN 3100
Year 1: Spring DMAN 3200 or DMAN 3400
Year 2: Fall DMAN 3300 and DMAN 3750
Year 2: Spring DMAN 3200 or DMAN 3400

2-Year Traditional Fall and Spring plus Summer
Year 1: Fall DMAN 3100
Year 1: Spring DMAN 3200 or DMAN 3400
Year 1: Summer DMAN 3750
Year 2: Fall DMAN 3300
Year 2: Spring DMAN 3200 or DMAN 3400

How To Apply

For more information on how to apply to the minor program in disaster management, check out the College of Public Health’s website.

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