Major in Emergency Management Administration
(Major Code: 603)
The Emergency Management Administration (EMA) Program awards a professional management education to firefighters, emergency medical service providers, military personnel, private sector, and law-enforcement personnel through online courses. The EMA Program’s goal is to prepare students for advanced levels of administration and management within the emergency services professions. Students pursuing a degree in Emergency Management Administration may also complete course work for a specialization in Leadership.
The EMA Degree Program was specially designed by West Texas A&M University in cooperation with the Texas Engineering Extension Service for non-traditional students who can complete the program while remaining employed full time in governmental or industrial emergency management positions.
The degree plan requires completion of an associate’s degree at a community college or completion of appropriate technical-education courses at accredited technical-education facilities such as the National Fire Academy. Since the EMA Program requires 36 hours of electives, up to 36 hours of academic credit can be earned through the transfer of technical courses taken at community colleges or technical-education facilities.
To be eligible for the EMA Program, a prospective student must have technical credit from a community college or technical-education facility, and must be currently employed in an emergency management profession.
The EMA major requires completion of a general education core curriculum of 42 credit hours, many of which may have been completed at a community college. The degree includes 39 credit hours of advanced professional-development courses within a 120-semester-hour degree plan. Many non-traditional students also transfer credit hours from other four-year universities in Texas and around the nation. At least 36 hours of advanced work (3000- or 4000-level courses) must be earned at WTAMU. Because the hours transferred to WTAMU are unique to each student, a student should request a formal degree plan immediately after being admitted to WTAMU.
University Core Curriculum Requirements (42 hours)
**IMPORTANT: Before selecting from these courses, students should review any major-specific core requirements in the major below as they will be required to take those courses instead.**
Core 10 - Communication (3 hours from ENGL options)
Core 10 - Communication (3 hours from COMM options)
Core 20 - Mathematics (3 hours)
Core 30 - Life and Physical Sciences (6 hours)
Core 40 - Language, Philosophy and Culture (3 hours)
Core 50 - Creative Arts (3 hours)
Core 60 - American History (6 hours)
Core 70 - Government / Political Science (6 hours)
Core 80 - Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 hours)
Core 90 - Component Area Option (6 hours or fewer; may depend on major requirements)
Total hours required to complete degree: 120 hours
Depending on transfer credits and other substitutions/waivers, student may need to take additional electives as needed to total a minimum of 120 hours or the minimum total hours required for this degree, of which at least 36 must be advanced (3000/4000 level) and earned at WTAMU.
