Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management

1.    Admission Requirements and/or Enrollment Limitations

Students interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management must meet the following requirements to be admitted to the program: 

1.     Completion with a “C” or better of at least 60 lower division semester units, including:

a.  The California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) pattern listed in the college catalog.

b.    HLS-1    Introduction to Homeland Security and Terrorism (3) and

    HLS-101      Introduction to Emergency Management (3)

c. At least 9 additional units from:

HLS-2    Preparedness for Emergencies, Disasters & Homeland Security Incidents (3)

HLS-3    Response to Emergencies, Disasters and Homeland Security Incidents (3)

HLS-4    Recovery in Emergencies, Disasters and Homeland Security Incidents (3)

GEG-8    Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, with Lab (3)

BUS-77A    Introduction to Project Management (4)

POLS-8    Introduction To Public Policy and Administration (3)

SOC- 1/SOC-1H   Introduction to Sociology/Honors Introduction to Sociology (3)

and

STAT-C1000/ STAT-C1000H   Introduction to Statistics/Introduction to Statistics -  Honors (4)

or

PSYC- 48     Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (3)

or

SOC-48    Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (3)

2. Submission of an online application to Moreno Valley College

3. Submission of a letter of application stating the student’s interests and goals. 

4. Submission of official transcripts* of all college-level course work to Admissions and Records. 

*Applicants may submit unofficial transcripts for review by the departmental faculty. However, under college policy, admission decisions are contingent upon receipt of official transcripts.

Most commonly, college-level credits earned from an institution of higher education accredited by a regional/national accrediting agency are accepted for transfer if they are equivalent to courses offered at Moreno Valley College. Students may be permitted to transfer no more than 70 semester (105 quarter) units to a from another institution which does not offer bachelor’s degrees or their equivalents, for example, community colleges, to the Bachelor’s Degree Program. 

2.    Program Goals

1. Recognize the types of natural, manmade, and technological hazards that can negatively impact a community.

2. Demonstrate the leadership, problem solving, analytical, and decision-making skills required in the field of emergency management.

3. Demonstrate skills necessary to prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from manmade and natural disasters. 

4. Analyze the fundamental roles and responsibilities of the professional emergency manager.

5. Evaluate ethical, social, civic, cultural, and political issues that have a direct impact on the discipline of emergency management and disaster planning services.

6. Evaluate research about the management and practical application of emergencies and disaster planning using quantitative and qualitative analytical tools.

7. Design effective written and oral communications (including crisis communication) in the discipline and practice of disaster preparedness and emergency management.

8. Design, develop, and assess simulated exercises to evaluate and improve emergency readiness and response capabilities.

This is a new baccalaureate program and does not replace any existing program(s) in the college’s inventory. 

The School of Public Safety offers 17 Associate of Science Degrees, and 18 Certificates of Achievement in addition to the Regional Law Enforcement Academy, Corrections Academy, State Firefighter One Academy, Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic Academies. Given the long-standing commitment to public safety education and training for local, tribal, state, territorial and federal government partners, and the Inland Empire’s vulnerability to natural disasters, and local Emergency Management Director and Public Safety Management needs, Moreno Valley College in an ideal position to develop and implement the proposed degree. 

Moreno Valley College’s (MVC) School of Public Safety Currently has seen a significant increase in enrollment over the las two academic years, having surpassed pre-Covid enrollments (Table 3). 

The Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency Management is designed so that any of the SOPS Associates Degrees can serve as a feeder into the Bachelor’s Degree Program. Additionally, many community colleges offer degrees similar to those offered at SOPS, many of which are already articulated with our programs.

Because the proposed bachelor’s Degree includes not only core coursework in Emergency Management, but also includes coursework in public sector budget and finance, human resources management, technical writing, and related topics, it is appropriate not only for aspiring Emergency Managers, but also law enforcement, fire service, and emergency medical service professionals.  This unique feature of the program is a large reason it is supported by Riverside County’s Police and Fire Chiefs. 

In academic year 2023-2024, the School of Public Safety Awarded 107 Associates Degrees, and 679 certificates.

It is anticipated that  50 students a year will complete the Bachelor of Science Degree program. 

2.    Program Goals

1. Recognize the types of natural, manmade, and technological hazards that can negatively impact a community.

2. Demonstrate the leadership, problem solving, analytical, and decision-making skills required in the field of emergency management.

3. Demonstrate skills necessary to prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from manmade and natural disasters. 

4. Analyze the fundamental roles and responsibilities of the professional emergency manager.

5. Evaluate ethical, social, civic, cultural, and political issues that have a direct impact on the discipline of emergency management and disaster planning services.

6. Evaluate research about the management and practical application of emergencies and disaster planning using quantitative and qualitative analytical tools.

7. Design effective written and oral communications (including crisis communication) in the discipline and practice of disaster preparedness and emergency management.

8. Design, develop, and assess simulated exercises to evaluate and improve emergency readiness and response capabilities.

Graduation Requirements

The governing board of Riverside Community College District shall confer the Bachelor of Science degree upon the student who has completed the following requirements:

1.    Residence Requirement

For a Bachelor’s degree, students must complete 30 units in residence within the District; including at least 24 upper division units. 

 2.    Grade Point Average Requirement

Completion of the requirements for the bachelor’s degree with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in the degree-applicable courses. 

Each lower and upper division course in the bachelor’s degree's major requirements must be completed with a grade of "C" or better or a "P" if the course is taken on a "pass-no pass" basis.

3.    Unit Requirement

Bachelor of Science degrees require a minimum of 120 units of degree applicable coursework, including at least 45 upper-division units. 

4.    General Education Requirements

Lower Division:

Students pursuing a Bachelor’s  degree must complete the CAL-GETC general education pattern. 

Upper Division: 

Students pursuing a Bachelor’s  degree must complete 9 units of upper division general education.