Disaster Studies (MA)
Overview
The Disaster Studies MA Program offers students broad interdisciplinary training in the fields of Sociology of Disaster and emergency management with classes on both the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses and online. Graduates from the program will enjoy a wide range of career opportunities as emergency management specialists, homeland security officers, hospital emergency preparedness administrators, public health planners, communication officers, and emergency response technicians. The program also prepares students for Ph.D. programs in emergency management, public health, sociology, and related fields. Funding opportunities in the form of assistantships are available for both domestic and international students.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the Disaster Studies MA program, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:
- Undergraduate degree from any major
- Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester credit hours.
Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.
Program Requirements
Required Courses - 18 Hours
Core Electives - 6 Hours
Choose two from the following:
Non-thesis Option
Prescribed Electives - 9 Hours
Choose 6 hours from one area and 3 hours from another area below:
Area 1: Public Health
Area 2: Government and Public Administration
Area 3: Organizational Communication
Capstone Requirement - 3 Hours
Thesis Option:
Prescribed Electives - 6 Hours
Choose two areas:
Area 1: Public Health
Area 2: Government and Public Administration
Area 3: Organizational Communication
Thesis - 6 Hours
Total Credit Hours: 36