Master of Science - Emergency and Crisis Management

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Department of Criminal Justice is pleased to offer a Master of Science Degree in Emergency and Crisis Management (ECM). The ECM professional degree program prepares students for success in the rapidly growing emergency management profession. The program is designed for individuals to develop skills that enable them to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural and human-created emergencies and crises. 

This degree gives students the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to become leaders in the field of emergency and crisis management. Students attend five on-campus meeting during the course of the two year program. These meetings facilitate the opportunity for students to meet with faculty and experts in the field, network, and to gain hands-on experience in the unique location of Las Vegas. 

Faculty who teach in the program have backgrounds working in high-level positions at the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as many state and municipal agencies. The program capitalizes on our location in the dynamic city of Las Vegas and provides opportunities for students to study Tourism Security and Crowd Management issues with our internationally recognized academic faculty, and our strong connections to the local public safety and hospitality industry.

Please note that the ECM program is a special tuition and fee-based program approved by the Board of Regents. To find the current fee structure, please call (702) 895-0236.

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes please visit the Degree Directory.

Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

1. A minimum grade point average of 2.75 overall for all undergraduate work. When GPA is below 2.75, applicant will need to submit a detailed account of how their work history and/or educational experiences relate(s) to the program
2. A completed Graduate College application.
3. Submission of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
4. A resume which should indicate professional experience.
5. A personal statement
6. Three letters of recommendation. Letters need to be from either academic (at the undergraduate level or higher) or professional sources (direct supervisors or co-workers).
7. A nonrefundable admission application fee, payable by credit card, check, or money order. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Board of Regents.

All the above should be submitted online through the Graduate College admissions application.

All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the  Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

 Total Credits Required: 36 

1. This Program is available Fully Online (Please see the Fully Online Modality Tracks in Programs section of this Catalog for more information). *Exclusively Fully Online Programs: A fully online student is one who has committed to pursue their entire degree, certificate, or microcredential exclusively through online education. Modality change process: Programs may be offered in more than one modality (instructional mode). If programs offer a fully online option, students may opt for a fully online offering at the time of admission. They will be tagged as a fully online student. Once admitted, students can only change their program modality by sending an email to their respective Graduate College Retention, Progression, and Completion (RPC) Coordinator (grad.rpc@unlv.edu).
2. Completion of a minimum of 36 credits with a minimum GPA of 3.00.
3. The degree requires the twelve courses listed above (36 credits), taken both on-line and on campus. All students who enter the program are expected to complete the program as a cohort. Each cohort will come to campus for five weekend on-campus sessions; the remainder of the educational experience involves interaction with instructors and classmates via web-based application, e-mail, and telephone.

Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.