Get Your MPA in Emergency & Disaster Management: Now, When You’re Needed Most
Now more than ever before, our world needs effective leaders who possess the skills – and cool heads – to effectively manage and proactively respond to public emergencies, disasters and catastrophes.
Preparing individuals to fulfill this purpose – and find professional success – is the focus of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Emergency and Disaster Management (EDM) at Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY), an accredited, nonprofit private college that is moving to a state-of-the-art campus in the Financial District this May.
“I was always looking for something different to do with my life - something that I cared about, that I was passionate about,” explains grad Tiffany Chapman. “When I found out about the MPA program I thought, ‘That’s what I need to do with my life.’” The award-winning bank executive moved from California to enroll at MCNY.
In this highly specialized, accelerated degree program, students like Tiffany learn about the planning, management, logistics, response, relief, recovery and economics associated with managing emergency situations focusing on significant issues in homeland security, public health, terrorism, and the role of federal and state governments. The three-semester program can be completed in as little as 16 months while working full time.
The program uses a unique Purpose-Centered Education model that combines classroom instruction with applied knowledge and practice gained through Constructive Action (CA). MPA EDM graduate students work on their CA projects in groups and develop actual comprehensive emergency management plans for a nonprofit organization. Students also participate in internships with public and private agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the New York City Office of Emergency Management.
A Career with a Purpose
It was just such an internship that led MCNY MPA grad Tiffany Chapman to her position as a disaster recovery specialist with the Port Authority, where she focuses on recovering from FEMA the costs of natural disasters including Superstorm Sandy.
“With my professors’ well-established connections, I was able to get into an internship, which led to a full-time job in my new field,” explains Tiffany, who also is an international speaker and adjunct professor at MCNY.
“While my job at the Port Authority is largely related to finance and FEMA funding, I also respond to events when needed,” she adds. “The last major crisis we faced was the airplane incident at LaGuardia airport in 2015. There was also a heavy snowstorm that day and half of the office was monitoring the storm while the other half was helping to coordinate the airport response and get messages out to our agency officials. I’ve also worked in the emergency operations centers for such major events as the Super Bowl and the New York City Marathon.”
Are you ready to help prepare – and protect – our community like Tiffany does? Earn your MPA in Emergency and Disaster Management at MCNY. Summer classes start on May 16. To find out more or apply, join us at our April 14 Grad Info Session. RSVP at WhatsYourPurpose.NYC or call 888-414-4794 to speak to an admissions counselor.