If you’re interested in being active in helping to prevent, prepare for and deal with the aftermath of disasters, you may want to get a job in emergency management. Emergency management deals with emergencies related to natural disasters, man made disasters and terrorist attacks, and people often need a degree to be able to obtain a job in the field.

Obtaining an Emergency Management Degree or completing the Emergency Management Professional Program, or EMPP, are common ways that individuals get the education they need. However, although they sound similar and cover the same types of topics, they are fairly different.

Resource: 50 Most Affordable Schools for an Emergency Management Degree 2015

The Emergency Management Professional Program is Federal

Many schools that offer a major in Emergency Management cover the same types of materials that the EMPP does, but EMPP is a program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Most schools use EMPP as a guideline for their degree programs, but the federal program is far more intensive. The introductory Foundations of Emergency Management class alone is an 80 hour course that takes ten days to complete. There are several other multi-hour courses that people must attend to finish the program. EMPP is generally for individuals who want to go far more in depth into topics related to emergency management than those who are seeking a degree.

EMPP Is Often For Established Professionals

Although someone without a college education can go through the EMPP, the majority of people who successfully complete the program have college degrees or have worked in the field for several years. Along with having to pass a variety of online courses to even be eligible for the program, there are limited numbers of spots available. Additionally, advanced coursework requires that individuals are already familiar with emergency management concepts. As a result, competition is fairly stiff, and individuals with a degree or experience are the most likely to be chosen to participate in the program.

Government Employees Often Participate in The EMPP

A major in emergency management will enable someone to seek a career in the private or the public sector. Many companies need individuals who can help them deal with unexpected disasters, so there are many positions outside of government work for people who graduate with this major. On the other hand, the EMPP is generally designed and most beneficial for those who are seeking positions in local, state and federal offices. In some cases, completion of the program is required or strongly recommended for people in leadership positions in the government.

EMPP Has Several Levels

While getting a degree in emergency management is fairly straightforward, there are three levels of coursework that people can choose from with the EMPP. FEMA’s National Emergency Management Academies are designed to provide training for people with different levels of experience with emergency management. The basic academy covers the fundamentals related to the subject, topics covered in the advanced academy relate to management and problem solving and the advanced academy is designed for people in leadership roles and deals with critical thinking and how teams and staff should be organized.

A Degree In Emergency Management Can Be Obtained Online

Many degrees are now available online, and a degree in emergency management is one of them, although not all schools offer a degree program that can be completed without ever entering a classroom. However, there is no way to complete the EMPP coursework on the Internet. While there are some classes that can be taken online, and a few are a prerequisite to enroll in the program, the majority of coursework is completed inside classrooms. Classes also usually only last a few days instead of over the course of a few months.

Knowing the differences between degrees in emergency management and the EMPP can help you determine the best way to get the education you need to enter this field. If you’re interested in going into government work, you may want to get your degree first and then take part in the EMPP.

Additional Resource: Top 10 Online Emergency Management Degree Programs 2015