Courses

A supervised reading course on a topic for which there is no current course offering. Permission of the Graduate Program Director is required.

A supervised reading course on a topic for which there is no current course offering. Permission of the Graduate Program Director is required.

This course examines natural disasters from an interdisciplinary point of view, particularly considering why there seem to be more natural disasters, and how and why decisions made by people create vulnerable communities.

Examines social and behavioural dimensions of human interactions before, during and after emergencies and disasters, including behavioural myths and realities; linkages between individuals, families, groups, organizations, community social systems, and various levels of government; social vulnerability and the disproportionate impact of disasters upon various societal groups, etc. This is a required core course for the proposed Master of Arts in Disaster and Emergency Management.

Provides students with an introduction to philosophical bases of research design as well as a practical introduction to qualitative methods. Students will gain an understanding of the paradigmatic foundations of research, how to design and evaluate qualitative research and experiment with a range of qualitative methods (i.e., interview, focus groups, observation, archival analysis).

Students are provided with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of various quantitative research methods and their applications in disaster and emergency management. Using statistical methods, students will learn to analyze data and formulate hypotheses and conceptual relationships.

Business continuity or disaster recovery is about disaster and emergency management at businesses. This course focuses on selected business continuity (disaster recovery) planning and management topics and case studies in private and non-private businesses. Student will discuss different theoretical, methodological, technical and practical aspects of business continuity (disaster recovery) and review several business continuity (disaster recovery) planning and management cases. The topics, strategically sequenced to build context, introduce students to the most significant and relevant areas in business continuity (disaster recovery) planning and management today.

The purpose of this course is to give the student, a background to, and, overview of: terrorism in the 21st Century. It will serve to give students, in the program, an understanding of this element of the threat spectrum. It will further sensitize them to the potential dangers and probabilities that grow out of this area of critical concern.

Placements in the field provide students with the opportunity to apply theories of disaster and emergency management in a variety of organizations within the private, public and non-governmental organization sectors. Prerequisites: GS/DEMS 5020 3.00 and GS/DEMS 5030 3.00.

Students are provided with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of various quantitative research methods and their applications in disaster and emergency management. Using statistical methods, students will learn to analyze data and formulate hypotheses and conceptual relationships.

Explores issues related to critical infrastructure protection, including complexity, resilience, criticality and interdependencies, regulatory and legislative requirements, and doctrines. Threats include natural disasters and man-made events including criminal acts, terrorist physical and cyber attacks. Course credit exclusion: Students are only able to take this course with the permission of the course director, if the student has taken DEMS 4707 3.0: Managing Risks to Critical Infrastructure.

The purpose of the major research paper develops the student’s ability to do research beyond a normal course paper. In its style, length, and quality, the major research paper takes the form of a publishable academic article of around 80 to 100 pages. The major research paper is supervised by a faculty member of the Disaster & Emergency Management program.

The purpose of the major research paper develops the student’s ability to do research beyond a normal course paper. In its style, length, and quality, the major research paper takes the form of a publishable academic article of around 80 to 100 pages. The major research paper is supervised by a faculty member of the Disaster & Emergency Management program.