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Graduate Program in Disaster & Emergency Management Faculty of Graduate Studies
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Admission Requirements

Preparing your application to graduate studies at York University and/or other interested universities requires research and planning. Some students start preparing their plans for graduate studies as early as two years before they submit their application. Consider the following information below to help guide you through a successful application process.

MDEM

PhD

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Students applying to the graduate program in Disaster & Emergency Management must have one of the following:

  1. An honours degree in Emergency Management or equivalent, with at least a B+ average.
  2. An honours degree or equivalent (minimum B+) with at least one of the following: a certificate in Emergency Management; a post-graduate College certificate in Emergency Management; completion of core York undergraduate courses in Emergency Management; successful completion of a comprehensive exam on emergency management administered by York; or extensive experience in the field.

Applicants who have an honours degree with a B+ average but do not have sufficient background in disaster and emergency management are admitted to the program conditional to the passing of an introductory online Disaster & Emergency Management course run by our program. The course is normally offered between June and August and has an enrollment fee of approximately $1000–a domestic student fee (the international student fee will be approximately $3500). Students must obtain a minimum grade of B- (70%) to pass this course. Applicants who cannot meet this requirement will not be admitted to the program.

All applicants must submit the below listed supplementary documents along with the online application found on the admissions homepage:

  • An up-to-date Resume
  • Two letters of reference (preferably include a least one academic reference)
  • Statement of Interest (approximately 500 words explaining why you are interested in the program, what led you to apply, what your future goals are etc.)
  • Sample of written work, including a personal attestation that the work is yours.

Please visit Disaster & Emergency Management for further details on the admission requirements for this program.

Applicants must have:

  • A master’s degree, or equivalent, from a recognized university in field(s) relevant to disaster and emergency management, with a grade average of at least B+. Examples of degrees relevant to disaster and emergency management include master’s degrees in environmental studies, urban planning, science and technology studies, anthropology, sociology, or other fields, where the student has completed a significant amount of coursework or thesis research related to disasters or emergency management.
  • Three letters of recommendation.
  • A statement of interest that provides a cogent rationale for undertaking studies in disaster and emergency management.
  • A sample of written work relevant to graduate studies in disaster and emergency management.
  • A Curriculum Vitae or Resume that demonstrates academic and/or professional excellence.

Learn More

The Graduate Program in Disaster & Emergency Management at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.

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