The future of emergency management higher education

Emergency management higher education is a critical component of the emergency management enterprise. Since the first degree programs began in the 1980s, significant efforts have been undertaken to develop emergency management higher education to meet the growing and changing needs of practice. These efforts have historically been supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), specifically the FEMA Higher-Education Program. Recent changes at FEMA have called into question how the agency intends to remain involved in the higher education community. In this moment of uncertainty and change, there is an opportunity for the broader emergency management higher education community to come together and reconsider our shared path forward. The history and current state of emergency management higher education are reviewed, followed by recommendations for the future of emergency management higher education.