The New Path to Emergency Management

Brandon University’s Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies (ADES) program is changing the emergency management field in Canada. The ADES degree is designed to combine social and physical sciences perspectives of hazards and disasters within a liberal arts education framework. ADES is producing new professionals with a broad scope of practice and wide-ranging knowledge.

Emergency management is the development and implementation of policies and processes to help reduce risks, prepare communities, respond to hazard impacts and recover from the consequences. Unlike the past options of transitioning to emergency management from a traditional first response or military background, ADES offers students the opportunity to learn about and experience all aspects of managing how our communities deal with disasters.

Off to a Great Start

Brandon University began offering a four year degree program in 2001 and has graduated both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science students in Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies.  So far over 50 students have declared ADES as their major and dozens have graduated!

ADES is attracting students from across Canada and around the world. Undergraduate students, seeing the potential for a career in emergency management or taking ADES courses to complement their studies in other social and physical sciences, are filling our classes. It is also popular as a second degree with students looking for ways to stand out in an increasingly competitive employment market.