This week, Tyler Junior College will graduate the first group of students from its new Bachelor of Applied Science in Emergency Management program.
Graduates include: Julie Baker, Pearland; Kathryn Bazil, Tyler; Casey Cabaniss, Tyler; William Davis, Martins Mill; Danielle Gilbert, Tyler; and Perry McClendon, Houston.
Created in Fall 2023, the two-year, all-online program prepares students already holding associate degrees in related fields to assume advanced responsibilities in leadership and management roles.
Students learn to prepare for direct disaster response or crisis management activities, oversee disaster preparedness and establish emergency plans and procedures for natural disasters, wartime or technological disasters. They also learn in-demand skills including communication, decision-making, organization and planning, critical thinking and risk assessment.
Julie Baker has volunteered with Pearland’s Office of Emergency Management and completed their internship program.
“I have a background as a volunteer firefighter, paramedic, and EMS and clinical course coordinator. Emergency management is in the same house as those areas but a different room,” she said. “This degree is providing a vast amount of information, enhanced critical thinking skills, and it revealed so much about what emergency management actually is. I know this will enable me to be confident in my new career.”
With her bachelor’s degree in hand, Baker will set about finding her new career.
“I will attend the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s annual conference during the last week of May,” she said. “I attend workshops and network as much as possible. It’s finally time for me to put what I’ve learned to work.”
Asked if she has any advice to students who may be returning to college after some time away, she said, “It’s okay to be nervous, especially for someone considered to be a non-traditional student. I graduated high school in 1984, earned an associate degree in 2003, and began this journey in 2023. You are never too old to learn. Take that first step, grab hold, and don’t give up.”
She added, “The support from TJC for their students is amazing. They are there with you every step of your way through your education.”
About the program
Emergency management students receive personalized attention from professors with real-life experience, and the online format offers flexibility and convenience for students who are already working in public agencies. In addition to the already affordable cost of TJC, tuition reimbursement is possible through some employers.
Careers within the emergency management field are expected to grow by 4 percent over the next decade. Employment opportunities include federal, state and local governments, such as FEMA, hospital systems, nonprofits that work in a response planning capacity, such as Red Cross, among others.
Selective admission rules apply to the BAS Emergency Management program. Applicants may be eligible for admission if they have earned an associate degree in one of the following: fire protection technology, criminal justice, law enforcement investigations, emergency medical service professions, paralegal or public administration.
For more information, go to TJC.edu/EMBAS.