UD welcomes CHEER Hub students
M.S. in Disaster Science & Management (MS, DISA)
earn an MS in disaster science & Management from the Biden School
The M.S. in disaster science and management program offered at the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware approaches emergency management from a distinctly interdisciplinary, research-based point of view.
This degree program emphasizes theories, research methodologies, and policies related to a broad spectrum of issues relating to emergency management. Courses emphasize disaster response, recovery, social vulnerability, organizational behavior, crisis management, and other important topics. The program builds on the unique strengths and international reputation of the Disaster Research Center (DRC) and related programs and research at the University of Delaware.
learn what you can do with a disaster science master's degree
- What Can I do with a Master's Degree in Disaster Science and Management?
- MS, DISA Courses & Curriculum
- Career Outcomes
The purpose of graduate education in disaster science and management is to provide students with the intellectual ability to understand, create, integrate, and apply sophisticated discipline- specific interdisciplinary knowledge to the disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.
Program goals:
- Students will be able to explain the development of disaster science as an interdisciplinary field. This includes the principal theoretical approaches from geography, sociology, political science, and anthropology and how they have evolved over time.
- Students will articulate how the interconnection of social, natural, and technical systems generates hazards and vulnerabilities along axes of gender, race, class, sexuality, and age, among other human attributes, characteristics, and identifiers.
- Students will comprehend theories of individual and organizational responses to hazards and disasters in such areas as warning, evacuation, donations, volunteers, emergence and convergence, and other areas.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of elements of disaster response and recovery, including the establishment of emergency operations centers, housing restoration, theories of coordination and collaboration, and the unique challenges of critical facilities.
- Students will apply scientific theories and principles to emergency management activities in a practice setting through the successful completion of an internship or other practical experience.
Students are required to work with an advisor during the first semester of study to develop an individual plan of study. The non-thesis option requires 30 credits of graduate-level coursework. The thesis option requires 33 credits of graduate-level coursework, including the thesis.
Biden School graduates work in academia, politics, government, law, policy, activism, non-profits, and the private sector.
Disaster Science & Management program graduates have many different career paths in this emerging field. Some become academics and researchers (many M.S. students who aspire to a scholastic career will continue in the Ph.D. program). Others find placement in local, national, and international disaster and emergency management organizations.
Employers of Recent M.S. Graduates
- California Resiliency Alliance
- City of Berkeley Emergency Management
- Disaster Recovery Outreach and Communications Coordinator New Jersey
- Emergency Management Project Coordinator, Kentucky Emergency Management
- Red Cross
- Science writer working for a NOAA contractor
Employers of Recent Ph.D. Graduates
- Jacksonville State University
- Oklahoma State University
- National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
- US Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs
- US Military
- D'Youville College
Internship Examples
- Cecil County, MD Emergency Management
- Delaware Emergency Management
- New Castle County, DE Emergency Management
- Red Cross
- PNC
- Pacific Disaster Center
International Career Examples
- COT Institute for Crisis and Safety, Netherlands
- Mid Sweden University
- Lund University, Sweden
- Australian Red Cross
start your application
- Apply online with the UD Graduate College
- Fill out the Biden School supplemental application form below
- Gather relevant documents to upload
- Submit your application
mS, DISA Admissions Deadlines
- Admitting Fall 2026, Applications Open Fall 2025
- December 15 (priority deadline)
- August 15 (regular deadline)
ADMISSIONS FAQs
This form must be completed in addition to the University of Delaware Graduate Admission Application. Upload this completed form to your online application.
- The Biden School does not require the GRE for admission.
- The Biden School accepts the minimum English proficiency test scores listed in the Graduate Admissions Test scores section.
The UD Graduate College and the Biden School cannot waive fees solely based on financial hardship.
UD Graduate College Application Fee Waiver: Please see if you qualify for a Graduate College fee waiver here.
- Scroll down the page until you come to Application Fee Waivers. Click the “+” sign for more information.
- Questions regarding applying for a Graduate College-issued application fee waiver should be directed to Graduate Admissions at gradadmissions@udel.edu.
Biden School Application Fee Waivers: If you do not meet Graduate College criteria for an application fee waiver, then you may be eligible for a fee waiver through the Biden School based on your academic merit.
You can begin an application and apply without submitting a payment.
Application review will begin on December 15, 2024. We cannot answer fee waivers until after the admissions committee has reviewed your application. Waivers are granted based on the Biden School goals below:
- Recognizing exceptional student achievement and merit.
- Increasing social mobility by supporting first-generation college students.
- Expanding the diversity of our student body by encouraging applicants who bring unique perspectives shaped by life experiences, such as overcoming significant barriers, navigating systemic inequities, or contributing to underrepresented perspectives.
- Expanding our cultural and experiential diversity by enrolling individuals with significant work experience, applied expertise, international perspectives, or military service.
Fee waiver decisions are typically made by the end of February.
Once the admissions committee has reviewed your completed application, you will receive an email indicating whether we can grant a waiver.
From Delaware to the World
phd in disaster science and management
Many DISA master's students who aspire to an academic career will continue in the DISA Ph.D. program. The doctoral program in disaster science and management is an interdisciplinary degree organized around thematic areas related to the management of, prevention of, and recovery from disasters.
get to knoW the biden school faculty and their work
Biden School faculty embraces the “Delaware Model” of integrating research, teaching, and public service to prepare graduates to impact communities locally and globally. Our faculty are productive scholars, excellent teachers, and skilled practitioners with decades of experience in their field.
For Employees
Connect
184 Graham Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 bidenschool@udel.edu Phone (302) 831-1687