兰德-应急管理证书课程-国家灾害与应急管理大学的现状和未来可能性（英）

REBECCA HERMAN, PHOEBE ROSE LEVINE, PEGGY WILCOX, EILEEN YOUNG, JIN KIM, PATRICK S. ROBERTSEmergency Management Certif cate ProgramsCurrent Picture and Future Possibilities for the National Disaster and Emergency Management UniversityResearch ReportAN FFRDC OPERATED BY RAND UNDER CONTRACT WITH DHSHS ACHOMELAND SECURITYOPERATIONAL ANALYSIS CENTERThis research was published in 2025.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.iiiAbout This ReportNational Disaster and Emergency Management University (NDEMU), formally known as Emergency Management Institute (EMI), is undertaking a strategic initiative to expand its reach and elevate its programming (Stern, 2021). Part of its plan involves building certificate programs to fill knowledge gaps. Certificates are one way in which students can gain profi-ciency in a particular area and a credential that acknowledges their achievement. NDEMU asked RAND’s Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC) to analyze existing certificate programs for professionals and propose a process for NDEMU to develop its own certificate programs. The resulting analysis in this report addresses cer-tificate structure, the number of courses or modules, accreditation or course credit, delivery mode, and potential audiences. Finally, NDEMU asked HSOAC to identify candidate certifi-cates for NDEMU to develop. In this report, we review research literature and other documents, as well as emergency management certificates and other certificates and strategies, to inform NDEMU’s develop-ment of its certificate programs. We offer templates intended to help future NDEMU cer-tificates follow a shared path from creation to development. The report also identifies future topics for NDEMU certificates based on current NDEMU course offerings and potential needs in the field. Certificates are more robust than a single course but less demanding than a full degree. They are designed to offer a coherent package of knowledge and skills in one area and to require a feasible amount of effort for the kind of working professional that makes up much of NDEMU’s audience. This report will be of interest to NDEMU leadership and developers of new certificate programs. It will also be of interest to the broader emergency management training and education community and higher education professionals who are interested in what the research says on options for structing certificate programs and current practices in certificate programs. As trends in higher education favor modular or stackable credentials and more lifelong, post-collegiate learning, certificates could generate more interest from students and training and education entities. About the Homeland Security Operational Analysis CenterThe Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296, § 305, as codified at 6 U.S.C. § 185) authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Under Secretary for Sci-ence and Technology, to establish one or more federally funded resear