MS in Leadership - Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Management

• Introduction to Organizational Leadership
  
  Students will develop an advanced skill-set enabling effective leadership of each of the major organizational functions (namely marketing, finance, human resource management, information systems, and operations management). Students will understand the difference between transformational and transactional leadership and how both are critical to effective leadership, with the primary emphasis in this class being placed on transactional leadership.
  
  
• Leadership Styles and Development
  
  An exploration of the nature of business leadership models and theories, examining these models through a broad variety of insights and viewpoints. Provides a description and analysis of these approaches to leadership, giving special attention to how the models can improve leadership in the real-world organization.
  
  
• Organizational Ethics
  
  The role of ethics in the organization. Emphasis is placed on the way ethics affect policy formation and professional conduct in business and society. Coursework includes case studies of ethical situations, internet research, a team project, oral reports, and class discussion.
  
  
• Leading High Performance Teams
  
  This course is an experiential introduction to models of team dynamics and group process. Issues discussed will include such topics as meeting management, team building, assessment, roles and responsibilities of the team leader, characteristics of successful teams, strategies for designing and supporting teams in the workplace.
  
  
• Power, Politics, and Influence
  
  The essence of this course teaches the student sources and types of power, specific tactics for becoming an empowering leader and deals with issues around organizational politics, influence tactics, and succession planning.
  
  
• Organizational Systems and Cultures
  
  This course will equip students to fully understand the complexities of organizational systems and cultures, the ways in which these forces manifest themselves, and the means by which leaders intentionally impact the shape that these forces take in their organizations.
  
  
• Strategic Planning and Decision-Making
  
  This course is designed to prepare leaders to guide their organization in the future through the use of effective strategic and contingency planning. A critical component will include learning to evaluate alternatives and make effective decisions and use appropriate decision-making processes.
  
  
• Organizational Development and Change
  
  An exploration of the behavioral forces and relationships that influence organizational effectiveness and change. Topics include the study of intervention strategy and application skills.
  
  
• Leadership and Innovation
  
  Students will understanding and apply various models of problems solving. They will learn various techniques, strategies and skills appropriate for creative and innovative thinking.Managerial accounting concepts and procedures for internal reporting. Includes study of cost behavior, cost systems, budgeting, and performance evaluation. Coursework includes case studies, group presentations, and class discussion.
  
  
• Disaster Preparation and Crisis Management
  
  The course focuses on specialized decision-making processes involving analytical methods and information management; interaction with other agencies and effective coordination of roles and efforts within a structured command system offer the crisis manager decisions in an unstructured environment; major events that have happened to the fire service; and how to prepare for the unexpected, including how to be a strong leader dealing with instant life and death decision making on the emergency scene.
  
  
• Environmental Issues and Hazard Management
  
  Students will learn about Fire Service's role in protecting the environment from damage; the potential environmental impact of various types of emergency incidents; the roles of various agencies in mitigating incidents that may be hazardous to the environment, including federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances; and planning, resource management, and other related issues.
  
  
• Contemporary Issues in Disaster Preparedness & Crisis Management
  
  Provides students with the opportunity to explore several major contemporary issues in crisis management and disaster preparedness. Students will conduct independent research and present their findings on community preparedness, and the leadership and management of contemporary community emergencies and crises.