Business - Leadership and management

Emergency medical services (EMS) is the practice of providing acute medical care to people outside of a hospital setting. EMS professionals, such as paramedics or EMS administrators, organize, prepare for and provide emergency health care in critical situations.

This program emphasizes the present-day objectives of emergency medical care, including mobile health care delivery and community paramedicine. Throughout this program, you’ll learn how to implement solutions and strategies to improve the patient care experience in mobile integrated health care and design emergency medical systems that better serve your community. Upon graduation, you’ll be in a position to compete for leadership employment opportunities in public, private and nonprofit EMS agencies or explore other opportunities in hospitals and behavioral and social service agencies.

Is this program similar to a master’s in paramedicine?

While this master’s degree offers courses in paramedicine through the EMS concentration, coursework also features general public safety leadership and administration teachings. For this reason, this program isn’t similar to a master’s solely focusing on paramedicine.

Who’s a good candidate for this EMS master’s degree concentration?

This online EMS master’s degree concentration is ideal for students interested in entrepreneurial and leadership roles in emergency care systems, such as administering emergency teams and organizations within mobile integrated health care.

It’s important to note that this program doesn’t offer training to become a paramedic and is designed for students who have existing experience within the field.

This program prepares you to support communities, enabling them to withstand crises, recover quickly and rebuild effectively. Courses will cover strategies to inspire change, drive impact and strengthen our urban systems. Additionally, you’ll learn to plan, manage and make quick decisions during emergencies —  key abilities for professionals in disaster resilience and response leadership positions.

Upon graduating, you’ll be prepared to:

• Anticipate and address risks, reduce vulnerabilities and improve recovery efforts.
• Lead these recovery efforts and disaster response.
• Support communities at every stage of natural and human-made emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks and acts of terrorism.

This program emphasizes protecting people, animals and plants from natural and man-made biological hazards. By integrating public health, risk management and homeland security, you’ll become prepared to address critical challenges, such as pandemics, bioterrorism and other biosecurity risks.

Courses develop your expertise in evaluating safety programs, creating plans to mitigate biological threats, managing crises and minimizing societal harm. Additionally, you’ll build leadership skills essential for guiding response and recovery efforts, enabling you to navigate high-pressure situations confidently and effectively.

This program is a concentration of ASU’s online primary Master of Arts in emergency management and homeland security degree. You’ll take a number of the same courses as the general program, but with two courses focused on biosecurity and threat management.

How biodefense and biosecurity compare

Biodefense, a subset of biosecurity, focuses on protecting human health and the environment from biological agents used as weapons. It involves developing medical countermeasures, such as vaccines and treatments, and creating strategies for detecting and responding to biological threats.

Biosecurity, on the other hand, focuses on preventing the accidental or intentional release of harmful biological agents. This includes safeguarding dangerous materials from theft or loss and ensuring their safe handling and storage through strict policies and procedures.

With rising concerns about biological weapons and infectious disease outbreaks, biodefense is rapidly growing. Increased investments from governments, research institutions and private organizations have created a strong demand for professionals in this field.

This program equips you with the skills to strategically manage hazards and build community resilience in the face of disasters. You’ll develop the expertise to lead communities through complex challenges while promoting risk reduction and capacity building.

Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared for rewarding careers within the government, nonprofit and private sectors. Roles are available in diverse fields, including public health, sustainability and traditional emergency management paths. This program is also highly relevant to the private sector, where corporations increasingly rely on professionals to oversee security operations, ensure supply chain resilience and mitigate risks.

The skills you’ll develop in this program

This interdisciplinary master’s combines broad strategic insights with practical, applied knowledge, preparing you to address the complex challenges of the 21st century. You’ll develop key skills in GIS, quantitative and policy analysis, program evaluation, decision-support technologies and more. Coursework also emphasizes governance, inter-agency coordination and cross-sector collaboration, preparing you to navigate the complexities of managing emergencies across diverse organizations.

This program is a concentration of ASU’s online primary Master of Arts in emergency management and homeland security degree. You’ll take most of the same courses as the general program, but two will focus on emergency management.

This program emphasizes skills that prepare you to positively influence the mission of an organization and the community it supports. By earning a master’s in nonprofit leadership and management, you can pursue a variety of high-demand roles in leadership across the nonprofit sector. This MNLM also prepares you for government positions or roles within a commercial organization that works collaboratively with nonprofits. Careers in nonprofit management can span virtually all industries, including arts and culture, education, environment, animals, healthcare, human services, foreign affairs, research and religion.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment for social and community service managers is projected to grow 8% from 2023 to 2033, which is faster than average for all occupations. Another role this program prepares you for, public relations and fundraising managers, earned a median annual wage of $130,480 in May 2023, according to the BLS.

The nonprofit leadership and management skills you’ll gain

This master's degree allows you to build well-rounded knowledge and abilities in nonprofit management and leadership. In your coursework, you’ll develop skills in many areas that support the success of nonprofit groups, such as:

• Advocacy.
• Fiscal management.
• Fundraising.
• Governance in nonprofit organizations.
• Leadership skills.
• Management of human resources.
• Nonprofit organization management.
• Program development.
• Volunteer management.

Other skills that translate directly into career paths are financial management, executive management and board governance, and program management and evaluation. Nonprofits are constantly seeking trained and experienced people with these competencies.

Who’s a good candidate for this program?

This program builds on management fundamentals while incorporating an emphasis on nonprofit organizations to help you develop specialized leadership knowledge. The ideal candidate for this program could be working in the nonprofit sector looking to advance in their role, or someone looking to enhance their nonprofit work experience. In this program, you’ll sharpen your abilities, develop new competencies and network with colleagues working throughout the nonprofit sector.

Public safety administration involves managing public resources and people to anticipate and respond to events that threaten the health and welfare of the general public. In this program, you'll develop the strategic mindset and practical skills to guide public safety agencies through both daily operations and transformational change.

Courses emphasize the skills needed to manage and coordinate emergency response services. You’ll also become prepared to work behind the scenes to ensure fire, police and other crisis response teams have the resources and support to deliver lifesaving assistance to communities in need.

Tailor your studies to fit your career goals

This program offers flexibility, allowing you to explore the field broadly or specialize in your studies. If you're passionate about a specific area of public safety administration, you can customize your learning path by pursuing one of ASU’s online concentrations, such as:

• Emergency medical services – mobile integrated healthcare
  • Prepares professionals to lead emergency response teams, manage crisis situations and develop strategies for community resilience.
• Executive fire administration
  • Focuses on developing advanced leadership skills for experienced fire service professionals, including expanding management and decision-making abilities to enhance fire service operations and community safety.
• Executive police administration
  • Equips senior police officers for top leadership roles, emphasizing advanced strategies in police management and operational oversight.

In this program, you’ll gain the skills to lead initiatives that positively impact society, foster organizational success and reduce environmental harm. The curriculum focuses on four key areas: communications and change management, strategy, global context and leadership. Courses will prepare you to devise equitable solutions, advocate for sustainable practices and implement meaningful changes in domestic and international organizations.

Sustainable leadership skills are increasingly sought after by public and private organizations, with career paths ranging from sustainability coordinator and analyst to sustainability manager and chief sustainability officer. As a graduate, you’ll be pivotal in enhancing organizational reputations, building consumer trust and positioning sustainable practices as the gold standard for success.

Who’s a good candidate for this program?

Ideally, you’re eager to deepen your knowledge of sustainability and leadership to advance your career. This program can complement your background, whether it’s in sustainability or another industry. An undergraduate degree in any field is required, and three or more years of professional experience — even outside sustainability — provides a strong foundation for success.

You’ll graduate prepared to lead transformations in climate change, zero waste, renewable energy, sustainable food systems, impact investing and more. Employers value professionals who can articulate a sustainability vision, drive tangible environmental improvements, and champion environmentally and socially responsible practices.

How does this program compare to a master’s in sustainability?

This online sustainability leadership master’s stands out with its applied, practical focus, contrasting the research emphasis of ASU’s Master of Science and Master of Arts in sustainability. Designed for professionals, this program develops skills tailored to the growing green and greening job sectors. Courses are led by experienced practitioners with active industry connections, ensuring content aligns with current trends.

In comparison, ASU’s MA and MS in sustainability are thesis- and research-based, suitable for candidates interested in strengthening their research expertise. Offered exclusively on campus, these degrees prepare graduates for careers in think tanks or research-focused roles in academia, government, nonprofits or the private sector. They also provide essential knowledge for pursuing a PhD in sustainability.