Application and Admission

Applications are accepted in the fall and spring semesters. Apply online through the College of Graduate Studies.

The Graduate Record Examination is not required except for those students wishing to compete for a fellowship.

To be considered for admission, the following documentation must be on file with UCF by the appropriate application deadline date:

  • Undergraduate transcripts.
  • Graduate transcripts (if another graduate degree in a related field has been completed)
  • Supporting documents:
    • Resume
    • Statement of Interest
    • Three letters of recommendation from professors or professional individuals.

The MECM program typically admits students with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, depending on space availability; those whose undergraduate degree is still in progress may be admitted conditionally until the transcript is provided showing the final undergraduate GPA. Students with GPA below 3.0 may be offered a provisional admission, provided their portfolio demonstrates considerable promise for success.

For more information on admission to UCF, visit UCF Graduate Admissions.

For specific questions regarding the School of Public Admininstratoin’s admission requirements, please contact our graduate advisor, Edlira Dursun.

Internships

MECM students are required to complete an internship as part of their advanced curriculum, unless they have two or more years of emergency management or related experience. MECM students have the advantage of developing internship placements through our experiential learning coordinator. Internship placement varies by student interest and semester. From Fall 2018 to Spring 2025, 56 MECM students completed an internship.

Internship Host and Major Projects

Lake County Public Schools Government Affairs Department

  • In response to the growing need for community engagement and corporate social responsibility, the Lake County School District Employee Impact Network project was initiated with the primary goal of creating a dedicated software system. This innovative platform, developed in collaboration with the Marketing and Communications team and the Emergency Management team, aimed to facilitate and encourage employee volunteering in the community.

UCF Emergency Operations Center

  • Update UCF binders for each Emergency Support Function that would report to the UCF Emergency Operations Center in the event of an activation.

Orange County Public Schools Office of Emergency Management

  • Review OCPS Reunification plan and compare the best practices to the Standards Reunification Methods.

American Red Cross

  • Disaster response planning project to enhance the organization's emergency preparedness and crisis management capabilities. The project included analyzing existing emergency protocols, identifying areas for improvement and proposing innovative solutions.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office

  • Identify establishments that may need a Critical Infrastructure Threat Assessment and coordinate to conduct the assessments.

CH Consulting

  • Development of functional and hazard annexes and several different exercise plans for trainings.

Ocoee Fire Department

  • Assisting Ocoee Fire department with drafting and implementation of the Continuity of Operations Plan.

Orlando Health

  • Develop a standardized guide on how to run and develop exercises within the Orlando Health network. Conduct a tabletop discussion, as well as a full-scale exercise.

Pasco County Emergency Management

  • Successfully completed many online FEMA IS courses and in-person G-300, G-288, G-2300, G-191, and G-400. Specific projects included the Special Needs Registry, Comprehensive Plan Review, Public Education Events, HERricane, Continuity of Operations, and PA Assistance.

Orange County Sheriff Office

  • Updating the Continuity of Operations Plan within the agency's Uniform Patrol Division, which comprises approximately 800 personnel. Develop a survey, and scheduling interviews with respective sector captains and their administrative assistants.

Graduation Rates

MECM students have considerable flexibility in completing the online degree. Our program is designed so that a full-time student can easily complete the MECM during two full academic years (five semesters including summer). Many of our MECM students pursue the degree on a part-time basis, balancing their educational goals with work and family priorities. Graduation rates are reported on an “Academic Year-5” basis (AR-5).

For the 2020-2021 cohort of the 57 entering students, 5 graduated within two academic years, 17 graduated within three academic years, and 26 graduated within four academic years.

Job Placements

MECM graduates work in various fields of public, nonprofit and private sectors. Our 2023-24 graduates work for:

Job Type
Number of Placed Graduates
U.S. Federal government
0
State, provincial or regional government
1
City, county or other local government
8
International (all levels)
0
Nonprofit domestic-oriented
7
Nonprofit/NGO internationally-oriented
0
Private sector (research/consulting)
6
Private sector (other)
0
Military service
3
Obtaining further education
0
Unemployed seeking employment
0
Status unknown
4
Total number of graduates
29