Through this course, you will learn the basic terminology and concepts related to disasters, recognize local and global organizations involved in disaster relief and evacuation procedures, including the evacuation process during a pandemic such as COVID-19. The course will also help you understand the social, psychological, economic, and health impacts of disasters on humans and their social environment. Additionally, you will realize how COVID-19 affected various populations during disasters. We will look at how disaster relief often becomes the means for advancing political agendas and how they surface various global issues such as immigration, migration, refugee populations, and human trafficking.
The course has been designed to look at case studies from the 20th and 21st centuries. These will include natural and human-made disasters on both national and international scales. Guest speakers from disaster management and health agencies will be invited to share their experiences. Students will also review articles related to disasters and their impact on marginalized groups.
The course will benefit students interested in various fields such as engineering, health-related professions, chemistry, biology, public policy, administration, homeland security, public service majors or careers, and disaster management.
By the end of the course, you will:
There are no formal prerequisites beyond interest in the topic.
Online sections of Pre-College courses are offered in one of the following modalities: Asynchronous, Mostly asynchronous, or Blended. Please review full information regarding the experience here.