Jax State's EM Doctoral Student, Meghan Hutchinson, and MPA alumna Tonya Clarke were named among IAEM-USA's 2026 40 Under 40 Honorees. They will be recognized at the 74th IAEM Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, from November 6-12, 2026. Go Gamecocks!

READ their amazing stories



2026 Doctoral Integrative Seminar

Seminar Theme:

The New Frontier of Emergency Management: State-Led Adaptation for Effective Preparedness and Response

We held our 2026 Emergency Management Doctoral Integrative Seminar at Merrill Hall from August 10 to August 14. Doctoral students had the privilege of hearing and interacting with a panel of widely recognized leaders in emergency management practice and research, including Alabama EMA Director Mr. Jeffrey Smitherman; EM Analyst from the Argonne National Lab, Dr. Amanda Savitt; FEMA/FIWA EM Specialist, Mr. Brandon Whitman; Baldwin County EMA Deputy Director, Ms. Danon Smith; along with our EM doctoral faculty and Distinguished Professors, Drs. Laura Myers and David McEntire.

EMPA Announced Emergency Management Distinguished Practitioner-Scholar Award

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Ray Chang has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Emergency Management Distinguished Practitioner-Scholar Award sponsored by the Department of Emergency Management and Public Administration at Jacksonville State University! The award was presented at the Emergency Management Higher Education Colloquium on June 4, 2026.

Dr. Chang is an Associate Professor of Disaster Science and Management and Program Chair of the Master of Science in Emergency Services program in the Department of Emergency, Disaster, and Global Security Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Congratulations, Dr. Chang!

To support economic development in this region, the department now offers a new Microcredential in Economic Development (ED) from Fall 2026. Along with the micro-credential in Public Administration (9 credit hours each), the stackable micro-credentials will constitute the Public Administration (PA) minor. For more information, please contact: mpa@jsu.edu

Advance Your Career with a 100% Online MPA from Jacksonville State University! Our NASPAA-accredited Master of Public Administration (MPA) program offers the flexibility and rigor you need to succeed.

Apply to Jax State Emergency Management and Public Administration programs and build your future!

Faculty and Student Updates

Dr. Jake Fast graduated with a Doctor of Science in Emergency Management in Spring 2026!

Jake's dissertation title is "Gamification and Serious Games in Undergraduate Nursing Education for Disaster Preparedness in the United States".

Congratulations, Dr. Fast!

JSU offers a 20% tuition scholarship for first responders employed full-time by a law enforcement agency, fire department or emergency service agency. The scholarship is applicable to our Bachelor of Science (BSEM) and Master of Science in Emergency Management (MSEM) programs. Please visit the link below and/or email enroll@jsu.edu for eligibility.

First Responders Scholarship

Jax State EMPA is hosting a new student chapter of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the Alabama City/County Management Association (ACCMPA) at Jacksonville State University. Chapter President: Hannah White; Faculty Advisor: Dr. Gorgin Mansourian; and ICMA/ACCMA Advisor: Dr. Brett Johnson. Please contact Dr. Mansourian (gmansourian@jsu.edu) for membership information.

BSEM Graduate is on The Amazing Race!

Our BSEM graduate, Dalton Hamby, and his partner, Daisha Wilks, are among 13 contestants on the latest season of The Amazing Race.

READ the story  

Contribute to EM/PA

We have about 500 active students and approximately 3000 graduates in all 50 states of the United States and all 7 continents! Below is a word cloud of the locations of most of our students and alumni. If you are interested in contributing to our programs, visit the page on JSU Foundation and select 'Make a gift' in the right-hand corner, then type "Emergency Preparedness" and/or "Master of Public Administration" and donate to your selected program(s). Thank you!

Fall 2026

Spring Registration Opens:

Oct 26 Priority Registration - Graduate/Doctoral Students

Oct 27 Priority Registration - Seniors 90+ hours earned

Oct 28 Priority Registration - Juniors 60+ hours earned

Oct 29 Priority Registration - Sophomores 30+ hours earned

Oct 30 Priority Registration - Freshman, Open Registration Begins and Remains Open Until Balances are Due

Nov 11 Last day to Drop a Class or Withdraw

Nov 23-27 Thanksgiving Break

Dec 1 Last Day of Class

Dec 2-8 Final Exams

Dec 10 Fall Commencement, 4pm CST Pete Matthews Coliseum

Dec 11 Grades Due by Noon & Fall Commencement

Dec 16 Last Date of Faculty Availability

Spring 2027

Jan 4 Faculty Available

Jan 6 Classes Begin – Late Registration Fee Charged

Jan 12 Payment Due, Last Day to Withdraw from all Courses and Receive 100% Tuition Refund, Last Day to Register or Add a Class, Last Day to Apply for Spring Graduation

Jan 18 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observed

Jan 19 Last Day to Withdraw from all Courses and Receive 80% Tuition Refund

Feb 2 Last Day to Withdraw from all Courses and Receive 50% Tuition Refund

Feb 25-26 Advisement/Grading Days (no in-person or synchronous online classes meet)

Feb 28 Midterm Grades Due by 11:59 PM

Mar 1 Midterm Grades Viewable by Students 10 AM

Mar 22-26 Spring Break

Apr 20 Last Day of Class

Apr 21-27 Final Exams

Apr 29 Spring Commencement

Apr 30 Grades Due by Noon, Spring Commencement

May 5 Last Date of Faculty Availability

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