English 
Deutsch 
Is the Master's in Crisis and Emergency Management (M.Sc.) suitable for you?
The Master's programme "Crisis and Emergency Management" is tailored to professionals working in areas such as healthcare, emergency services, (professional) fire departments, police, military, private security companies, or critical infrastructure organizations. You are also addressed as a member of an authority and organization with security tasks (BOS), uniformed or non-uniformed firearm holder, or employee in ministries, administrations, and international aid organizations. Typical participants have initial professional experience and aspire to work in leadership positions or coordination in the field of disaster and emergency management.
What formal admission requirements must you meet?
The following admission requirements apply to the Master's programme in Crisis and Emergency Management (M.Sc.):
- You have a university entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur).
- You have completed a bachelor's degree with at least 210 credit points (CP) in a medical or medical-related field, such as human medicine, health and nursing sciences, midwifery science, physician assistance, or psychology.
- You can demonstrate at least one year of professional experience with operational experience in the field of a BOS (such as police, fire department, military) or in the field of humanitarian aid – after the first degree.
- If you have a bachelor's degree with 180 CP, a personal consultation for individual admission is possible.
- With a bachelor's degree in another but related field of study, you can be admitted if you demonstrate competencies at bachelor's level in scientific methodology in the healthcare sector with at least 10 CP and relevant professional experience in medicine, emergency medicine, or medical-related professions, for example as
- Paramedic or emergency medical technician (with a passed supplementary examination)
- Healthcare and (pediatric) nurse
- Midwife or obstetric nurse
- Medical-technical assistant for functional diagnostics
- Anesthetic assistant
- Operating room assistant
- For paramedics: Completed training with at least three years of relevant professional experience in active duty (verifiable by work certificate).
In addition: The application for the programme is to be submitted via an online application form.
Your personal requirements ideally include:
- Professional experience in emergency or crisis intervention teams, emergency services, BOS, or relevant public safety organizations.
- Teamwork skills, leadership competence, and the willingness to take on responsibility in dynamic or challenging situations.
- Resilience, i.e. the ability to remain capable of action and decision-making even under stress.
- Interest in interdisciplinary cooperation, in-depth scientific knowledge, and management tasks in crisis and emergency environments.
- Self-organization and the motivation to complete the studies alongside work.
- Openness to practical-oriented learning and the willingness to apply what you have learned directly in your professional daily life.
What contents and skills does the Master's programme in Crisis and Emergency Management convey?
The Master's programme in Crisis and Emergency Management (M.Sc.) provides you with scientifically based competencies for coping with and leading in emergency and crisis situations. The focus is on the interdisciplinary connection of risk management, operational deployment planning and communication. The central learning contents include:
- Emergency medicine: triage and life support strategies in operations
- Deployment and emergency care in crisis situations
- Crisis management and medical hazard prevention
- Operational deployment planning and organizational management
- Collaborative work in staffs and teams
- Personnel management and coaching in the context of crisis and emergency management
- Legal foundations and legal aspects of deployments
- Intercultural action and qualification of on-site personnel
- Applied scientific methodology
- Digital and analogue corporate security
- Medical operations within staff work
Practical competencies are conveyed through scenario-based exercises and real-time training. Special emphasis is placed on resilience, team leadership, and decision-making under stress.
How is the course structured?
The course is designed to be part-time. The standard period of study is four semesters (two years). The key features of the course structure are:
- Monthly presence periods: One weekend per month (Friday and Saturday)
- Additional extended weekends and week blocks to deepen essential content
- Consistent linkage of theory, scenario-based knowledge transfer, and practical exercises
- Use of hybrid simulations and real-time exercises to develop leadership skills and resilience
- Interdisciplinary collaboration with renowned partners such as the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance and the German Aerospace Center
The course is designed in a way that allows you to continue your current job (part-time) and directly apply new knowledge in your work routine.
What career opportunities and fields of work does the degree open up?
As a graduate, you are qualified for responsible management tasks in security organizations and critical infrastructures. Possible areas of application include:
- Private security companies and operators of critical infrastructures (e.g. airports, industrial parks)
- (Professional) fire brigades, emergency services, and disaster relief agencies
- Public authorities and organizations with security tasks (e.g. police, customs, Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance)
- International organizations (e.g. NGOs, United Nations, non-profit associations)
- Armed forces and units for search and rescue operations (SAR/CSAR)
- Employment at universities as academic staff members focusing on crisis and emergency management
With the knowledge acquired in the Master's programme and the pronounced leadership skills, you can take on positions in the upper and higher service with special suitability. The degree is particularly attractive for individuals who wish to work in national or international situation centers, crisis staffs, or in the prevention and management of major incidents.
What are the costs and what funding options are available?
Tuition fees amount to a minimum of 575 euros per month, totaling approximately 13,800 euros over a period of 4 semesters. In addition, there is a one-time registration fee of 250 euros.
Funding options include:
- Scholarship programs for students in the field of disaster management and healthcare
- Employer sponsorships for employees in security-related organizations
- Educational loans, e.g. through KfW
- Tax deductibility as continuing education expenses
The study advice service at Fresenius University is happy to provide individual advice on financing options.
Lade…
Advisory Service
Have questions about Academic Programs Crisis and Emergency Management? Ask your question here, even anonymously. An employee of the institution Fresenius University of Applied Sciences or the editorial team will answer you.