Disaster Recovery Studies
Program Advisor: Kenton Lobe, M.N.R.M (web page)

Through a partnership with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), a faith-based agency with more than fifty years of experience responding to disasters in Canada and the U.S.A., CMU has developed a program that focuses on the recovery phase of disaster management.  (Disaster Management has four phases: preparedness, emergency response, mitigation, and recovery.)

The emphasis of CMU’s program is on the medium- to long-term phases of individual/family and community rebuilding following disasters. A key part of the program is a series of two terms of fieldwork, eight to ten weeks each, fulfilling CMU’s practicum requirement. The first term is spent serving with MDS. The second may be either with MDS or with another agency that does disaster recovery work in North America or internationally. Through these two service terms, students receive hands-on and leadership experience in the rebuilding of disaster-affected, often vulnerable communities. Students are eligible to apply for bursaries of up to $2,500 in connection with each of these practicums and their corresponding course work.


The goal of the program in Disaster Recovery Studies is to help students understand the nature of disasters, their aftermath and the best ways to help people and communities recover physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually. Through this program, students will develop analytic competencies and leadership qualities for working in disaster recovery and relief organizations, or other social service and volunteer organizations.


Mennonite Disaster Service logo
Mennonite Disaster Service is a channel through which various constituencies of the Anabaptist church can respond to those affected by disasters in Canada and the United States.
While its main focus is on clean up, repair and rebuilding homes, this activity becomes a means of touching lives.
Click here to learn more about MDS.
Students who complete the program will also be able to pursue further specialized study in the field of disaster and emergency management, or further studies in the social sciences, including Social Work. While the program is designed for university students, courses in the program would also be valuable to the volunteer community or others in disaster-related work situations.

At CMU, Disaster Recovery Studies is available as a concentration of eighteen credit hours within a three-year or four-year major in Social Science. The program can also be taken as a minor alongside another major, for example, International Development Studies, Psychology, or History. Besides specialized courses in Disaster Recovery Studies, students will take relevant courses in business and management,

Courses
The following section contains a complete list of courses for its curriculum. For current course listings please see the Course Description section of our website.

Program Requirements for the Minor in Disaster Recovery Studies (18 credit hours of course work plus 6 credit hours of Practicum)

Required Courses (9 credit hours):

Disaster, Vulnerability, and Recovery (3 credit hours)
This course will introduce students to the entire field of disaster studies, covering such topics as: the study of the nature and types of disasters; social vulnerability and disasters; individual and organizational/community responses to catastrophic events; and phases of organized responses to disasters (from mitigation, risk management, and emergency response, to long-term recovery aspects). Pre- or Co-requisite: a 6-hr introductory course in Social Science

Disaster Recovery Practice (3 credit hours)
This course studies the psycho-social and environmental dimensions of disaster response and recovery, including the dynamics of social vulnerability, physical infrastructure and environmental factors, individual-focused and organizational/community response and recovery strategies, and program/project analysis and management. Pre-requisite: Disaster, Vulnerability and Recovery or Introduction to International Development Studies or Crisis Humanitarian Aid & Development.

Case Studies in Disaster Recovery (3 credit hours)
This course will be taken in a student’s 3rd or 4th year, following at least the first practicum in disaster recovery (or possibly both practicums). It will involve focused study and analysis of case studies in disaster response and recovery, and function as a de-briefing seminar to the practicum.

Elective Courses (9 credit hours minimum from the following list):

Practicum Requirement in Disaster Recovery
(6 credit hours, fulfilling the Practicum requirement in the CMU Core Curriculum)

Practicum I in Disaster Recovery (3 credit hours)
This practicum involves a term of 8-10-week field service with Mennonite Disaster Service. Normally, this first practicum will be undertaken after the completion of the introductory course and one-year of university studies. During this practicum, the student will gain experience as a regular volunteer in an MDS project, but will also have opportunity for some leadership responsibilities.

Practicum II in Disaster Recovery (3 credit hours)
The second term of field service with Mennonite Disaster Service (or with another agency in an area focused on disaster recovery), normally undertaken after the second or third core course in Disaster Recovery has been completed. During this practicum, the student will become involved in leadership roles when and where appropriate.

Program Requirements for the Concentration in Disaster Recovery Studies within the Social Science Major, Four-year B.A.

Core Curriculum Requirements

Major and concentration requirements:
A minimum of 48 credit hours A minimum of 30 credit hours at the 200-level or above, including 12 credit hours at the 300-level or above.
Twelve credit hours selected from:

A concentration of 18 credit hours in Disaster Recovery Studies (see above, in the requirements for the minor)
Social Science Electives-18 credit hours
Recommended courses include:

Additional notes regarding the major and concentration:

  1. Social Science electives include all courses that CMU offers in the fields of Economics, Geography, International Development Studies, History, Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies, Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology, with the exception of senior seminars, thesis courses, and independent readings courses.  

  2. Students who choose this major and concentration must complete the practicum relevant to Disaster Recovery.

Program Requirements for the Concentration in Disaster Recovery Studies within the Social Science Major, Three-year B.A.

Core Curriculum Requirements

Major and concentration requirements:

Additional notes regarding the major and concentration:

  1. Social Science electives include all courses that CMU offers in the fields of Economics, Geography, International Development Studies, History, Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies, Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology, with the exception of senior seminars, thesis courses, and independent readings courses.  

  2. Students who choose this major and concentration must complete the practicum relevant to Disaster Recovery.