As the frequency, intensity, and impact of disasters accelerates around the world, the PhD program in Disaster and Emergency Management (DEM) at York University will prepare the next generation of leaders in DEM. The program is designed to support both the development of innovative academic researchers and the leadership of practitioners on the cutting edge of emergency management.

The PhD program in Disaster and Emergency Management draws on York University’s leading expertise on this topic. The only university in Canada to offer both an undergraduate and graduate degree in DEM, York is also home to the new Emergency Mitigation, Response, Engagement, and Governance Institute (Y-EMERGE) that brings together an interdisciplinary community of disaster and emergency management researchers.

The PhD program is designed to support a diverse community of students as they develop the skills to produce rigorous research and translate this into improved practice. Students will engage with different disciplinary traditions in DEM scholarship through the core program seminar; enhance their skills at teaching and communicating to diverse audiences; and develop dissertations that are both academically rigorous and practically important. PhD students will be encouraged to work closely with real-world emergency management partners and stakeholders, and to engage with issues of equity, vulnerability, and justice both locally and abroad.