Crisis worker education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a crisis manager?

A minimum of a bachelor's degree is required to be a crisis manager. Both the level of education and the focus of that undergraduate degree may vary significantly. Earning a bachelor's degree in one of many areas of study is the first step in becoming a crisis manager. Undergraduate degrees in everything from English to public relations are acceptable for someone pursuing a career in crisis management. Many candidates then earn a master's degree in emergency management. Because there are different types of crisis management, the MS in emergency management introduces students to these specific focus areas. Some crisis managers work primarily with public relations to control the message delivered by a company after an incident, while others may work with police and fire safety to develop plans for employees in case an emergency arises. Further specialization also can come in the form of certifications. The Institute for Crisis Management and the Institute for Public Relations offer numerous certifications to advance a candidate's knowledge in specialized areas of crisis management.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a crisis worker. Crisis workers usually study psychology, social work, or criminal justice. 61% of crisis workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,815 real crisis worker resumes to see exactly what crisis worker education sections show.

The most common colleges for crisis workers are the University of Utah and the University of Utah.

There are also many online crisis worker courses to help get the education required to be a crisis worker.

What education do you need to become a crisis worker?

What degree do you need to be a crisis worker?

The most common degree for crisis workers is bachelor's degree, with 61% of crisis workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 61%

Master's, 23%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a crisis worker?

You should major in psychology to become a crisis worker. 30% of crisis workers major in psychology. Other common majors for a crisis worker include social work and criminal justice.

Psychology, 30%

Social Work, 22%

Criminal Justice, 7%

Sociology, 6%

Other Majors, 35%

Most common colleges for crisis workers

Crisis workers often get their degrees at University of Utah, Western Michigan University, and University of Illinois at Chicago. Here are the most common colleges for crisis workers in the US based on their resumes.

Crisis worker common college	Percentages
University of Utah	10.91%
Western Michigan University	9.82%
University of Illinois at Chicago	6.55%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point	6.18%
Pennsylvania State University	6.18%

Show more common crisis worker colleges

Best majors for crisis workers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	29.6%
2	Social Work	21.7%
3	Criminal Justice	7.1%
4	Sociology	6.4%
5	Human Services	5.9%

Show more common crisis worker majors

Best colleges for crisis workers

The best colleges for crisis workers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A crisis worker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for crisis workers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become crisis workers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

9. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for crisis workers

Advertising disclosure

1. Crisis Communications

Crisis Communications is designed to empower professionals with the knowledge and skills to effectively navigate and respond to crisis situations through interviews...

2. Health in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

The Center for Humanitarian Emergencies is a partnership between CDC's Emergency Response and Recovery Branch and the Rollins School of Public Health that drives global collaboration, research and evidence based training to improve the lives and well-being of populations impacted by humanitarian emergencies. - Center for Humanitarian Emergencies: http://www.che.emory.edu/ - CDC's Emergency Response and Recovery Branch: http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/errb/index.html This course...

3. Crisis Intervention Seminar

4.4

(634)

The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...

4. Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, India 2013

4.5

(827)

A complete guide to prevent, prohibit and redress sexual harassment at workplaces in India. Detailed overview on Sexual...

5. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...

6. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff

Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...

7. Sexual Harassment Training for Managers

4.5

(1,111)

Learn how to create a safe, secure, and inclusive work environment...

8. Fire Safety and Prevention Planning

4.4

(1,467)

Become an expert in understanding Fire Safety and Prevention Planning for your workplaces and organizations...

9. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...

10. Trauma Emergencies and Care

Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...

11. Addiction & Mental Health (Dual Diagnosis) Integrative 12hrs

4.7

(1,529)

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions: Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health - Integrative Holistic Approach...

12. Addiction & Mental Health - Chemically Speaking Two (2hrs)

4.7

(311)

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions - Understand Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health. How to help people...

13. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers

This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...

14. The Global Financial Crisis

Former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy F. Geithner and Professor Andrew Metrick survey the causes, events, policy responses, and aftermath of the recent global financial crisis...

15. Sexual Harassment Training for Employees in the Workplace

4.6

(12,984)

Learn about sexual harassment in the workplace and the ways to identify, report, and prevent it...

16. Social Media Crisis Prevention

4.2

(277)

Get practical skills to protect your reputation and your organization against a social media meltdown...

17. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1) assess a basic medical patient 2) describe general pharmacologic principles and the skills associated with medication administration, 3) explain airway physiology, the assessment of the airway and available interventions for airway management, 4) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a...

18. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications

4.6

(2,248)

Public Relations: You Can Shape and Control Your Media Messages at The Worst Possible Times...

19. Personal Emergency Planning (Coronavirus - COVID-19 Edition)

4.5

(1,490)

Learn how to prepare for and respond to all the different kinds of emergencies that could befall you including COVID-19...

20. Fundamentals of Business Crisis Management

4.2

(468)

Be in control when the going gets tough...

Top 10 most affordable universities for crisis workers

The most affordable schools for crisis workers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for crisis workers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for crisis workers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for crisis workers

The hardest universities for crisis workers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for crisis workers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for crisis workers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for crisis workers

The easiest schools for crisis workers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a crisis worker without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for crisis workers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

8. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

Average crisis worker salary by education level

According to our data, crisis workers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $37,431 annually. Crisis workers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $29,952.

Crisis worker education level	Crisis worker salary
Master's Degree	$37,431
Bachelor's Degree	$29,952

Crisis worker education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a crisis manager?

What is the best college for Crisis Workers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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