A career of adventure,
a lifetime of service
International rescue and relief is a unique bachelor of science degree designed for adventurous students who want to serve mankind through disaster and humanitarian relief. There are core courses and three emphases to choose from.
For a world facing increasing natural and man-made disasters and growing refugee populations, this major is designed to equip graduates with specialized service skills.
Why study international rescue and relief?
- An opportunity to serve enthusiastically, effectively and compassionately in other cultures.
- Learn how to competently respond to disasters as trained professionals.
- Obtain professional certifications in emergency response and management.
In challenging situations—whether repelling off a building, a diving rescue, or performing an IV on a little girl in Nicaragua— those opportunities help you see you are capable of a lot more. Our training isn’t taught at many volunteer fire departments and rescue squads. When I returned to Virginia in the summers, I’ve was able to share what I learned at Union with my fellow fire fighters back home.
a senior IRR major from Virginia.
Real experience starts long before graduation.
Union's new international rescue and relief major is the only known college-level program of its kind in the United States. The four-year Bachelor of Science degree combines rescue and survival skills, emergency medical care, humanitarian relief, public health, disaster management and multicultural service training.
Why study at Union College?
- Earn many certifications, including EMT, Rescue 3 International rope and swift water rescue certifications, and a variety of Red Cross and FEMA disaster management certifications.
- Spend five weeks of your first summer in the Colorado wilderness learning survival, search and rescue, technical rope rescue and swift water rescue.
- At the end of the program, you'll live in a developing nation for a semester, learning about global health and conducting medical clinics in remote areas.
- Prepare for careers in public safety, the medical field, global development and emergency management.
- Learn from professors with experience as police officers, paramedics, global relief managers and wilderness survival experts.
As I neared graduation, I wondered what God had in store for me. I planned to work as a paramedic until He opened a door to service. I didn’t have to wait long. After an earthquake rocked Haiti in early 2010, I joined IRR students and alumni in Haiti to provide relief and aid to earthquake victims. I organized daily medical and mobile clinics, conducted group debriefings, attended United Nations meetings and rubbed elbows with military groups from around the world. Once home I looked for work opportunities that would incorporate most, if not all, of my education and field experience. I was offered a contract in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, working for the government as a paramedic with the Saudi Red Crescent Authority. After working in the field responding to various types of emergency cases, I began to settle into a routine, but once again God had other plans for me. The Red Crescent Authority is also responsible for the personal health care needs of a prince of Saudi Arabia and they were seeking qualified individuals. I was one of the lucky few chosen to live on the grounds of the palace as personal medical staff for the royal family. I wasn’t chosen because of my years as a paramedic or my knowledge of emergency medicine. No, I was told that I was chosen because I was one of a few people in the entire country that had a specialty degree, a degree in international rescue and relief from Union College.
2009 graduate who has served as a paramedic around the world.
Majors and minors
The international rescue and relief program offers degrees in the following areas:
International Rescue and Relief (PDF guide)—a four-year bachelor of science with emphases in the following areas:
- Public Safety—train to be a firefighter (PDF), paramedic (PDF) or law enforcement officers (PDF).
- Global Community Development—Prepare for careers working for local and global aid organizations (PDF guide).
- Pre-professional—prepare for graduate school, specifically medical (PDF), physician assistant (PDF) or physical therapy (PDF).
Health Care Leadership—a four-degree bachelor of science combined with Union's Leadership Minor program (PDF guide).
Emergency Services—two-year associate degree (PDF guide).
Allied Health—two-year associate degree (PDF guide).
You may also pair the following minors with a major in any discipline:
- Disaster Management
- Survival and Rescue
- Global Community Development
Career options
Firefighter
Control and put out fires and respond to emergencies where life, property, or the environment is at risk.
Job outlook
7% growth (average)
Median pay
$49,000
Paramedic
Care for the sick or injured in emergency medical settings.
Job outlook
15% growth (much faster than average)
Median pay
$41,000
Emergency management director
Directors prepare plans and procedures for responding to natural disasters or other emergencies.
Job outlook
8% growth (average)
Median pay
$72,000
Meet the faculty
Get to know a little more about our emergency management and exercise science faculty. They all have impressive credentials, but they're pretty cool too.
Division of Emergency Management and Exercise Science
Our IRR program is a part of an academic division that offers a wide variety of emergency management and exercise science programs.
Stories
Find out how Union international rescue and relief majors are making a difference all over the world.