Aviation disasters are decreasing in number but remain impactful and require competent management. Aviation Management program department heads (N = 26) in the United States were surveyed regarding the extent of curricular inclusion of emergency preparedness and response in aviation management programs. The findings indicated that few aviation management programs offer elective or required courses solely focused on emergency preparedness and response (EPR) whereas just over one third of programs offer an elective or required course within which EPR is a planned topic. Department heads recognized the importance of additional coverage because a) students need the practical information and b) such education would enhance their marketability. They perceived obstacles regarding funding, faculty interest and expertise, and already overloaded curricula. However, the strongest quantitative predictors of curricular inclusion and integration within programs were department heads’ personal experiences in teaching on the topic of emergency preparedness and response and their attitude that such training “should” be included in curricula
