Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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The EMI Student Portal allows students to view their course completions as well as print certificates and/or an unofficial student transcript. In addition, students can request an official transcript from the FEMA Independent Study Program (FEMA ISP) office.  For more information review the FEMA ISP Information page.

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Independent Study Exams require a FEMA Student Identification Number (FEMA SID). The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) is the issuing agency for this number.  To register/retrieve your FEMA SID number or for further assistance with your FEMA SID account, please visit the FEMA SID website.

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Independent Study Exams use Login.gov to allow you to sign in safely and securely. Login.gov is not managed by the Independent Study Program.

For assistance with your Login.gov account registration, sign in/password, and/or profile information changes, please contact the Login.gov Helpdesk at 844-875-6446 or submit a help ticket at Contact Login.gov.

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Yes. As of April 1, 2015, the FEMA Student Identification Number (FEMA SID) is required. Please visit the FEMA SID website to obtain a FEMA SID.
Students who have taken courses in the past under their social security number can contact the FEMA Independent Study Program (FEMA ISP) office at 301-447-1200 or Independent.Study@fema.dhs.gov to have their records merged under their FEMA SID number.
For FEMA employees (full/part time, reservists, and CORE), we recommend you first attempt the IS course via FEMA Employee Knowledge Center (FEKC). Contact the FEMA Help Desk if you do not know the link to the FEKC website. If the course is not listed in FEKC and you are completing it through the Independent Study website, register for your FEMA SID number. Make sure to enter your FEMA email address in the Work Email field, then request that your FEMA SID profile be PIV enabled. For additional information on using your FEMA issued PIV card for Independent Study training, please visit https://training.fema.gov/is/pivfaq.aspx.

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Upon successful completion of an Independent Study (IS) exam, you will receive an email within 1-2 business days with instructions on how to access your completion documents. This email confirms your training record has been updated and provides a link to the EMI Student Portal where you can view, download and print all of your electronic certificates and/or student transcript. Your completions will appear in the EMI Student Portal prior to receiving the email.
Certificates/Transcripts are provided as Portable Document Format (PDF) files and require Adobe Reader. If you do not have this software, it can be obtained as a free download at http://www.adobe.com.

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Yes! Completion certificates or a student transcript can be obtained by visiting the EMI Student Portal.

To download individual course completion certificates, log in to the EMI Student Portal and click on the IS Course Certificates button, then click on each course title.

To download an unofficial student transcript, log in to the EMI Student Portal and click on the Student IS Transcript button.

You cannot request an Official Transcript by phone. To request an Official Transcript, login to the EMI Student Portal and click on the Official IS Transcript button.

*Please note that IS transcripts issued by the FEMA Independent Study Program (FEMA ISP) office do NOT reflect college credits.

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No, a username and password are NOT required to complete an IS course. Independent Study Exams use Login.gov to allow you to sign in safely and securely. You will sign into the exam with the email and password associated with your Login.gov account. Please see the How do I take an Independent Study course online FAQ for more information.

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If you have an inquiry regarding the FEMA ISP Emergency Management Institute (EMI) program not related to a FEMA SID such as: requests for certificates/transcripts, or portal issues, please contact the FEMA ISP office at 301-447-1200 or email Independent.Study@fema.dhs.gov for further assistance. Please do not contact the FEMA SID Help Desk as they are unable to provide assistance with these requests.

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The primary audience for the FEMA Independent Study Program (FEMA ISP) is first responders, EMS personnel and US citizens. The FEMA ISP has no requirements for instructors to teach our courses; however, we do suggest the instructor is familiar with the course materials before teaching the course. Reviewing the material, taking and passing the exam online and reviewing any classroom materials provided are suggested ways to familiarize yourself with the material. All exams must be submitted online on the Independent Study website.

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Due to the Privacy Act, we no longer accept third party requests for completion verification, certificate reissue, or transcripts. Please have the student contact the FEMA Independent Study Program (FEMA ISP) office directly at 301-447-1200 or Independent.Study@fema.dhs.gov for assistance.

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ICS-300 and ICS-400 can be taught on campus, in the field or at the state-level; therefore, we recommend contacting your State Training Office (STO) for course training information.

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ICS-300 and ICS-400 courses are not administered by the FEMA Independent Study Program (FEMA ISP); therefore, we do not maintain completion records.

ICS-300 and ICS-400 can be taught on campus, in the field or at the state-level; therefore, we recommend contacting the agency that provided your training to inquire about those certificates.

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Exams are scored in an automated system to eliminate the opportunity for scoring errors. To maintain the integrity of our courses, we do not distribute test scores or questions missed. Our exams are based upon pass/fail criteria with the benchmark for successful completion set at 75%. Our program does not limit your exam attempts. Please be aware that online exams are scrambled, and the questions may change when you take the final exam. Be sure to read test questions and answer choices carefully.

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Great to see emergency planning for houses of worship.

EMI maintains an Independent Study (IS) course titled IS-360 Preparing for Mass Casualty Incidents: A Guide for Schools, Higher Education, and Houses of Worship. The course provides resources from many organizations to include private sector.

How to Assess the Safety and Security of Your Place of Worship is one resource some have found helpful, but there are many other resources provided in this course.

Another Independent Study course, IS-907 Active Shooter: What You Can Do includes additional resources.

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Make sure you are using a supported web browser and a standard desktop or laptop computer. Mobile devices are not recommended.  In addition, please review our Technical System Requirements.

If the problem persists, please contact the FEMA Independent Study Program (FEMA ISP) office at 301-447-1200 or email Independent.Study@fema.dhs.gov with a detailed error description.

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Organizations/Agencies are encouraged to institute procedures to ensure that students are completing IS exams for EMI's IS courses through their own individual efforts. Individuals within an organization who feel that exam answers are being improperly provided should follow that organization's procedures for reporting unethical conduct. If a student is found to have cheated on an IS exam, the penalty may include, but is not limited to:

• expulsion
• foreclosure from future classes for a specified period
• forfeiture of certificate for course(s) enrolled in at NETC or NTC
• or all the above

A letter notifying the student's sponsor of the individual's misconduct will be sent by the appropriate official at NETC. Upon written request by the individual's sponsor, information from and/or copies of the statements from the individual and witnesses, police reports, and NETC or NTC security reports may be made available to the individual's sponsor for the purpose of determining if disciplinary action is appropriate by the sponsoring organization

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Unless otherwise indicated in the course materials, under 17 USC § 105 these government produced materials are not afforded copyright protection and are within the public domain. Changes to original EMI content are not authorized by EMI. When using EMI curriculum materials or portions thereof, agencies, organizations and individuals should cite EMI as the originator of the material. The materials should not be used or displayed by non-federal entities in a manner or way which states or implies endorsement of a user’s products or services by the Federal Government.

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Click on the FEMA Independent Study Program (FEMA ISP) Course List and select your course from the list.

Review course materials by choosing any one of the options in the "Take This Course" box on the right-hand side of the page.

Submit your final exam online. You will be enrolled in the course when you submit your final exam answers online.

Upon successful completion of an Independent Study (IS) exam, you will receive an email within 1-2 business days with instructions on how to access your completion documents. This email confirms your training record has been updated and provides a link to the EMI Student Portal where you can view, download and print all of your electronic certificates and/or student transcript. Your completions will appear in the EMI Student Portal prior to receiving the email.

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You may sign-up for our GovDelivery service to receive the latest news on new and updated courses. To sign up or to access your subscriber preferences, please enter your e-mail address.  We also recommend that you visit the Independent Study website frequently. As new courses become available, they will be posted there.

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Visit EMI Higher Education Program and choose "College List" from the menu on the left side of the page. There you will find information on schools offering emergency management, homeland security and related programs under FEMA’s Higher Education Program.

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The Professional Development Series (PDS) includes seven Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Independent Study (IS) courses that provide a well-rounded set of fundamentals for those in the emergency management profession. When a student has completed all courses in the series, a PDS certificate will be available for download in the EMI Student Portal. The courses, in recommended order of completion, are located at EMI Professional Development Curriculum.

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Independent Study (IS) courses are evaluated, accredited and awarded CEUs in accordance with the standards established by the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET).   CEUs are calculated as follows:  0.1 CEU = 1 Contact Hour or 1 hour of instruction/learning.  The CEUs assigned to each course are provided on the Independent Study Course List .

Acceptance of CEUs towards certification, recertification or license renewal is decided by the organization who requires the training (continuing education). The Independent Study Program Office does not place restrictions on the use of the CEUs obtained by participants.