What is Business Continuity?

1. What is business continuity management?
   
2. Why is it an important field?
   
3. Why should there be a master's degree in this field?
   
4. Who will teach the seminars?
   
5. To whom will this program appeal?
   

1. What is business continuity management?
   Business continuity management focuses on processes that allow an organization to continue functioning during an operations disruption, such as a fire, power failure, or hardware crash. The goal of business continuity management is to integrate a survival reflex into the organization that will allow it to continue serving customers and other constituencies during recovery from a disaster.
   
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2. Why is it an important field?
   The field has really launched since 9/11 and Katrina. Those events demonstrated that a disaster could put you out of business very quickly, and long-term sustainability requires continuity programs. Business continuity is becoming standard practice in the business community. Just as you would not consider buying a home without insurance, a well run business invests in continuity of business programs as insurance against the events that can put it out of business. There are also regulations requiring continuity programs in certain industries, such as finance and health care. The federal government is requiring continuity of operations plans for all agencies, and soon regulations may require it for all businesses.
   
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3. Why should there be a master's degree in this field?
   Business continuity management is an emerging field. Right now, the only source of credentials is certification classes and exams. While these are important, higher education needs to enter the field to legitimize it to the outside world. Traditionally, higher education has taken new fields over the hump to demonstrate to outsiders that the field contains its own professional competencies. Right now, the field is still trying to prove its value. Higher education programs will do that.
   
   Plus, academic programs provide a more rounded understanding of a field than can be provided by certifications. Certifications demonstrate that you understand certain facts about the field, but a program like Norwich University's Master of Science in Business Continuity Management require the student to study issues in the profession in depth, debate those issues with colleagues in the profession, and write consulting reports that apply those issues to real life situations. We require that you demonstrate your ability to apply your understanding of the field, not just repeat it on an exam.
   
   Professional conferences are a good way to keep up to date on the latest developments in the field, but they provide a cafeteria-style sampling of topics in 45 minute snippets based on the attendee's interests. An academic program is a guided journey through the field developed by professionals who determine what a practitioner must know to do their job. Academic programs fill in the pockets of knowledge missed by self-sampling. We spend a whole week—20 hours of study—on topics that are handled in 45 minute conference presentations, providing much more depth than is possible by other approaches.
   
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4. Who will teach the seminars?
   We use practitioners in the field with academic credentials. Our faculty are some of the most important names in the field. We have leaders of professional organizations, long-time consultants, and experts who have helped shape the common body of knowledge of the field. Besides practical experience, our instructors have teaching experience and understand how to build community with our students.
   
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5. To whom will this program appeal?
   This program is appropriate to both the experienced professional who has a certification but who wants to separate themselves from other professionals, or advance to executive level positions within their organization, and those who need the foundational understanding to enter the field. Our students will also do the research to advance understanding of the field, and become true leaders within the profession.
   

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