By Bob Jaffin
So, the jobs are there. But how can you earn one? In some cases, you may just need additional training. For example, the National Sheriff’s Association and the Office of Domestic Preparedness offer programs — at no cost to the participant’s agency.
Some positions may require a bachelor’s degree or even an advanced degree. Many higher education institutions incorporate homeland security into existing degrees or offer separate degrees. If choosing that route, keep these guidelines in mind when researching degree programs:
- A solid homeland security program should include courses that combine theory with practical applications.
- Any program — whether it’s for a full degree or a certificate — should require students to earn at least 18 credits or more. This level of study ensures a good balance between theory and practical approaches.
- The program should include courses from a variety of disciplines, such as criminal justice, law, emergency management, intelligence, social science, security management and communications. It should definitely include courses covering the role of the federal government and constitutional law.
- The program should match your career goals. For example, some programs may focus more on emergency management, while others may lean toward criminal justice and yet others may focus on health care. If you’re not sure after looking at the course offerings, contact the department chair or other program advisor for more information.
- Faculty should have relevant “real-world†experience. Modern homeland is so new that textbooks are being written right now. To be successful, a program must incorporate what’s happening in the field.
The homeland security degree program at American Public University System was launched in May 2001 – months before 9/11. It was the first available in the United States and remains the nation’s largest program. The program was designed as a multidisciplinary offering and depends heavily on portions of the criminal justice and intelligence specialties. The undergraduate program requires the completion of a fifteen-credit weapons of mass destruction certificate and includes a well-balanced core requirement of courses.
Concentrations (or specializations) are then added to this base. The concentrations include criminal justice, security management, intelligence and selective medical and health studies as well as courses in national security, international relations and public management. A program such as this allows all students to acquire a firm and diverse foundation upon which to build either a specialization or to become a generalist, with training across many disciplines.
At the graduate level, the core requirement draws from emergency and disaster management, intelligence and national security. The student is required to select a narrower concentration from a list that includes 16 focus areas.
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