Homeland Security Courses

Students who choose to obtain a degree in homeland security are to discover that this essential field is offering a large amount of professional opportunities for those individuals who are interested in devoting their careers to the security and protection of our population.

Homeland security degree programs become more and more available in schools and univerisities across the United States. The individual can now find accredited programs for emergency management certificate and emergency management degrees programs as well, which includes graduate and undergraduate degree options.

An education in homeland security is developing the abilities, skills and knowledge which are needed for leadership in homeland security which includes:

Infrastructure protection
Program management
Domestic and international terrorism
Intelligence operations and evaluation
International relations
Strategic planning for security.

The Homeland Security Degree courses which are offered at the schools include classes in:

Hazardous materials
Emergency preparedness
Constitutional law
Law enforcement
Criminal psychology
Criminal justice
Disaster management
Terrorism/national security.

A large amount of the Homeland Security Degrees which are offered at schools can be completed at an accelerated pace or online, in order to help working professionals to maintain their employment as well as furthering their education.

Subjects which are covered in a Homeland Security degree vary widely from psychology to safety engineering and political science. A good grounding in the basics of these disciplines at the same time allows students to understand the higher level coursework in emergency security and preparedness and response which follow the foundation classes.

Careers for a Homeland Security Degree Graduate

There are many local, state, and federal government agencies which fall under the Department of Homeland Security, some of which are cyber security, immigration, border security, counterterrorism, and more. There are just a few of the careers available in homeland security listed below:

Security Officer, keeps the peace in many public areas such as courts, transportation, and other government offices.
Security Screener is typically found at government buildings and airports, they screen everybody who enter for weapons and other contraband.
Program Managers, manages the operations of government contractors and ensure that work is being conducted both within budget and on time.
Contract Specialist, gather solicitations, bids, and proposals for a variety of government contracts.
Program Specialist, carries out the duties of a government program, such as a FEMA-recognized disaster.
Special Agent, this career often works in or with the CIA, FBI, or other related agency.
Information Technology Specialist, provides technical expertise to many areas of homeland security. That requires an extensive knowledge of computer science and other information technology related areas.
Federal Marshal, they assist the government by performing a variety of tasks ranging from transporting prisoners to security for judges.
Intelligence Analyst, analyzes information for the use of intelligence agencies at one of the many agencies charged with security.

And the above are just a few of the careers available with a homeland security degree. Because each career can be in a number of fields, each has its own requirements for education, experience, technical knowledge, etc.

Penn State

Penn State Online has a new inter-college master of professional studies (MPS) degree program in homeland security with five associated certificates or degree specializations which best suit your career path. Additionally to the MPS in homeland security features a core curriculum of three courses:

Homeland Security Administration: Policies and Programs
Homeland Security: Social and Ethical Issues, and Violence, Threats, Terror
Insurgency

Each program specializations’ curriculum shows how to manage and prevent threats of natural disasters and terrorism which impact organizational infrastructures, community and people.