What Does Homeland Security Mean?
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for handling the nation's security concerns. It anticipates potential problems and formulates plans in order to resolve them in advance. These include various issues ranging from terrorist attacks to natural and man-made disasters. So which path do you need to take in order to pursue a career in homeland security?
There are various degree program levels offered in homeland security, including:
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Associate's degree
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Bachelor's degree
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Master's degree
A master's degree in homeland security is offered both on-campus and online. An increasing need for trained homeland security employees has increased the number of availability of online programs, so that more people are able to pursue a degree. These programs enable students to continue to work at the same time by offering flexible class and study schedules. Also, these programs may cost less than campus-based programs due to the lower cost of online education.
Master's Degree in Homeland Security
The curriculum may be divided into core curriculum, required courses, and electives. The core courses usually include the following:
Homeland Security Administration
This course is the foundation for understanding homeland security history, policies, and current management practice
Social and Ethical Issues in Homeland Security
This course examines social, political, ethical, and legal issues that arise in homeland security context.
Violence, Terror and Threats
This course is an overview of domestic and global issues in homeland security. The required courses may include the following:
Introduction to Homeland Security
This course establishes foundation in homeland security, including organization, policy, and legal issues.
Homeland Security and Defense in Practice
This course evaluates and analyzed homeland security plans.
Organizational Imperatives and Strategic Planning in Homeland Security
This course examines key issues linked to strategic planning within homeland security.
The electives may include the following courses:
Agricultural Bio Security
This course examines various threats to the food system, history, and approaches for protecting the key infrastructure.
Risk Management and Disaster Prevention
This course analyzes the main elements of disaster, risk, and crisis management.
Fundamentals of Public Policy Analysis
This course is a foundation of public policy within the context of organization and politics, including an emphasis on economics.
Homeland Security Law
This course examines the controlling authorities that relate to homeland security in the US. It also emphasizes on the compelling requirement to perform ethically and legally in a professional setting. The above mentioned curriculum is common for many schools; however, please note that there may be some variations at each school. Consult your college counselor for exact information.
What Are The Different Types of Career Opportunities in The Department of Homeland Security?
Some of the occupations found in DHS are listed below:
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Asylum Officers
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Border Patrol Agent
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Police Officer
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Criminal Investigator
Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives gather evidence and facts about possible crimes. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for police and detectives was $56,980 in May 2012.