This degree focuses on an interdisciplinary set of topics in the new graduate discipline of homeland security. The degree is designed to provide broad coverage of the major homeland security threats, organization, and challenges through course study in homeland defense, intelligence and homeland security, terrorism, consequence management, and interagency government issues. Students may select courses based on their professional, personal, or research interests, to include weapons of mass destruction, crisis management, narcotics as a homeland security issue, international homeland security, general national security, terrorism, security management, intelligence methods, transportation security, information security, emergency management, and public health.

Degree Program Objectives

In addition to the institutional and degree level outcomes objectives, the Master of Arts in Homeland Security also seeks the following specific learning outcomes of its graduates.  Graduates in this degree program will be able to do the following:

• Develop agency/organization specific tools to evaluate specific domestic security challenges for the 21^st Century that face the United States and other industrialized nations.
• Design and modify plans and programs at federal, state, and/or local levels to reflect the evolving strategic policy issues associated with a statutory and presidential direction for homeland security.
• Recognize terrorist groups’ proclivities in order to forecast the risks, types, and orders of magnitude of terrorist threats most likely to confront the nation-state.
• Predict the need to conduct and/or contract for research related to high probability Chemical Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or Energetic (CBRNE) events and their consequences in any community of interest
• Recognize the interdisciplinary nature of Homeland Security functions and be able to assess and integrate various functional areas.
• Develop policies procedures and protocols to allow seamless agency integration from prevention to incident response scenarios. Validate literal and procedural alignment/ compliance with the National Response Plan, National Incident Management System and, the Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs).

Degree Program Requirements

Core Courses (15 semester hours)
PS500 / POL 500 - Research Methods in Social Science
DM512 / EDM 560 - Crisis Action Planning
DM576 / EDM 565 - Consequence Management:  Terrorism Preparation and Response
DM644 / EDM 612 - Risk Communications
DM584 / PUB 530 - Public Policy

Major Courses (Select 15 semester hours)
CR537 / SCM 537 - Computer Crime
CR544 / SCM 544 - Security Architecture
CR545 / SCM 545 - Airport Security Design
CR547 / SCM 547 - Perimeter Security
DM568 / TLM 605 - Cargo Security Management
DM577 / PUB 610 - Public Management
DM645 / TLM 608 - Port Security
EM503 / EDM 530 - Economics of Disaster
EM516 / EDM 509 - Interagency Disaster Management
EM519 / EDM 541 - Mass Casualty Incident Management
EM502 / HCM 606 - Disaster Health Management
EM632 / HCM 605 - Quarantine
IN504 / INT 644 - Information Warfare
IN517 / INT 620 - Threat Analysis
IN600 / INT 611 - Corporate Threat Definition and Vulnerability Analysis
LC522 / HLS 523 - Domestic Terrorism and Extremist Groups
LC535 / HLS 522 - Weapons of Mass Destruction and the New Terrorism
IN544 / INT 647 - Intelligence and Weapons of Mass Destruction
NS510 / HLS 501 - Homeland Defense 

Graduate Electives (Select 6 semester hours)
From courses not taken to meet required, core, or major requirements.
EM702  /HLS 750 - Separate Comprehensive Examination Taken once all other degree requirements have been met.
EM707 / HLS 705 - Master’s Capstone Seminar in Homeland Security (3 semester hours)

The Master’s Capstone Seminar option includes a thesis, or a major research project or paper  in lieu of the final comprehensive examination, which has no credit hours.  Those who elect this option may reduce their electives by three semester hours to accommodate the seminar option credit. This option is desirable for those students who wish to focus on specific subject matter of an interdisciplinary nature or who would like to continue their education at a higher level.  Students electing this option must use this as one of the graduate electives.

Total Hours: 36 semester hours