Bachelor of Arts in Security Management

This course will assess the criminal justice system including research theory, inquiry structure, and modes of observation, data interpretation, program evaluation, and policy analysis. The student will approach the study of research methods through reading assignments, assessing scenarios, research readings and/or questions regarding issues in research in Criminal Justice. The student will prepare a research survey regarding a topic in the criminal justice field. Students will examine the importance of theory as it relates to criminal justice research and differentiate between major research approaches, designs, data collection techniques, and research works. Students shall be introduced to the American Psychological Association (APA) style of writing regarding basic research paper format. (This course is to be considered a perquisite taken as one of the first three 300 level courses from the criminal justice and/or security curriculums).

This course examines various elements and aspects of International and Domestic Terrorism. Students explore the cultural and ideological philosophies, as well as the social, economic, political, and religious conditions of select states, groups, and individuals that comprise the phenomena of terrorism. By examining the historical and contemporary aspects of terrorism students develop a working knowledge of the current Global War on Terror and are better prepared to comprehend terrorist motives and ideologies. Topics include: History and Development, Types of Terrorism, Conventional and Unconventional terrorist tactics, the Media’s impact on terrorism including the US Counterterrorism Policies. Particular attention is addressed to the Al-Qaeda terrorist network.

This course is an overview of the principles and issues in business and organizational security management. It reviews the classical management functions including the role of the Chief Security Officer and the principles of organizing the security function. It assesses the traditional management theories and concepts of planning, staffing, span of control as they are applied to the organization. Students examine the challenges embodied in various aspects of physical, personnel, and information security. Principles of loss prevention and the protection of assets are also considered. The history, legal foundations, functions, operations, processes, and tools of security management are explored to ensure the student has a broad understanding of security management and its current role in government and business operations.

This course assesses legal and ethical issues that inevitably affect security managers. It examines dimensions of security management including pertinent points of civil and criminal law, personnel law and obligations, negotiations, contract management, constitutional rights of individuals, legal compliance, liability, ethical standards and dilemmas, and decision-making.

This course explores industry standards, practices and methods of determining the adequacy of security management programs. It reviews the interplay of management structures, functions and processes as well as proper procedures for conducting physical security analyses and evaluations. The course examines the principles of operating technology-centered programs for the protection of assets.

This course focuses on the contemporary issues of security management such as substance abuse, violence, ideologies, adjudication and reconsideration reviews, security countermeasures, case management, use of examinations such as polygraphs, report writing, international commercial sales, and media relations. It also addresses the security manager’s role in personnel management, security planning, organizational communication, recruitment, retention, training and development, and management of contracts, as well as examines techniques and tools that help security managers understand bias, educate, and shift attitudes of employees towards more proactive security practices.

This course focuses on principles and practices that security managers can put to immediate use. The bedrock requirements of effective organization, staff selection, and daily operating procedures are emphasized over abstract concepts. Topics include guard operations, plans, policies, and procedures, workplace violence, managing change, bomb threat management, security awareness training, physical security, securing information systems, investigations, and employee screening.

Effective physical security is based on an accurate threat assessment followed by the implementation of an overlapping system of physical and electronic safeguards designed for the specific needs of the client. Topics covered include threat assessment, the security survey, architectural design for security, physical and electronic security methodologies, security lighting, perimeter protection and the guard force, clear zones, wall materials, signage, and the importance of effective and continuous local, state, and federal governmental liaison.

This course is a study of the federal, state and local organizations involved in border and coastal security, associated homeland security issues, the various policy and operational strategies used for border and coastal access and security, and contemporary border and coastal security concerns. Topics also include immigration and non-U.S. approaches to border and coastal security.

Port Security is a survey course designed to provide students with a broad knowledge of port security issues. It will examine the critical importance of ports to trade and their vulnerability to disruption and attack. It will also examine several contemporary issues, including; the importance of sea borne trade to the North American and United States economies, the value of mega ports to sea borne trade, the vulnerabilities of ports to disruption and asymmetric attack, critical port security incidents such as the Halifax Explosion, and defensive measures to protect ports from disruption or asymmetric attack.

This course allows students to examine a broad range of computer security issues and provides the student with technical knowledge not normally addressed in traditional training. It explores the protection of proprietary information and security planning with an emphasis on networked computer vulnerabilities. It also focuses on detection (e.g. viruses, hackers, types of computer crime, computer forensic examination, etc.), as well as disaster recovery and technology law. A primary focus is put on security of systems and computer crime prevention. Also addressed is the maturing criminal population with increased computer literacy, whose tendency is to move from violent actions to more profitable computer crime. Finally, issues of privacy and freedom of information are examined. This course meets the topical requirements of the IAW 8570.1M Technical II and Management I categories.

This course applies case studies, government reports and best practices to the practical management of the campus and school security. Topics covered include the nature of campus and school criminality, risk analysis, countermeasure development, crisis management planning, staff awareness and training, proactive protective intelligence, and critical incident recovery.

Industrial espionage results in millions of dollars in lost revenue each year. This course provides a brief history of espionage and examines the World Wide Web as an enabler of espionage, the role of governments in industrial espionage, the rise of the competitive intelligence professional, tensions between openness and security, and the Economic Espionage Act of 1996.

Executive protection is a growth industry. This course provides a thorough overview of the subject. Topics covered include basic principles, threat assessment, risk analysis, training opportunities, finding employment, organization and management of a protective services detail, working the principal, home and office security, technological considerations, vehicle security, conducting an advance, domestic and international travel, firearms selection and training, and self-defense fundamentals.

This course is designed to provide a solid foundation for undergraduate study in the online environment. Students will be introduced to learning theory, the tools available in the online classroom and campus, and online research. Identification of personal learning style allows students to improve their study/learning techniques and prepares them to succeed in college level courses. Students will be introduced to formatting and citation styles. APUS policy and procedure is addressed. There is an emphasis on written communication to assist students in the transition to the online environment.

The Capstone course is a senior level course designed to allow the student to review, analyze and integrate the work the student has completed toward a degree in Security Management. The student will complete an approved academic project or paper that demonstrates mastery of their program of study in a meaningful culmination of their learning and to assess their level of mastery of the stated outcomes of their degree requirements. NOTE: All required, core, and major courses must be completed prior to enrollment in this course. Student must have SENIOR standing to register.