Earn a Masters or Doctorate Online to Work in Homeland Security

With all the talk of unrest in the United States and the threats of terrorism from abroad, it should come as no surprise that universities are now offering homeland security (online) degrees or  Emergency Management degrees. If you have an interest in police work or in being a part of emergency preparedness through the military, this might be a degree program that would interest you.

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A degree in homeland security or emergency preparedness is often designed as a graduate degree. People who already have a bachelor’s degree or who have experience in disaster management and community interaction from the perspective of a police officer may find enhanced career opportunities with the addition of a master’s degree or even a doctorate. The types of things these professionals are needed for include evacuating a town that is under threat of a natural disaster, coordinating relief efforts for large sections of a country, overseeing operations during a terrorist attack, or working with a community following a chemical spill or other threat.

In addition to approaching an Emergency Management degree from a law enforcement perspective, you could also add it to your skill set through the Health Services arena. A Master of Science in Health Sciences / Emergency and Disaster Management will prepare you to take a leadership role during natural disasters as well as terrorist attacks. Perhaps just as importantly, you learn to work with government and community agencies and leaders to develop disaster plans prior to an actual crisis. In numerous natural disaster cases, experts say the major cause of death is often not the disaster itself, but the lack of a solid plan of response for handling the disaster.

The Department of Homeland Security was established by President Bush following the 9/11 attacks on the US. The stated purpose of the department is to coordinate efforts and activities of the branches of government in order to react more effectively in the event of a threat. Under the act that created this department, many federal agencies had their authority and their jobs transferred to the new department. However, moving responsibilities around and setting up new departments is an exercise in futility unless people are trained to know how to make the system work and what to do if an emergency does occur. Thus, universities have responded with degrees in Homeland Security, often offered through Criminal Science departments.

Some typical courses you might take for a degree in homeland security include Fundamentals of Transportation Security, Regulatory Issues in Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Emergency Management. You will learn the basics of intelligence gathering and will learn how to identify extremist groups and their operations. Furthermore, as America’s enemies become increasingly clever at camouflaging their activities, you too will continue educating yourself in the most up-to-date concepts of terrorism and counterterrorism.