Program Overview

Bachelor of Arts in Security Studies Online

The online Bachelor of Arts in Security Studies is designed to provide students with a comprehensive, critical examination of the contemporary security environment and the ability to understand and analyze complex security problems confronting the United States and international community.

Overview

Students receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Security Studies tend to pursue careers in federal law enforcement, the intelligence community, private security companies, or the military. They may go on to pursue a Master of Arts in security studies or intelligence studies.

Marketable Skills

Students develop the following marketable skills:

1. Communication: Communicate in discussions, through oral briefings, or in small group activities.
2. Critical thinking: Students learn about intelligence analysis, which entails thinking critically about complex security problems and being able to express judgments related to courses of action.
3. Global awareness: Students learn about global security-related issues.
4. Research: Students learn how to gain open source information related to security issues and how to statistically analyze quantitative information to address security problems.
5. Time management: Working online requires that students effectively manage their time for each course to complete weekly modules in a timely fashion.
6. Writing: Written briefings and papers are required.
7. Policy evaluation: Understanding the link between intelligence and policy and evaluating the effectiveness of policy in addressing security issues.
8. Security assessment: Obtain information related to security risks and evaluate those risks objectively.

Program Requirements

1. Complete a minimum of 120 semester hours including at least 39 hours at the advanced (3000 or 4000) level.
2. Fulfill the general education, block electives, and foreign language requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Liberal Arts.
   • Security Studies majors need to fulfill the mathematics requirement by taking MATH 1320.
3. Complete six (6) credit hours of Spanish; pre-requisites may exist. Spanish is the only foreign language available as an online format.

Major Requirements (48 semester hours)

The major requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Security Studies consists of 16 required courses (48 semester hours). This total is exclusive of UTEP's Core Curriculum requirements and the College of Liberal Arts General Education block elective and language requirements.

• INSS 1301: History and Security (3 hours)
• INSS 1302: Geography and Security (3 hours)
• INSS 2302: Security Studies (3 hours)
• INSS 2303: Writing for Security Prof. (3 hours)
• INSS 2304: Statistics for Security Stud. (3 hours)
• INSS 2305: Modern Strategy (3 hours)
• INSS 3302: Sem in Intel and Nat'l Sec (3 hours)
• INSS 3340: Seminar in Homeland Security (3 hours)
• INSS 3348: Cyberspace & National Security (3 hours)
• INSS 3349: Security Operations (3 hours)
• INSS 4301: Intel Collection & Analysis (3 hours)
• INSS 4302: Intel & Transnational Threats (3 hours)
• INSS 4303: Ethics and Security (3 hours)
• INSS 4347: Critical Infrastructure Prtctn (3 hours)
• INSS 4380: Cybersecurity (3 hours)
• INSS 4390: Senior Capstone (3 hours)

Academic Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better in order to earn the Bachelor of Arts in Security Studies. Students with a semester GPA below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation by the program.

Fast Track

The Fast-Track Program enables outstanding undergraduate UTEP students to receive both undergraduate and graduate credit for up to 15 hours of UTEP course work as determined by participating Master's and Doctoral programs.

Degree Plan

Required Credits: 120

• University Core Curriculum: 42 hours
• Security Studies Major:
  • Required Courses:
    • INSS 1301: History and Security (3 hours)
    • INSS 1302: Geography and Security (3 hours)
    • INSS 2302: Security Studies (3 hours)
    • INSS 2303: Writing for Security Prof. (3 hours)
    • INSS 2304: Statistics for Security Stud. (3 hours)
    • INSS 2305: Modern Strategy (3 hours)
    • Upper-Division Coursework: 30 hours
      • INSS 3302: Sem in Intel and Nat'l Sec
      • INSS 3340: Seminar in Homeland Security
      • INSS 3348: Cyberspace & National Security
      • INSS 3349: Security Operations
      • INSS 4301: Intel Collection & Analysis
      • INSS 4302: Intel & Transnational Threats
      • INSS 4303: Ethics and Security
      • INSS 4347: Critical Infrastructure Prtctn
      • INSS 4380: Cybersecurity
      • INSS 4390: Senior Capstone
  • Major Electives: Select six additional hours (6 hours)
• Open Electives: Select additional hours to complete a total of one hundred twenty hours
• Foreign Language: Select six credit of Foreign Language. All six credits must be in the same language sequence. (6 hours)
  • Only Spanish language courses are offered online.
• Block Electives: Complete twelve upper-division hours from the blocks below, with three to six hours in each (12 hours)

University Core Curriculum

The University Core Curriculum is divided into several components:

1. Communication (six hours): Develops ideas and expresses them clearly.
2. American History (six hours): Considers past events and ideas relative to the United States.
3. Language, Philosophy & Culture (three hours): Explores ideas that foster aesthetic and intellectual creation.
4. Mathematics (three hours): Focuses on quantitative literacy in logic, patterns, and relationships.
5. Life & Physical Sciences (six hours): Describes, explains, and predicts natural phenomena.
6. Political Science (six hours): Analyzes governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and their foundations.
7. Social & Behavioral Sciences (three hours): Applies empirical and scientific methods to understand human behavior.
8. Creative Arts (three hours): Appreciates and analyzes creative artifacts and works of the human imagination.
9. Component Area Option (six hours): May include courses that meet foundational component areas or include a minimum of three Core Objectives.

Block Electives

Block electives are divided into three categories:

1. Fine and Performing Arts: Courses that focus on the appreciation and analysis of creative artifacts.
2. Humanities: Courses that explore ideas, values, beliefs, and other aspects of culture.
3. Social and Behavioral Sciences: Courses that apply empirical and scientific methods to understand human behavior.

4-Year Sample Degree Plan

A sample degree plan is provided to guide students in completing their degree requirements within four years. The plan outlines the courses to be taken each semester, including core curriculum, major requirements, and electives.