Program Overview

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Emergency Management and Homeland Security (Homeland Security), MA

Program Description

The Master of Arts in Emergency Management and Homeland Security with a concentration in Homeland Security is designed to build and sharpen leadership skills, enabling students to guide local or national response before, during, and after emergencies, disasters, and other societal threats. This program focuses on homeland security as a field, applicable to all levels of government and private sector organizations.

At a Glance

• College/School: Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions
• Location: Online
• STEM-OPT Extension Eligible: No

Accelerated Program Options

This program allows students to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. Accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for high-achieving students who want to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of their master's degree.

Degree Requirements

• 33 credit hours, including the required applied project course (PAF 593)
• Required Core (18 credit hours):
  • CRJ 511 Applied Data Analysis in Criminal Justice (3)
  • CRJ 554 Homeland Security (3)
  • PAF 551 Hazards Governance (3)
  • PAF 552 Integrated Emergency Management (3)
  • PAF 558 Program Evaluation for Emergency Management and Homeland Security (3)
  • PAF 559 GIS for Hazards Analysis (3)
• Concentration (6 credit hours):
  • CRJ 553 Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction (3)
  • PAF 557 Interagency and Intersector Coordination for Emergencies and Disasters (3)
• Electives or Research (6 credit hours)
• Culminating Experience (3 credit hours):
  • PAF 593 Applied Project (3)

Admission Requirements

• General university admission requirements
• Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in a related field from a regionally accredited institution
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program
• Required to submit:
  • Graduate admission application and application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Written statement
  • Evidence of current employment in an organization in this field or at least two years prior professional experience in this or a related field
  • Proof of English proficiency

Tuition Information

Tuition information can be found on the university's website.

Attend Online

This program is offered in an online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year.

Application Deadlines

• Fall, Spring, and Summer sessions have rolling deadlines

Global Opportunities

The PLuS Alliance partnership combines the strengths of leading research universities to create and share knowledge that will solve pressing educational and societal challenges. Students have the opportunity to collaborate with peers and specialists across the globe through PLuS-partner courses offered online.

Career Opportunities

Graduates with a master's degree in Emergency Management and Homeland Security are well-suited for positions in both the public and private sectors, including:

• Cybersecurity specialist
• Homeland security specialist
• Intelligence analysis
• Logistics specialist
• Planner
• Policy analyst

Program Values

The program emphasizes a blended approach of practical knowledge and broader integrative thinking about complex societal challenges. Its core values include collaboration between practitioners, faculty, and students; public service; commitment to diversity; and critical thinking and evidence-based assessment.