This course provides a broad, up-to-date, multidisciplinary overview of homeland security as a contemporary subject of intense interest and inquiry. Issues of public policy, public administration, law, criminal justice and the social/behavioral impacts of terrorism and homeland security will be considered.

Offered: Online

This course will examine the evolution of Homeland Security as a concept, a legal framework, a redirection of national policies and priorities and also the actual implementation and creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The course provides an overview of the history of terrorist threats and U.S. responses and an introduction to the fundamental policy legislation and documents, such as national security strategies, homeland security directives, the National Response Framework (NRF), and National Incident Management System (NIMS).

Offered: Online

Survey of the controlling authorities that pertain to homeland security, from the U.S. Constitution to major federal statutes, court decisions, and executive directives.

Offered: Online

The Capstone provides students with the opportunity to explore homeland security issues and to address them through focused study and applied research under the direction of a faculty member. The Capstone must demonstrate a student's ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their academic program to real world issues and problems. This final academic activity must represent graduate level work and must demonstrate competency in areas such as research, written communication, integrative and analytical thinking skills, and problem solving and decision-making ability. The capstone must contribute to the current body of knowledge in the field of homeland security.

Offered: Online

This course examines a theoretical and practical application of disaster management activities including human behavior in emergency situations, warning, evacuation, sheltering, triage, damage assessment, disaster declaration, debris removal, media relations, crisis counseling, individual and public assistance, fiscal responsibilities, and other relevant functions. Decision making, incident command, EOC operations, coordination, and service will be examined. This course highlights several hazard types as a topical investigations, as well as the processes and considerations of management options for preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.

Offered: Online

This course examines terrorism as it relates to the United States domestically as well as internationally. Emphasis is placed upon the identification, comparison and understanding of the various definitions of terrorism and the perpetrators of these acts, along with the various aspects of terrorism and homeland security. The student will be exposed to the nexus between terrorism and homeland security as it relates to homeland security strategy, assessment, evaluation, preparation, responses, and recovery actions and mechanisms relating to terrorism and homeland security. There will be a focus on the importance of coordination of various assessments, plans, strategies and implementation of plans of action involving local, county, state, federal, and international responses pertaining to terrorism and homeland security.

Offered: Online

In this course, students determine best practices for risk assessment composed of hazard identification, vulnerability assessment, and impact analysis as an integrated process. Throughout the course, students integrate the theoretical paradigm supporting the management of risk and risk-based decision making. Critical infrastructures will be examined from a risk assessment viewpoint. Various structural and non-structural mitigation strategies will be examined. This course will consider steps that should follow or be considered in conjunction with mitigation strategies such as but not limited to resiliency, continuity of operations planning, and redundancy.

Offered: Online

Students will collaborate with a faculty advisor to develop their thesis proposal. It is expected that the proposal for the thesis project will be relevant to the student's studies in their master's degree program and will direct their research to make an academic contribution to the body of knowledge in homeland security and disaster management. At the completion of this course, the student will be ready to begin data collection and research.

Registration Restrictions: Completion of 30 hours of coursework toward the degree program with a GPA of 3.0. No more than two grades of C may be applied to the program.

Offered: Online

Online Prerequisite: HLSC 688

This course is designed to help students complete their master's thesis in Homeland security and disaster management. It is expected that research for the thesis project will be relevant to the student's studies in the master's degree program and will make an academic contribution to the body of knowledge in homeland security and disaster management.

Offered: Online

Online Prerequisite: HLSC 689

Intended to demonstrate a student's ability to carry out original research. Thesis may be designed to answer practical research questions, or address theoretical or ethical issues of interest to scholars and professionals in the field of homeland security and disaster management. Credit is not awarded until the thesis has been accepted.

Offered: Online