Bachelor of Science in
Homeland Security
Embry-Riddle’s Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security degree program, one of the very first in the nation, is designed for students who envision a safer, more secure tomorrow, and see themselves in some capacity working toward that end. The Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security provides students with a foundation in security, with specialized tracks in emergency management, terrorism studies, or cybersecurity.
Whether the student’s interest lies in law and policy, terrorism, emergency management, risk assessment, intelligence analysis, strategic planning, or security, Homeland Security graduates emerge ready to contribute to making the world a safer place.
The Homeland Security degree combines the University’s General Education requirements with a solid core of homeland security courses as well as minors in international relations, cybersecurity, or several other minors available to the student.
The curriculum of this degree is founded in outcome-based methodology, using analysis of marketplace needs, intelligence from U.S. military and governmental experts, and practicing professionals.
Students will complete projects with real clients from all over the county. They’ll have the opportunity to employ state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.
Students can choose one of three ways to specialize their homeland security education:
- By taking two minors
- By taking one minor and another 15-hour block of approved and related courses
A team of faculty with extensive combined field experience leads the Department of Security Studies and International Affairs. These dedicated, talented faculty share with students their first-hand experiences and teach critical analysis and threat assessment using current events and classroom projects.
Subject matter experts from a variety of homeland security disciplines often provide guest lectures or even teach entire courses. As conditions change in the U.S. and around the world, the student’s educational experience is adapted to meet the demands of industry and government institutions.
DEGREE DETAILS
This degree is offered at the following campuses. Select a campus to learn more.
About Homeland Security at the Daytona Beach, FL Campus
In today’s world, there is daily evidence of the need for security. Natural disasters and the effects of climate change are costly and can devastate entire communities, the threat of terrorism is present globally, and the need for cybersecurity increases as technologies develop. Offered through our Security Studies and International Affairs department in the Daytona Beach College of Arts and Sciences, the Homeland Security program exposes students to the different concepts that help ensure the protection of our nation’s security interests. Topics include studies in emergency management, critical infrastructure protection, risk analysis, industrial security, environmental security, terrorism, intelligence, criminal justice, cybersecurity, and law and policy.
Gain hands-on experiences through internships, class projects, and a senior capstone research project — all of which prepare students to solve real-world challenges for future clients.
The devotion of the faculty, the passion of the students, and the collaborative atmosphere in ERAU classes foster academic and social success.
Students transferring into the program who have earned academic credits in homeland security-related course work or professional experience may be granted credit hours to be applied to the degree program with approval from the program coordinator.
A degree in Homeland Security will afford students the opportunity to have a positive impact with every decision they make. Our graduates are prepared to help change the course of events to influence history; they could be at the front line to help people recover from disasters or even help to prevent crime and terrorism.
Every summer, SSIA Department faculty lead trips to countries such as Ireland, England, German, and Israel, where students not only get the opportunity to experience different cultures and visit foreign cities, but they attend workshops, seminars, and behind-the-scene tours of security-related facilities to learn first-hand how other nations and companies deal with security issues facing the world today. A Homeland Security student can gain this valuable, real world knowledge while earning up to six credits toward BSHS core curriculum.
The Homeland Security industry includes chemical, biological, and radiological detection, as well as border, rail, seaport, industrial, and nuclear plant security. Other vendors include computer and human resources experts, information and integrated technology companies, and many different avenues for consultants.
Bachelor of Science
The Department of Security Studies and International Affairs (SSIA) offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Homeland Security (HS) that is based on the needs of the U.S. government and its citizens as well as the needs of the private sector. The HS degree combines the University’s General Education requirements with a solid core of homeland security courses as well as minors in forensic accounting, international relations, terrorism studies, or cybersecurity or several other minors available to the student. In addition, this degree allows the student to take maximum advantage of transfer credits and electives in order to explore breadth in related areas of study.
The Homeland Security degree is designed for students who have an interest in obtaining a strong foundation in many of the domains of the growing homeland security enterprise, including terrorism studies, law and policy, emergency management, risk analysis, intelligence, physical security, environmental security, asymmetric warfare, and decision making/strategic planning. In addition, students can choose one of two ways to specialize their homeland security education; either through (1) taking two minors or (2) one minor and at least a 15 credit “coherent block of courses” (with permission from the HS program coordinator). Senior capstone projects require students to work with local organizations to solve real homeland security or emergency management challenges. Internships or cooperative work experiences optimize the student’s professional preparation and credentials. The goal of the degree is to produce highly marketable graduates with entry-level skills such as the ability to perform risk analyses, write emergency management and continuity of operations plans, design and evaluate exercises, design and perform physical security evaluations, design and deliver professional briefings, and understand how to identify and protect critical infrastructure. Graduates of this program will find employment opportunities in federal or state government, universities, and the military or in the private sector. In addition, the HS program is ideal preparation for further study in graduate school, including law, public policy, or emergency management, intelligence analysis, business, criminal justice, political science, national security studies, international affairs, etc.
Degree Requirements
The Bachelor of Science degree in Homeland Security requires successful completion of a minimum of 124 credit hours and is normally completed in eight semesters as outlined below. The breadth area requirement can be accomplished in a couple of ways, for example:
- Completing two minors (to total a minimum of 30 credit hours)
- Completing one minor and a second coherent set of coursework of at least 15 credits approved through the advising process (to total a minimum of 30 credit hours)
All Homeland Security majors must complete a senior capstone course (HS 490) and a 3 credit (that is at least 300 hours) internship or co-op sometime following their freshman year. All university requirements for eligibility apply and the HS program works with Career Services to administrate all internship experiences.
Students transferring into the program who have earned academic credits in homeland security-related coursework or professional experience may be granted credit hours to be applied to the degree program with approval from the program coordinator.
B.S. in Homeland Security with Two Breadth Areas
| General Education | 36 | |
| Homeland Security Core | 48 | |
| Breadth Area | 30 | |
| Program Support | 10 | |
| Total Credits | 124 | |
General Education Requirements
For a full description of Embry-Riddle General Education guidelines, please see the General Education section of this catalog. These minimum requirements are applicable to all degree programs.
| Communication Theory and Skills | 9 | |
| Lower-Level Humanities | 3 | |
| Lower-Level Social Sciences (PSY 101 or equivalent) | 3 | |
| Lower or Upper-Level Humanities or Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Upper-Level Humanities or Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Computer Science | 3 | |
| Mathematics (recommend MA 120 and MA 220) | 6 | |
| Physical Science (lab must be included) | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Homeland Security Core Courses
| CYB 155 | Foundations of Information Security | 3 |
| HS 110 | Introduction to Homeland Security | 3 |
| HS 215 | Introduction to Industrial Security | 3 |
| HS 280 | Professional Skills in Homeland Security | 3 |
| HS 290 | Introduction to Environmental Security | 3 |
| HS 310 | Fundamentals of Emergency Management | 3 |
| HS 315 | Critical Infrastructure Security, Resilience, and Risk Analysis | 3 |
| HS 320 | Homeland Security Law and Policy | 3 |
| HS 325 | Terrorism: Origin, Ideologies, and Goals | 3 |
| HS 350 | Intelligence Systems and Structures in Homeland Security | 3 |
| HS 360 | Strategic Planning and Decision Making in Homeland Security | 3 |
| HS 405 | Emergent Topics in Homeland Security | 3 |
| HS 410 | Exercise Design and Evaluation in Homeland Security | 3 |
| HS 490 | Senior Capstone in Homeland Security | 3 |
| Open Elective -any 300/400 level class | 3 | |
| Cooperative Education (CE 396) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
| * | Students with a CGPA of 2.5 or higher may enroll in the cooperative education or internship experience at the equivalent of three or more credits to be taken during or after the sophomore year. Student must see advisor prior to enrollment, prerequisite for any internship is HS 280 or consent of advisor. |
Program Support
| UNIV 101 | College Success | 1 |
| SF 201 | Introduction to Health, Occupational, and Transportation Safety | 3 |
| or SF 210 | Introduction to Aerospace Safety | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
SF 315 | Environmental Compliance and Safety | |
SF 355 | Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology | |
SF 405 | Applications in Industrial Hygiene | |
SF 462 | Health, Safety, and Aviation Law | |
| MA 222 | Business Statistics (or equivalent) | 3 |
| Total Credits | 10 | |
Breadth Area
| All Homeland Security majors are required to complete coursework to compliment the HS core courses. Students are strongly encouraged to complete their breadth requirement by two minors (minimum 30 credits total) or one minor and a “coherent block of credits” (minimum 30 credits total) which is determined with consent of Homeland Security advisor. All minors are located in the Minor Course of Studies section of this catalog. | 30 | |
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Degree Summary
124 Credits
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Learn about our General Education
Find out about transferring credits to this degree
Learn more about our Veterans & Military benefits
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About Homeland Security at the Worldwide & Online Campus
With the ever changing needs of the government and its role in protecting its citizens, the Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security (BSHS) degree aims to meet those needs as well the needs of the private sector.
The BSHS will help to develop highly marketable skills for its graduates such as the ability to perform risk analyses, write emergency management plans, and understand how to identify and protect critical infrastructure.
Graduates of this program will find employment opportunities in federal or state government, universities, and the military or in the private sector.
The Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security (BSHS) degree is based on the needs of the U.S. government and its citizens as well as the needs of the private sector. The BSHS degree combines the University’s General Education requirements with a solid core of homeland security courses as well as minors in international relations, cybersecurity or several other minors available to the student. In addition, this degree allows the student to take maximum advantage of transfer credits and electives in order to explore breadth in related areas of study.
The Homeland Security degree is designed for students who have an interest in obtaining a strong foundation in many of the domains of the growing homeland security enterprise, including terrorism studies, law and policy, emergency management, risk analysis, intelligence, physical security, environmental security, asymmetric warfare, and decision making/strategic planning. In addition, students can choose from two ways to specialize their homeland security education; either through (a) taking two minors or (b) one minor and at least a 15 credit “coherent block of courses” (with permission from the BSHS program coordinator). Senior capstone projects require students to work with local organizations to solve real homeland security or emergency management challenges. Internships or cooperative work experiences optimize the student’s professional preparation and credentials.
The goal of the degree is to produce highly marketable graduates with entry-level skills such as the ability to perform risk analyses, write emergency management and continuity of operations plans, design and evaluate exercises, design and perform physical security evaluations, design and deliver professional briefings, and understand how to identify and protect critical infrastructure. Graduates of this program will find employment opportunities in federal or state government, universities, and the military or in the private sector. In addition, the BSHS program is ideal preparation for further study in graduate school, including law, public policy, or emergency management, intelligence analysis, business, criminal justice, political science, national security studies, international affairs, and other related fields.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
General Education
| General Education | ||
| Embry-Riddle courses in the general education categories of Communication Theory and Skills, and Humanities and Social Sciences may be chosen from those listed below, assuming prerequisites are met. Courses from other institutions are acceptable if they fall into these broad categories and are at the level specified. | ||
| Communication Theory and Skills | ||
| ENGL 123 | English Composition | 3 |
| Speech/English | 6 | |
| Humanities* | ||
| HUMN 330 | Values and Ethics | 3 |
| Humanities elective | 3 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| ECON 210 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| or ECON 211 | Macroeconomics | |
| Social Science elective (History/Government/Social Science/Psychology/Economics) | 3 | |
| Physical and Life Science Lower-Level electives | ||
| Physics/Biology/Meteorology/Chemistry | 6 | |
| Mathematics | ||
| MATH 111 & MATH 112 | Pre-calculus for Aviation and Applied Calculus for Aviation | 6 |
| or MATH 140 & MATH 142 | College Algebra and Trigonometry | |
| Computer Science | ||
| CSCI 109 | Introduction to Computers and Applications | 3 |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
| Homeland Security Core** | ||
| HLSD 110 | Introduction to Homeland Security | 3 |
| CYBR 155 | Foundations of Information Security | 3 |
| HLSD 215 | Introduction to Industrial Security | 3 |
| HLSD 280 | Professional Skills in Homeland Security | 3 |
| EMGY 310 | Fundamentals of Emergency Management | 3 |
| HLSD 315 | Critical Infrastructure Security, Resilience, and Risk Analysis | 3 |
| HLSD 320 | Homeland Security Law and Policy | 3 |
| SCTY 488 | National Security Issues and Terrorism | 3 |
| SCTY 315 | Studies in Intelligence I | 3 |
| or SCTY 385 | Intelligence Collection and Analysis | |
| HLSD 290 | Environmental Security | 3 |
| HLSD 360 | Strategic Planning and Decision Making in Homeland Security | 3 |
| HLSD 405 | Emergent Topics in Homeland Security | 3 |
| HLSD 410 | Exercise Design and Evaluation in Homeland Security | 3 |
| HLSD 495 | Homeland Security Capstone I | 3 |
| HLSD 496 | Homeland Security Capstone II | 3 |
| Total Credits | 45 | |
Breadth Area or Choose Minors
| Breadth Area/Minors** | ||
| Students complete their breadth requirement by either two non-duplicating minors (minimum 30 credits total), or one minor and a "coherent block of study" (minimum 30 credits total) that is determined with consent of Program Coordinator. | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
| Program Support** | 9 | |
| SFTY 201 | Introduction to Health, Occupational, and Transportation Safety | 3 |
| or SFTY 409 | Aviation Safety | |
| Select one of the following safety courses: | 3 | |
SFTY 315 | Environmental Compliance and Safety | |
SFTY 462 | Health, Safety and Aviation Law | |
| STAT 222 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| **For students in the Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security degree program the RSCH 202 prerequisite for Core, Program Support, or Minor courses are waived since RSCH 202 is not required for the program. | ||
Electives
| Open Electives | 3 | |
| Choose Any 300-400 Level Course | ||
| Total Degree Requirements | (Minimum) 123 | |
| * | Minnesota student residents refer to State of Minnesota Course Requirement statement for Humanities requirements. |
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Degree Summary
123 Credits
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View Financial Aid Information
Learn more about the benefits of an Online Degree
Learn about our General Education
Student Achievement Information
Find out about transferring credits to this degree
Learn more about our Veterans & Military benefits
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