Bachelor of Science in
Homeland Security

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 three 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) or (3) taking a second major.  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 several 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)
• Completing a second major (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 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.

Homeland Security Core Courses

Program Support

Breadth Area

B.S. in Homeland Security/Master of Business Administration

The Business Administration undergraduate and transition classes recommended in the outline are taken in place of one of the areas of concentration within the Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security program to prepare the student for this degree option.  Entry in this program will be approved by the College of Business late in the student's junior year after the GMAT and other required admission processes are complete.  Not following the suggested course of study will require the student to take additional courses to prepare for the MBA.

B.S. in Homeland Security/M.S. in Human Security & Resilience

Exceptional students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security (BSHS) degree program at DB College of Arts & Sciences have the opportunity to pursue the Master of Science in Human Security & Resilience (MSHSR) in an accelerated degree program format. In this option, up to nine hours of graduate coursework may be taken to fulfill undergraduate elective requirements and specified courses. These hours will count toward both the BS and MS degree requirements provided that the student is enrolled in the accelerated MSHSR option and receives a "B" or better in the course. Students must complete a minimum of 120 undergraduate/graduate course credits for their Bachelor of Science degree.

Undergraduate students may apply to the accelerated MS option by submitting an application to the MSHSR Program Coordinator, including obtaining the approval of the BSHS Program Coordinator and SSIA Department Chair . Students must have completed 88 credit hours toward the BSHS degree and must have a 3.2 minimum GPA to  be admitted to the accelerated program; students will be dropped from the program if their GPA falls below 3.0. The BSHS degree will be conferred upon completion of all bachelor's degree requirements; the MSHSR degree will be conferred upon completion of all master's degree requirements.

The following graduate level MSHSR courses can be taken to satisfy the BSHS requirements:

A Total of 145 credits, including 30 graduate level credits, is required for this option.

B.S. in Homeland Security/M.S. in Cybersecurity Management & Policy

Exceptional students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security (BSHS) degree program at DB College of Arts & Sciences have the opportunity to pursue the Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management & Policy (MSCMP) in an accelerated degree program format. In this option, up to nine hours of graduate coursework may be taken to fulfill undergraduate elective requirements and specified courses. These hours will count toward both the BS and MS degree requirements provided that the student is enrolled in the accelerated MSCMP option and receives a "B" or better in the course. Students must complete a minimum of 120 undergraduate/graduate course credits for their Bachelor of Science degree.

Undergraduate students may apply to the accelerated MS option by submitting an application to the MSCMP Program Coordinator, including obtaining the approval of the BSHS Program Coordinator and SSIA Department Chair . Students must have completed 88 credit hours toward the BSHS degree and must have a 3.2 minimum GPA to  be admitted to the accelerated program; students will be dropped from the program if their GPA falls below 3.0. The BSHS degree will be conferred upon completion of all bachelor's degree requirements; the MSCMP degree will be conferred upon completion of all master's degree requirements.

The following graduate level MSCMP courses can be taken to satisfy the BSHS Requirements:

A total of 148 credits, including 30 graduate level credits, is required for this option.

BSHS students who also minor in Cybersecurity have the following additional option:

 A Total of 145 credits, including 30 graduate level credits, is required for this option.

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

 Breadth Area or Choose Minors

Electives