M.S. in Human Security & Resilience Degree Already Paying Off for Grad Student

While Kaitlynn Stookey (’23) is pursuing her M.S. in Human Security & Resilience with an eye toward the future, the lessons she’s learning in the graduate degree program are also making a profound difference for her right now.

Stookey is a Civilian Program Manager for the United States Air Force stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, working in the Foreign Military Sales sector. Her job involves building relationships with international partners that focus on building the capacity of their military defense with programs and services that also aid in U.S. national security.

She says the real-time, real-life scenarios she is exposed to in her Embry‑Riddle classes are complementing her direct daily experience.

“The program has given me a deeper awareness of the multifaceted, complex and interwoven layers that impact security and resilience,” Stookey said. “It has also equipped me with useful methods and practices to implement within my work area.”

What is a Human Security & Resilience Degree at Embry‑Riddle?

Embry‑Riddle’s Worldwide Campus created its unique program in Human Security & Resilience for students who want to focus on the ability of populations to withstand and recover from internal and external shocks that range from extreme weather to terrorism and armed conflict, among other challenges.

The 30-credit online program is offered through the Department of Security and Emergency Services in the College of Arts and Sciences and tailored to recent graduates and working professionals who want to advance their careers in this complex specialty.

Graduates of the Human Security & Resilience master's program are equipped to seek solutions that not only ensure safety after a catastrophe but also help to identify and prevent future incidences.

Relevant Lessons for Real Life

Students benefit from being part of a cutting-edge program whose curriculum is designed to align with current events and security practices, policy and law.

Stookey says she feels “an obligation to make a difference as I further understand current events and global issues in more depth. The degree program is providing me with tools to be more effective and I am eager to share this knowledge in the field.”

At Embry‑Riddle, students like Stookey have the opportunity to learn key concepts from military officers, scholars, historians and professionals with experience in defense, environmental security, population health, international business, political science, humanitarian law and other relevant disciplines.

Objectives for graduates include understanding the driving factors behind global, regional and national trends, learning about the challenges of recovery and conducting research and analyzing statistics with an emphasis on studying stressors that disrupt daily life.

Where Can You Work With a Degree in Human Security?

The program can help open career paths to positions with local, state and federal governments, along with a number of non-governmental organizations and other groups dedicated to disaster relief and prevention.

As she prepares for graduation, Stookey has her sights set on a federal government job and she says the classes have already made a major impact on her.

“I now have a different worldview and personal perspective about life, and I owe that to this program,” Stookey said.