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Laura Shapland (M.A., Emergency and Disaster Management)

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Master of Arts in Homeland Security

 Graduate Catalog | Master's


This degree focuses on an interdisciplinary set of topics in the graduate discipline of homeland security. The degree is designed to provide broad coverage of the major homeland security threats, organization, and challenges through course study in homeland defense, intelligence and homeland security, terrorism, consequence management, and interagency government issues. Students may select courses based on their professional, personal, or research interests, to include weapons of mass destruction, crisis management, narcotics as a homeland security issue, international homeland security, general national security, terrorism, security management, intelligence methods, transportation security, information security, emergency management, and public health.

Degree Program Objectives
In addition to the institutional and degree level outcomes objectives, the Master of Arts in Homeland Security also seeks the following specific learning outcomes of its graduates.  Graduates in this degree program will be able to do the following:

  • Develop agency/organization specific tools to evaluate specific domestic security challenges for the 21st Century that face the United States and other industrialized nations.
  • Design and modify plans and programs at federal, state, and/or local levels to reflect the evolving strategic policy issues associated with a statutory and presidential direction for homeland security.
  • Recognize terrorist groups’ proclivities in order to forecast the risks, types, and orders of magnitude of terrorist threats most likely to confront the nation-state.
  • Predict the need to conduct and/or contract for research related to high probability Chemical Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or Energetic (CBRNE) events and their consequences in any community of interest
  • Recognize the interdisciplinary nature of Homeland Security functions and be able to assess and integrate various functional areas.
  • Develop policies procedures and protocols to allow seamless agency integration from prevention to incident response scenarios. Validate literal and procedural alignment/ compliance with the National Response Plan, National Incident Management System and, the Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs).

Degree Program Requirements

Core Courses (15 semester hours)
  • RC512 / HLSS500 - Research Methods in Homeland Security
  • DM512 / EDMG560 - Crisis Action Planning
  • PS556 / POLS524 - Homeland Security Policy
  • NS510 / HLSS501 - Homeland Defense
  • LC522 / HLSS523 - Domestic Terrorism and Extremist Groups
Major Courses (Select 15 semester hours)
  • CR537 / SCMT537 - Computer Crime
  • CR544 / SCMT544 - Security Architecture
  • CR545 / SCMT545 - Airport Security Design
  • CR547 / SCMT547 - Perimeter Security
  • DM568 / TLMT605 - Cargo Security Management
  • DM576 / EDMG565 - Consequence Management:  Terrorism Preparation and Response
  • DM577 / PADM610 - Public Management
  • DM584 / PADM530 - Public Policy
  • DM644 / EDMG612 - Risk Communications
  • DM645 / HLSS645 - Port Security
  • EM503 / EDMG530 - Economics of Disaster
  • EM516 / EDMG509 - Interagency Disaster Management
  • EM519 / EDMG541 - Mass Casualty Incident Management
  • EM502 / PBHE606 - Disaster Health Management
  • EM632 / PBHE605 - Quarantine
  • IN504 / INTL642 - Information Warfare
  • IN517 / INTL634 - Threat Analysis
  • IN547 / INTL613 - Intelligence and Homeland Security
  • IN600 / INTL611 - Corporate Threat Definition and Vulnerability Analysis
  • LC514 / INTL651 - Roots of Terrorism
  • LC529 / SCMT529 - International Terrorism
  • LC535 / HLSS522 - Weapons of Mass Destruction and the New Terrorism
  • LC537 / INTL664 - Forecasting Terrorism
  • IN544 / INTL655 - Intelligence and Weapons of Mass Destruction
  • NS610 / INTL604 - Interagency Operations
Graduate Electives (Select 6 semester hours)

From courses not taken to meet required, core, or major requirements.

 End of Program Requirement - Select either Comprehensive Exam OR Capstone 
  • EM702 / HLSS698 - Separate Comprehensive Examination - [0 semester hours] Taken once all other degree requirements have been met.
  • EM707 / HLSS699 - Master’s Capstone Seminar in Homeland Security [3 semester hours] - The Capstone Seminar will satisfy an Elective requirement.

Total Hours: 36 semester hours



 Graduate Catalog | Master's

AMU is a member institution of the American Public University System (APUS), which is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association and nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission, Distance Education and Training Council.
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