An online master’s degree in homeland security may provide students with the skills and training needed for homeland security preparedness, management, and mitigation. Students enrolled in these upper-level programs may study threat analysis and resolution, cyber and border security, and public service leadership. Core homeland security courses may cover topics pertaining to an area of concentration as well as major-specific courses, such as strategic planning and organizational imperatives, homeland security and defense, and border security.

Graduates may either seek entry to upper-level employment or continue their education and enroll in a doctoral degree program. Master’s-level graduates may find employment opportunities in numerous industries, such as law enforcement, crisis management, and information security.

Program Overview

• Prerequisite: Bachelor’s Degree
• Program Length: One to two years to complete
• Post-Grad Options: Employment or Doctoral Program
• Projected Employment Growth: 7% (2010-2020)*

Program Coursework

The curriculum within an online master’s degree program in homeland security may include major-specific courses as well as allow students to choose a special area of concentration. Those specialty areas may include public health, geospatial intelligence, policy and organization, food defense, agricultural biosecurity, and information security. Core online homeland security courses may include the following:

• Social and Ethical Issues in Homeland Security
• Violence, Threats, and Terror
• Homeland Security and Defense
• Strategic Planning and Organizational Imperatives
• Border Security
• Critical Infrastructure and Cyber Security
• National Security and Intelligence

Career Options

Graduates of online master’s-level programs in homeland security may find career opportunities in law enforcement, information security, crisis management, and emergency management. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for those pursuing careers as police officers and detectives are expected to increase by 7% from 2010-2020.*

Possible careers include:

• Border Patrol Agent
• Homeland Security Coordinator
• Immigration Enforcement Agent
• Prevention and Response Specialist
• Police and Detectives

Continuing Education

Graduates of online master’s degree programs in homeland security may pursue higher education and enroll in a doctoral degree program in homeland security. These doctoral programs may work best for upper-level managers in areas pertaining to national security, and theses research-heavy programs may cover management and leadership theory as well as organization innovation.

*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook