2020 Best Homeland Security Degrees

Dakota Wesleyan University

DWU in Mitchell, South Dakota, offers a bachelor of arts in criminal justice that explores issues like homeland security, terrorism, crime scene investigation, and legal studies. Students study the foundational theories of law and strategies for the application of justice. Criminal justice majors gain professional experience through hands-on internships with organizations like the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Department of Corrections, and the Internal Revenue Service.

The program provides opportunities for research with faculty members and career development assistance through the university's academic and career services center. Students complete required courses like methods of social research, introduction to ethical issues, and constitutional criminal justice.

Individuals with an associate in human services from Mitchell Technical Institute can earn DWU's BA in criminal justice in two years. Graduates can pursue criminal justice careers as criminologists, conservation officers, and air marshals.

Keiser University

Students can earn one of the best homeland security degrees from Keiser. Founded in 1977 to offer career-focused programs, Keiser serves 20,000 students a year and offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degrees. Applicants must hold a high school or GED diploma to qualify for admission.

The university's management-focused BA in homeland security covers fundamental leadership and administrative skills and provides an understanding of homeland security issues at the local, state, and national levels. The curriculum explores issues like emergency management planning, cross-cultural management, and critical infrastructure protection.

The 120-credit homeland security degree comprises courses like recognition and investigation of terrorism, homeland security policy and law, and bioterrorism: hazardous material and weapons of mass destruction. Students learn to prepare for, respond to, and investigate terrorist acts and understand how these issues threaten American and global society.

Madonna University

A Catholic liberal arts institution established in 1937 in Livonia, Michigan, Madonna University awards more than 100-career focused associate and bachelor's degrees. The school's BS in emergency management prepares students for careers in planning, directing, and responding to natural and human-made disasters and emergencies of all kinds.

The program includes classes like the psychology of traumatic experiences, proposal writing and grant administration, and homeland security and terrorism. The curriculum also explores issues like emergency communication, disaster mitigation, resource allocation and planning, management principles, hazardous materials, and ethics in criminal justice.

Required application materials for the emergency management BS program include an official high school transcript; ACT or SAT scores; and AP and IB scores (if applicable). Madonna prefers applicants with a minimum 2.8 GPA, an SAT total score of at least 960, and ACT composite score of 18 or above. All first-year students must live on campus for the first two years of the program.

Tulane University

One of the top homeland security degrees, the BA in homeland security studies from Tulane University covers issues like critical infrastructure protection, counterterrorism, and emergency management. The practical hands-on degree prepares students to coordinate large-scale security and safety systems and protect communities. Potential careers include emergency management specialist, infrastructure protection analyst, and security analyst.

Designed for individuals already employed in the homeland security field and those who want to change careers completely, the program offers a flexible part-time schedule with evening and weekend options and some classes available online. The 120-credit degree requires 30 major credits, including courses like transportation and border security, intelligence and covert operations, and approaches to counterterrorism.

Homeland security studies majors can also add an optional minor to their degree. Professors in the program possess extensive experience working with the FBI, emergency response organizations, the military, and law enforcement. Admission requirements include a high school or GED diploma. The program does not require the ACT or SAT.

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

The multidisciplinary homeland security degree from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania offers a comprehensive overview of the field. Students learn to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond, and recover from disasters and emergencies. The four-year curriculum explores issues like infrastructure protection, tools for fighting terrorism, emergency plan creation, and intelligence analysis. Graduates qualify for careers as homeland security specialists and transportation security and intelligence personnel.

The 120-credit bachelor's degree in homeland security comprises core courses like terrorist organizations and lone wolves, weapons of mass destruction, and risk analysis and strategic planning. The program offers internship, workshop, and experimental course opportunities that provide hands-on professional experience in the real world. In their final semester, students complete a three-credit capstone in homeland security that integrates the knowledge and skills gained during the program.

SRU offers rolling admission in all terms. Applicants need a high school or GED diploma and must submit SAT or ACT scores.

Southern New Hampshire University

A private, nonprofit institution with 3,000 on-campus learners and more than 90,000 online students, SNHU in Manchester, New Hampshire, offers one of the best homeland security degrees. The university's BS in justice studies with a terrorism and homeland security concentration provides a broad understanding of the American justice systems. Students receive anti-terrorism training and explore issues like social science and legal research, ethics and social responsibility, the corrections system, and criminal law.

Required courses for the 120-credit bachelor's degree include international criminal justice, industrial and retail security, and terrorism and homeland security. The curriculum also includes general education classes that help students gain skills in writing, problem-solving, and analysis.

Prospective students can apply to SNHU anytime. Admission requirements include a high school or GED diploma, one letter of recommendation, and ACT or SAT scores (optional). All admitted students receive a $1,000 grant after visiting campus once.

Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Berks

Students can earn a top homeland security degree from Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Berks. Established in 1958, Penn State Berks serves 2,700 learners each year. The university's bachelor of science in security and risk analysis prepares students to take leadership roles in careers that deal with homeland security, law and crime, emergency and disaster management, and enterprise risk management.

Students choose from two program options: the intelligence analysis and modeling option or the information and cybersecurity option. Minors are available in business, information sciences and technology, or entrepreneurship and innovation.

Penn State Berks accepts applications year-round but recommends prospective students submit their applications as early as possible each fall. The school makes admission decisions based on high school GPA, ACT or SAT scores, personal statement, honors and AP classes taken, class rank, and extracurricular activities. Applicants' high school GPA accounts for two-thirds of the admission decision.

Florida Atlantic University

Designed for professionals and pre-professionals in disaster response, fire, and police work, Florida Atlantic University's interdisciplinary bachelor of public safety administration provides flexible online and on-campus classes. Graduates work in homeland security, corrections, law enforcement, public safety, intelligence, disaster response, and the courts. The degree also prepares students to continue their education in a professional graduate program.

Required core courses include organizational behavior and administration communication, public safety systems, and diversity and social vulnerability in public safety administration. The program offers two areas of concentration: disaster management or law enforcement and corrections. Students can also use their free elective credits to complete both concentrations.

The program strongly encourages students who lack professional experience to complete at least one internship. All public safety administration majors complete a capstone course in their senior year. FAU bases admission decisions on the applicant's ACT or SAT scores, high school GPA, and completed high school courses.

DeSales University

A private Catholic school in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, DSU offers one of the best homeland security degrees. The bachelor of arts in homeland security emphasizes ethical action and explores issues like critical infrastructure protection, terrorist financing, disaster preparedness and response, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism. Students develop tactical knowledge and gain critical thinking, decision-making, and leadership skills.

The curriculum includes courses like digital forensics, introduction to homeland security, and cybercrime and cyberterrorism. The program delivers hands-on training, education, and networking opportunities through the university's Center for Homeland Security. DSU also partners with the Allentown Police Academy to offer basic training for future police officers. Tuition for the police academy is included in the regular DSU spring tuition.

Students can use DeSales' career development center for help finding a job or internship, writing a resume and cover letter, and preparing for interviews. Graduates qualify for positions in law enforcement, business continuity, counterterrorism and intelligence, and emergency and risk management.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach started in 1925 as a flying school. The university offers aviation, applied science, business, safety and security, computers and technology, space, and engineering programs. The bachelor of homeland security degree explores topics including risk assessment, security, strategic planning, law and policy, and terrorism.

Subject matter experts in the department of security studies and international affairs teach the outcome-based program, which incorporates the analysis of marketplace needs. Homeland security students benefit from practical experience creating projects for real clients and access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.

The curriculum combines broad general education requirements with specialized major classes like fundamentals of emergency management, emergent topics in homeland security, and exercise design and evaluation in homeland security. The program offers concentrations in cybersecurity, emergency management, and terrorism studies. Homeland security majors can also add up to two minors in areas like cybersecurity or international relations.

Anderson University

The four-year homeland security degree from Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina, prepares students for careers with government agencies of all levels, nongovernmental organizations, and emergency services systems. The 122-credit bachelor of arts in homeland security and emergency services explores issues like the nature of terrorism, disaster response and recovery, and homeland security decision-making at the local, state, and federal level.

The program includes university core, major core, cognate, and general elective requirements. Students take classes like incident management and planning for emergencies, strategic planning for homeland security and emergency preparedness, and the social dimensions of a disaster. The curriculum includes a senior seminar in criminal justice in the final semester of study. The program requires a grade of C or better in all required major courses.

Applicants need a high school or GED diploma and must submit transcripts. Graduates qualify for entry-level positions in the homeland security and emergency services field.

Roberts Wesleyan College

A Christian liberal arts college established in 1866, Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York, offers a homeland security degree that prepares students for careers using data and intelligence to anticipate and prevent terrorism and other crime. Major highlights of the homeland security and applied intelligence program include internships with private companies and local law enforcement and real-world faculty expertise in counterterrorism.

The interdisciplinary curriculum includes a broad liberal arts education with courses in criminal justice, communications, computer science, psychology, history, and art. Students take major courses like introduction to intelligence, terrorism policy and law, and introduction to forensic science and lab.

The 124-credit bachelor of science includes 60-64 major requirements and 60-64 liberal arts requirements. Students learn to effectively communicate with diverse cultures. Graduates pursue careers as police officers, intelligence analysts, special agents, and crime analysts.

Miami Dade College

The largest school in the Florida college system, Miami Dade College serves more than 165,000 students each year and offers more than 300 programs of study. MDC offers one of the best homeland security degrees: a workforce-driven BAS in public safety management with an emergency management track.

The degree prepares students for careers like emergency management planner, city emergency manager safety officer, and emergency management specialist.

The 120-credit bachelor of applied science includes general education and major requirements. The program accepts students who already hold an associate degree (60 credits) and allows them to complete the bachelor of applied science in two years. The curriculum explores the theories and practices for reducing hazards and vulnerabilities in communities.

Core courses include emergency planning and security, integrated emergency management planning systems, and domestic and international terrorism. Students gain critical thinking, communication, research, and analytical skills.

Oakland University

The field experience-focused homeland security degree from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan, leads to careers like border patrol agent, immigration and customs inspector, and special agent. The curriculum explores issues like corrections, cybercrime, surveillance, terrorism and homeland security, and critical incident analysis.

OU's BA in criminal justice with a concentration in homeland security requires general education, major core, major elective, and interdisciplinary coursework. Students also must complete a criminal justice internship and capstone in their senior year. Required core classes include introduction to methods of social research, criminological theory, and police and society. To graduate, students must hold an overall 2.0 GPA and a minimum 2.3 GPA in the major.

Admission requirements include a cumulative 3.2 GPA, SAT or ACT scores, and college preparatory classes taken in high school. The university may admit students with a 2.5-3.1 GPA on a case-by-case basis. OU does not require letters of recommendation.

Idaho State University

Future emergency managers can pursue an accredited bachelor of science in emergency management from the emergency services department at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. The program provides a comprehensive overview of the social, political, economic, and business contexts of emergency management. Graduates pursue emergency management roles with a variety of industries and government agencies at all levels.

ISU's emergency management program follows the higher education guidelines set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The curriculum explores issues like incident command systems, critical infrastructure issues, organizational leadership, and public health preparedness.

Emergency management majors take classes like advanced disaster response recovery, terrorism in emergency management, and business and industry crisis management. Students also must complete an emergency management capstone. Highly qualified faculty members provide instruction, drawing from years of experience in the emergency management field. Applicants to the program must submit high school or GED transcripts and official SAT or ACT scores.

Virginia Commonwealth University

The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, offers one of the top homeland security degrees in the country. VCU's 120-credit BA in homeland security and emergency preparedness requires general education, major, and elective coursework. Students must earn a cumulative 2.0 GPA to graduate.

Students take courses like the intelligence community and the intelligence process, risk and vulnerability assessment, and legal and constitutional issues in homeland security and emergency preparedness. The curriculum also explores issues like forensic criminology, criminal procedure, incident investigation and analysis, and cybersecurity. Students gain analytical, communication, policy analysis, research, and evaluation skills.

Homeland security and emergency preparedness majors can graduate with honors by meeting specified GPA requirements. The bachelor's program prepares students for careers related to emergency and disaster preparedness and response. Graduates also pursue further education in law enforcement, government, policy planning, law, or international affairs.

Eastern Kentucky University

Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond began offering one of the first undergraduate homeland security degrees in the U.S. in 2007. Before that, the school offered disaster preparedness and security management programs. EKU's multidisciplinary homeland security bachelor of science includes specializations in intelligence studies, disaster management, and security operations/management. Students can pursue internships and study-abroad opportunities through the center for career and co-op.

Students learn to protect life and property by securing critical infrastructure, using security technologies, and responding to natural and human-caused disasters. The multidisciplinary curriculum requires core classes like critical problem analysis, cyber and physical security, and disaster preparedness and response. The 120-credit BS requires general education, major, and elective coursework. Homeland security majors can add a minor in corporate security operations or or emergency management and disaster resilience.

Graduates find careers in emergency and disaster management, U.S. military services, law enforcement, and the U.S. intelligence community.

University of New Hampshire at Manchester

The BS in homeland security degree from the University of New Hampshire at Manchester explores topics such as data breaches, bioterrorism, and natural disasters. The 128-credit bachelor's requires an overall 2.0 GPA in major courses. Potential career paths include critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity and information security, risk management, and law enforcement.

Required core classes include professional skills in homeland security, exercise design and evaluation in homeland security, a homeland security capstone, and intelligence systems and structures in homeland security. Students can add a second major, up to two minors, or complete additional electives. The program offers a three-week summer study-abroad opportunity in the U.K. that explores security studies and history.

Homeland security majors may also complete internships with organizations like the American Red Cross, the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, or New York Port Authority. Students can earn the homeland security BS and an accelerated master's in cybersecurity policy and risk management in five years.

Lake Superior State University

Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, offers a four-year BS in criminal justice - homeland security degree that prepares students for careers in law enforcement. One of the best homeland security degrees, the 124-credit bachelor's degree includes general education, a criminal justice major, and homeland security concentration coursework.

Students take classes like introduction to terrorism and homeland security, critical infrastructure protection, and introduction to state and local governments. Graduation requirements include a cumulative 2.0 GPA or higher, a minimum 2.0 GPA in the major, and completion of at least 24 upper-division major credits.

LSSU makes admission decisions after evaluating high school diploma or GED transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, and the applicant's high school course curriculum. LSSU participates in the Michigan Transfer Agreement, which enables students from Michigan community colleges to easily transfer to four-year programs at state universities.

University of New Haven

The homeland security degree from the University of New Haven in West Haven, Connecticut, prepares students to help the country prevent, respond to, and recover from threats related to cybersecurity, terrorism, and natural disasters.

The BS in homeland security and emergency management offers full-time and part-time options. The curriculum includes classes like emergency scene operations, scientific methods in national security, and infrastructure protection. Students can customize the degree through their choice of free electives.

Graduates pursue diverse careers at the local, state, and federal levels protecting the public. Students get access to the university's nationally known center for career development, which offers help with issues like job shadowing, networking, interviews, and salary negotiation. Admission requirements include high school or GED transcripts, a personal essay, at least one academic letter of recommendation, and official SAT or ACT scores.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay offers a BS in emergency management that provides a well-rounded liberal arts education. The curriculum includes general education coursework and classes like national security in emergency management, public health issues in emergency management, and IT in emergency management and operations.

Emergency management majors complete at least two co-op work projects and one experiential learning trip with Habitat for Humanity over winter break in freshman year. These learning opportunities give students relevant professional experience in the field before they graduate. The degree requires an emergency management capstone in the final semester of the four-year program.

The program prepares students for careers in emergency management and disaster-related roles in local, state, and federal government agencies. Other potential employers include organizations like the American Red Cross, CVS Health, and Beth Israel Medical Center. The degree also provides a suitable foundation for graduate study in emergency management and related fields.

University of New Hampshire

The University of New Hampshire in Durham offers a flexible four-year BS in homeland security degree. The program explores issues like data security, national security intelligence, global climate change, and community resilience. Students gain communication, analytical, strategic, and technical skills. Potential careers include critical infrastructure protection, emergency management, and law enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels.

The 128-credit bachelor's includes classes like fundamentals of corporate security, political violence and terrorism, and homeland security law and policy. All major courses require a grade of C- or better. The program combines classroom work with experiential learning opportunities, including internships and a capstone project. Subject matter experts teach in the homeland security program, drawing from years of experience throughout the nation.

Homeland security majors often pursue minors in corporate security, cybersecurity, global studies, or terrorism studies. Students can combine the homeland security BS with a dual degree, two minors, a double major, or an associate degree.

Point Park University

Future homeland security professionals can earn a BS in criminal justice - intelligence and national security from the school of arts and sciences at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of only three of its kind in the U.S., the program prepares students for entry-level work in homeland security. The curriculum explores issues like international terrorism, the ethics of spying, intelligence tradecraft techniques, and interrogation techniques.

The program gives students the opportunity to learn from and network with professionals from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Many faculty members hold extensive experience protecting the U.S. and confronting global terrorism. The 120-credit degree requires core courses like evolution of intelligence, critical thinking for analysts, and emergency planning and security.

Intelligence and national security majors can complete an 18-credit minor in a field of their choice. Intelligence and national security majors gain skills in strategic thinking, communication, and ethical behavior.

Sul Ross State University

One of the best homeland security degrees, the BS in homeland security from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, offers face-to-face and web-based courses. The curriculum explores topics like crisis management, government restructuring through disaster preparedness, and terrorism. Sul Ross' homeland security and criminal justice department offers multiple departmental scholarships for homeland security majors.

The 120-credit bachelor's degree provides a solid foundation in the theory and practice of homeland security and prepares graduates for diverse careers in the criminal justice field. Required courses include legal aspects of law enforcement, introduction to cybercrime, and research methods for criminal justice. Students must earn a grade of C or better in all major coursework.

Homeland security majors in their junior and senior years can complete an internship with a local law enforcement agency to gain real-world experience in the field. Internships cannot take place at the student's place of employment.

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Students looking for management-focused homeland security degrees in Florida should consider the bachelor of applied science in public safety management from Florida State College at Jacksonville. The program trains students to take management and leadership roles in public safety agencies. The curriculum focuses on homeland security, constitutional law, criminal justice, emergency management, and fire science. The accelerated program takes 18-24 months to complete and accepts applications year-round.

The 120-credit bachelor's degree includes core classes like national incident management, emergency planning and response, and management theory and practices. Students personalize their program by choosing electives that reflect their career goals and academic interests. Elective coursework covers issues like business writing, organizational behavior, and public safety management. Students must earn a grade of C or better in all upper-division major classes to graduate.

Florida State College at Jacksonville is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.