What is a Bachelor of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Management?

Prepare yourself to confront the challenges facing the U.S. with your Bachelor of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC). Our homeland security online degree program will provide vast knowledge in emergency planning and response protocols and techniques, while also addressing the cultural and political causes of terrorism, so you can develop homeland security management solutions that protect your community and nation.

Accelerated 5- to 6-week courses
Transfer approved college credits toward your bachelor’s program at UAGC
1 course at a time
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Degree Completion Journey

Your BA in Homeland Security and Emergency Management courses will cover topics that include counterterrorism, international relations, cybercrime, emergency planning, research and analysis, and the methods by which the U.S. government prepares for, prevents, and responds to domestic emergencies.

1

Freshman Year

  • In this foundational course, students explore the principles necessary for achieving personal and career success. GEN 101 serves as a road map, guiding students as they begin their academic journey. Through self-discovery, surveying available resources, connecting with UAGC groups, and engaging with Career Services, students learn the essential skills of planning and goal setting. Students apply their personal strengths, skills, and lifelong learning strategies to develop essential career competencies. By making these meaningful connections students gain a deeper understanding of how their education relates to their desired career path.  Congratulations on embarking on this college journey filled with growth, exploration, and endless possibilities! This course is not available for non-degree seeking students and is not available as an elective.

  • This course offers an overview of digital fluency as it applies to personal, academic, financial, and professional success. Students will analyze the impact of digital technology on personal, social, and diversity issues and will develop digital skills that will assist in achieving academic, personal, and career goals. An overview of digital media is introduced with practical strategies for application in personal and professional life.

  • Learn and use key, practical skills that are applicable at home, at work, and in all UAGC courses! As UAGC students progress in their academic journey, strategies for personal, professional, and academic success continue to develop. This introductory course takes a two-pronged approach to setting students on a path to success. It merges fundamental informational literacy concepts with essential resources and skills that prepare students for college and career. Students learn how to identify, locate, evaluate, apply, and acknowledge information obtained through UAGC Library databases and internet search engines. By applying the research process, students sharpen critical thinking skills and learn to use information ethically. The final project is a practical and relevant opportunity for students to apply their learning in personally, professionally, and academically meaningful ways.

  • This course is designed to aid students in understanding the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. Verbal and nonverbal communication patterns among people in personal, social, academic, and professional settings will be examined, within and between cultures, including both face-to-face and technologically mediated channels.  The nature of these interactions will be evaluated using contemporary communication theory. The course will enable students to identify their interpersonal communication skills and behaviors and to more critically evaluate their own oral communication and that of others. The primary goals of the course are to improve the quality of students’ communication in their personal and professional relationships, to enhance students’ experience and. confidence with oral communication, and increase awareness of the importance of interpersonal communication that is inclusive and equitable.

  • This course is designed to expand students’ appreciation of film and knowledge of how films are made. Through analysis of storytelling in a visual medium, students will examine the ways in which movies are shot, develop characters, evoke emotion, depict physical reality, reflect society, and have the power to influence it. Though the focus of the course is film itself, students will gain deeper intercultural fluency while growing their skills in critical thinking, written communication, and visual analysis.

  • ENG 121 is designed to introduce students to the standards of writing in both academic and professional settings. The class will operate by first introducing, and then allowing students to practice, several written communication skills. Throughout, we will work to understand writing as a process, one that is strengthened through critical thinking, deepened by research, and built on a foundation of professional standards. Students will articulate a sense of their own skills and goals, and engage in collaborative conversations with peers and their instructor so as to be able to express their ideas more effectively. During the course, students will use the writing process to scrutinize their own perspectives while challenging them to embrace a wider conversation.

  • In this course, students will develop and hone academic and professional writing skills by employing those skills to communicate with range of audiences across a range of situations and contexts. To do that, students will receive instruction and practice in writing well-structured, logical, and effective academic essays while developing critical thinking skills and effective work habits. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG 121 or equivalent with a grade of “C-” or better.

  • This course examines and evaluates theories and arguments concerning ethics and moral reasoning from a philosophical perspective. By engaging with historical and contemporary sources, students will analyze theories about the meaning, nature, and justification of ethical concepts; determine and assess how different forms of moral reasoning apply to contemporary moral issues; become more reflective and informed about their own moral beliefs; and develop their capacity for critical practical reasoning.

  • This course is a study of correct and incorrect reasoning involved in everyday activities. The fundamentals of language and argument, deductive and inductive reasoning and other aspects of practical reasoning are examined. 

  • This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of social sciences and some of the disciplines that comprise this field, including anthropology, psychology, economics, sociology, political science, and history. In this course, students will learn important social science concepts and theoretical approaches, along with the research methods that social scientists use to study human behavior. They will also learn how research and findings from the social sciences can be applied broadly throughout society. Throughout the course and through a summative assignment, students will examine how social factors shape social behavior and some of the consequences of current social problems.

2

Sophomore Year

  • In this course, learners deepen their understanding of the importance of natural resources to mankind. Students explore physical, biological, and ecological principles, examine how human alterations affect the environment, and reflect on the controversies surrounding various approaches to addressing environmental problems and the steps some communities have taken to address these challenges.

  • In this course students will explore a wider range of Algebra topics beyond the introductory level. Topics will include polynomials, functions, rational expressions, systems of equations and inequalities, operations with radicals, and quadratic equations. Emphasis will be placed on developing an awareness of the use of mathematics as it exists in the world today.

  • The capstone serves as an opportunity to reflect upon, integrate, and showcase learning achievement. Through discussions and course-embedded assessments, students will demonstrate a mastery of essential general education competencies as they relate to their personal and professional lives and provide evidence of growth through application of competency related skills to real-world situations. A minimum grade of “C-“ is required to meet course requirements. Prerequisite: 75 completed credits or permission of the student’s college or dean.

  • This course is a broad overview of homeland security in the United States. Areas of study include the organizational structure of the Department of Homeland Security as well as the principals, foundations, and doctrines surrounding homeland security. Students examine both historical and current issues related to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, current policies of the Department, and potential career paths within the department.

  • HSM201 Homeland Security Missions and Current Issues takes a broad approach to examining the scope of threats to the safety and security of the United States, both natural and man-made, as well as current issues through the lens of the mission and various goals of the Department of Homeland Security.

  • This course is an introduction to the complexity and nuance of Political Science. It explores the political and social dynamics of choice, action, and consequence that underlie and support all political phenomena. Specifically, this course focuses on the why and how of politics rather than the what, in order to provide students with useful, current, and relevant conceptual and theoretical tools for enhancing their critical thinking skills.

  • This course provides a foundation of classical ethical theories and explores the ethical framework and critical decision–making models likely to be used in Homeland Security and Emergency Management environments.  Students will be challenged to analyze the ethical considerations for emergency response, civil rights, local government powers, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, weapons of mass destruction, domestic and international anti-terrorism efforts. Students will also examine important civil and human rights concerns generated by security needs and assess how to balance the need for security with personal privacy, cybersecurity, and commerce.

  • This course will introduce students to constitutional rights and issues as they apply to the work of police departments and other law enforcement organizations at the federal, state, and local level. The course will focus on the Bill of Rights, particularly the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, as well as the Fourteenth Amendment. The course examines the application of these rights in the enforcement, investigation, and adjudication of crime.

  • This course examines quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods and associated data interpretation within the context of research, policy and practice within the social sciences. This course also examines the relationship between research, policy and/or theory. Students will examine types of data, measurement scales, hypotheses, sampling, probability, and varied research designs for research in the social sciences and related disciplines.

  • This course will provide students with the skills to develop a comprehensive plan for risk analysis, threat assessment, staffing an emergency operations center, coordinating with supporting agencies, and the creation of a continuing testing program. Analysis of historical incidents as well as realistic scenarios are used to teach students how to plan for natural disasters as well as terrorism and other emergencies at the federal, state and local levels. This course is designed to provide students with the ability to evaluate an emergency incident, determine its scope, understand the function of the first responders, learn the communication procedures necessary to alert the appropriate agencies, and understand how first responders are dispatched. Students will create a recovery plan for response to large scale incidents.

3

Junior Year

  • This course examines the ways revolution and terrorism has shaped the twenty-first century from an interdisciplinary perspective drawing on history, philosophy, and sociology. Emphasis is on the ideas and socio-historical forces that have produced revolutions. Equivalent to LIB 323.

  • Students in this course study and analyze counterterrorism including the evolution of counterterrorism, and the specifics of the typology and anatomy of terrorist operations. The course includes an overview of the intelligence community, collection, analysis, requirements and dissemination.

  • This course explores human and organizational reactions to disaster. Students will explore human behavior during disasters as well as some of the psychological impacts of disasters on people. The course will also address how organizations maintain continuity of operations during disasters.

  • This course provides for analysis of some of the major types of security. Students will explore the concept of human security, including facets and applications. Students will also examine some environmental threats and challenges associated with environmental security. Cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities will also be analyzed with a particular focus on critical infrastructure systems.

  • In this final course students will demonstrate their mastery of program outcomes in Homeland Security & Emergency Management creating an original research and analysis report using the draft and research developed in the Research and Analysis Course. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the General Education Capstone course.

4

Senior Year

Program Requirements
Credit Breakdowns
General Education
43*
Credits
Major Credit Requirements
36*
Credits
Electives
44
Credits
Total Credits
120
Credits

To earn your Bachelor of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Management at the University of Arizona Global Campus, you must complete 120 credits. You will need to complete 30 upper-division credits, of which 18 credits must be from the major program. A total of 30 credits must be completed at the University of Arizona Global Campus to meet the residency requirement. You may be able to transfer approved credits from community colleges, other previous college coursework, or other life experiences such as military service or job training toward your degree.

* In this program, 3 credits from the major may also satisfy General Education requirements.

Special Terms and Conditions

Successful completion of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management degree by itself does not lead to licensure or certification in any state, regardless of concentration or specialization. Further, the University of Arizona Global Campus does not guarantee that any professional organization will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any exam for the purpose of professional certification. Students seeking licensure or certification in a particular profession are strongly encouraged to carefully research the requirements prior to enrollment. Requirements may vary by state. Further, a criminal record may prevent an applicant from obtaining licensure, certification, or employment in this field of study.

Certain degree programs may not be available in all states.

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Customize Your Bachelor of Arts Homeland Security and Emergency Management with UAGC Emphases

An emphasis provides you with additional opportunities to broaden and enrich your education that is distinct from and enhances your major. It may be taken as a way to expand career options, to prepare for graduate study, or simply to explore in greater depth an area different from your major. An emphasis consists of 9 to 12 credits.
  • Do you have an interest in studying important questions like how a country builds wealth and what policies help economies grow? If so, the Business Economics emphasis may be for you! This emphasis provides the critical knowledge you need to understand the impact of the economy on businesses, individuals, and the global community. Learning economic concepts will assist you in understanding how to analyze scarce resources, how to structure effective consumer incentives, and how public policies may impact an economy. Finally, the Business Economics emphasis includes topics such as profit maximization, international trade, and how to solve contemporary business problems in a global environment. The following courses are a part of the emphasis:

    Undergraduate Business Economics Emphasis Courses

    ECO 320 International Economics

    3 Credits

    This course will focus on the global environment of firms with particular emphasis on economic variables such as GDP, inflation, interest rates, and exchange rates. Topics include international trade, international finance, and regional issues in the global economy.

    ECO 406 Business Cycles & Growth

    3 Credits

    Topics include analysis of economic fluctuations and their impact on corporations and consumers; different explanations for business cycles; monetary and fiscal policy for stabilizing economic fluctuations; effects of public debt, investment, employment and trade policy on economic growth. Prerequisite: ECO 203.

    ECO 408 Managerial Economics

    3 Credits

    This course will focus on the application of economic principles and analyses to contemporary business problems and managerial decision making. Emphasis will be given to price and production decision making for profit maximization, investment decision making for a new project, strategic decision making in various business situations, and decision making with risks and uncertainty. Prerequisite: ECO 204.

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  • The Cognitive Studies emphasis is designed to introduce you to the study of the brain and how we learn, solve problems, and make decisions. You will discover the unique needs of learners with cognitive delays, as well as programs to address those needs. You will also learn to identify changes in brain development over time and analyze their impact on cognitive functions.

    Undergraduate Cognitive Studies Emphasis Courses

    EDU 411 Reading & Cognition

    3 Credits

    The task of learning to read is a very complex process involving the application of perceptual, sensory, linguistic, and cognitive skills to making meaning of text. Exploration of the specific cognitive functions that are applied while reading and strategies supporting reading instruction and reading comprehension skills will be addressed. The implications of digital media on reading skills will also be explored in this course.

    PSY 317 Cognitive Functioning in the Elderly

    3 Credits

    This course will introduce changes both cognitively and physically, that occur in both healthy and pathological aging. This course will emphasize changes in functioning, learning, language-processing, decision-making, memory, and reasoning in older adults Prerequisite: PSY 101 or equivalent.

    PSY 323 Perception, Learning, & Cognition

    3 Credits

    Students will study research and theory about mental processes that go between experience and the human mind. Students will gather and interpret data for several simple experiments that demonstrate classic research findings in perception, learning, and cognition. Perception entails the mental processes involved in the organization and interpretation of sensory experience. Learning entails relatively permanent changes in behavior that result from experience. Cognition explains how the mind processes information, how we encode, store, and retrieve memories, and how we use information to form beliefs, make decisions, and solve problems. Prerequisite: PSY 101 or equivalent.

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  • Perhaps you want to be your own boss, or you enjoy out-of-the-box thinking, solving puzzles, resolving problems, and finding creative ways to address issues in the current business environment. The Entrepreneurship emphasis may be just what you are looking for. This emphasis can help you visualize and realize skills you will need to succeed in a global business environment. It enables you to craft a foundation of skills and essential knowledge to build a business from its inception and transform it into sustainable growth. You will learn how to analyze risk, address and analyze the impact of various environmental factors in the political and ethical realm, and learn to design and compile business plans. The following courses are part of the emphasis:

    Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Emphasis Courses

    BUS 362 Introduction to Entrepreneurship

    3 Credits

    This dynamic course is based on a unique model of entrepreneurial methodology developed by Forbes School of Business and Technology at the University of Arizona Global Campus. Entrepreneurship encompasses imagining the unknown, taking inspired action, and embracing uncertainty to create a new future. It involves the identification, evaluation, and exploitation of opportunities to address challenges and to solve problems. Students will learn how to use imagination, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship to bring new ideas to fruition that inspire others. Students will create a feasible blueprint for a venture opportunity idea of their own. This course will be the beginning of the journey to becoming an entrepreneur.

    BUS 433 New Business Strategy

    3 Credits

    This course is intended to provide prospective entrepreneurs with information and tools for evaluating opportunities for starting a new firm—how to choose markets for entry, when to enter, and what resources and capabilities it will take to enter and provide a platform for future growth. Prerequisite: BUS 362.

    BUS 437 Business Plan Development

    3 Credits

    BUS 437 students will use prior learning to create a comprehensive business plan for a new venture. The emphasis is on using a systematic four-step method to frame business plan development activities. Each week student teams will develop one segment of the team’s business plan and receive feedback from the instructor through a game simulation. Prerequisites: BUS 362.

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  • Do you have an interest in learning how to lead a healthier lifestyle, exploring the benefits of behavior change, and diving into how to better manage stress? If so, the Health and Wellness emphasis may be for you! The Health and Wellness emphasis examines the dimensions of wellness and the relationship of chronic conditions to preventive measures and treatment interventions. This emphasis can help you gain skills to promote health and wellness behaviors on an individual level by evaluating lifestyle factors and developing personalized wellness programs that utilize evidenced-based theories and strategies. The following courses are a part of the emphasis:

    Undergraduate Health and Wellness Emphasis Courses

    HWE 200 Introduction to Health & Wellness

    3 Credits

    This course provides students with a holistic overview of the multi-faceted dimensions of health and wellness across the lifespan. The seven dimensions of health: Physical, social, intellectual, emotional, occupational, spiritual, and environmental are explored within the context of a wellness lifestyle.

    HWE 340 Exercise & Physiology

    3 Credits

    This course introduces students to physiological responses to exercise in the human body. Students compare the major physiological systems (energy transfer, cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, etc.) at rest, explain the systemic adaptations that occur with acute and long-term exercise, and evaluate how these activities affect health and human performance. Students also analyze how nutrition and pharmacological aids impact athletic performance.

    HWE 415 Stress Management

    3 Credits

    This course provides students with a basic understanding of stress management concepts including causes and effects of acute and chronic stress as well as techniques used to manage stress. Students learn about the effects of stress, analyze the relationship between stress and health, apply stress management techniques, and develop stress management programs while considering various cultural backgrounds.

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  • In the Real Estate Studies emphasis you’ll learn the ins and outs of a fascinating industry and prepare for examining the markets and financing methods for residential and commercial properties. Discover the many trends that influence property valuations and learn the best practices to benefit and safeguard investors. These three courses comprise the Real Estate Studies emphasis:

    Undergraduate Real Estate Studies Emphasis Courses

    RES 301 Principles of Real Estate

    3 Credits

    This course introduces students to the general principles of real estate, to include industry terminology, ethics, deeds, listing and purchase agreements, agency, contracts, and property valuation decisions. Emphasis will also be on factors impacting local and national real estate markets.

    RES 325 Real Estate Practice

    3 Credits

    This course examines the basic job functions of real estate salespersons and brokers. Property listing, advertising, escrow, sales, and establishing a client base will be covered with practical applications for completing successful transactions.

    RES 345 Legal Aspects of Real Estate

    3 Credits

    This course is a study of the legal system and its impact on purchase, ownership, sale, and leasing of real estate. Topics to be covered include contracts, wills, zoning, and environmental law, as well as Constitutional issues in real estate

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  • Courses within the Supply Chain Management area of emphasis highlight effective management of supply chain processes and information flow in order to optimize activities and costs, and successfully serve their customers. You will study individual functions of supply chain and strategic relationships among these functions, which include: purchasing, inventory control, warehousing, quality, sustainability, financial controls; importing, exporting, trade agreements, contract negotiations, and transportation. You will learn to apply the core business knowledge to managing wider organizational processes. The following three courses comprise the Supply Chain Management area of emphasis:

    Undergraduate Supply Chain Management Emphasis Courses

    MGT 323 Principles of Supply Chain Management

    3 Credits

    This course introduces supply chain management, and the related costs. It provides a systematic overview and analysis of the elements of supply chain functions in widely varying types of industries and agencies, including handling, warehousing, inventory control, and financial controls. Prerequisite: MGT 330.

    MGT 370 International Supply Chain Management

    3 Credits

    Topics covered in this course include the government’s role in global logistics, the global logistics environment, ocean and air transportation, transportation to Canada, Mexico, and the European continent including intermediaries, documentation, insurance, exporting, and importing. Current trends in globalization will also be explored and evaluated. The role of logistics and transportation organizations in the global supply chain process will be discussed.

    MGT 400 Logistics Management

    3 Credits

    This course is an overview of logistics management in the modern business environment. It examines financial and economic aspects of logistics and highlights the value created by logistics activities. Students will evaluate transportation and warehousing management strategies. The course takes a practical approach to logistics and applies innovative logistics principles to business situations. The course examines contemporary topics, including the role of inventory, that support the organization’s strategic goals. Prerequisite: MGT 300.

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Careers in Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Government institutions and businesses are focused like never before on security and preparedness. Through this program, you will learn necessary and marketable skills to obtain positions at the federal, state and local levels. Just a few of the many professional careers that often begin with a Bachelor of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Management degree include:

 

  • Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
  • Police Officer
  • Deputy Sheriff
  • Security Managers
  • Security Management Specialist
  • Customs and Border Protection Officers
  • First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
  • First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
  • Detective and Criminal Investigators
  • Intelligence Analysts
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Other Degrees That May Interest You

The University of Arizona Global Campus offers a wide range of degree programs to prepare you for today’s most competitive industries. Explore these programs to find the right path for your life and career.

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This program requires you to be a current licensed registered nurse. Please check out other programs to reach your education goals such as the BA in Health and Wellness.

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