Sciences offering new master’s program in homeland security

AUM’s new Master of Homeland Security and Emergency Management program in the School of Sciences was approved by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education in December. The degree program will help students from any background develop the skills they need to prepare for and respond to threats to their communities and to our nation.

“It’s a topic that affects everyone’s lives,” said Dr. Ralph Ioimo, head of the Department of Justice and Public Safety. “Terrorism and other threats are real in today’s world, and this program will enhance the work of first responders and others to mitigate the impact of such threats.”

The SACS-accredited program is the only one of its kind in the state. Students in the program will learn from real world professionals who have worked in law enforcement and response agencies such as police, military, the Secret Service and the U.S. Marshals Service.

“We’ve got real professionals teaching these courses,” Ioimo said. “And because we offer the options of completing the program entirely online or through a hybrid course of study online and in classrooms, it’s really accessible to the non-traditional student.”

Many of the students in this degree program are expected to be law enforcement officials and first responders, but the option is ideal for students from a variety of backgrounds who may be looking to make a career change or enhance their skill set. No prerequisite plan of study is required, and students can enter the program at any time of the year.

The HSEM master’s program will include classes on weapons of mass destruction, agricultural terrorism, intelligence and information dissemination, crime analysis, technology, and psychology of terrorism and fear.

Jan. 9, 2012