The program in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness recognizes this dual nature and is designed to give students both theoretical and practical knowledge that will prepare them for the following: 1) private or public sector employment in the expanding area of homeland security as it relates specifically to international and domestic security as well as emergency preparedness for both security and non-security related incidents and/or 2) further study in government, international affairs, law enforcement, policy planning, or law.

Students will study homeland security and emergency preparedness from a number of perspectives: emergency planning/management principles and practicalities; The nature and effects of natural disasters; the nature of the terrorist threat to the United States from both foreign and domestic organizations, including terrorist motives, methods, and history; counterterrorism policies ranging from law enforcement to intelligence to the use of military force; vulnerability assessment of public and private infrastructure and institutions; critical infrastructure protection; ethical, constitutional, law enforcement, and civil liberties issues related to the prevention of terrorist attacks through surveillance, immigration restrictions, and detention; public safety legal questions that arise during governmental responses to natural disaster; intelligence analysis of domestic and international threats; and policy making topics, such as organizational design and management, interagency processes, and intergovernmental coordination and cooperation within emergency preparedness and counterterrorism institutions at the local, state, federal, and international level.

The Bachelor of Arts curriculum in homeland security and emergency preparedness requires a minimum of 120 credits, with at least 36 of those credits in homeland security and emergency preparedness.

Along with the general education requirements of the College of Humanities and Sciences and Monroe Park campus requirements, the students must complete the following 30 credits of core courses. Students are required to take HSEP 101 Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, POLI 103 U. S. Government and POLI/INTL 105 International Relations as prerequisites to HSEP 301/CRJS 367/POLI 367 Terrorism and HSEP 302 Emergency Planning and Incident Management. HSEP 301 and HSEP 302 are prerequisites to all other upper-level HSEP core courses. These prerequisites can be waived with permission of the instructor.

HSEP Core courses
HSEP 101 Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
POLI 103 U. S. Government
POLI/INTL 105 International Relations
HSEP 301/CRJS 367/POLI 367 Terrorism
HSEP 302 Emergency Planning and Incident Management
HSEP 310 Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
HSEP 311 Strategic Planning for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
HSEP 320/CRJS 375 The Intelligence Community and the Intelligence Process
HSEP 330/CRJS 330 Legal and Constitutional Issues in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
HSEP 490 Senior Seminar

Students must then select their remaining six credits from the following course list. Students can also count three credits of internship and three credits of independent study toward the major requirement.

HSEP Elective courses (additional electives to be added)
CRJS 300 Forensic Criminology
CRJS 320 Principles of Criminal Investigation
CRJS 370 Criminalistics and Crime Analysis
CRJS 373 Crime Scene Evidence, Law, and Trial Procedure
CRJS 463 Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
CRJS 475 Case Studies in Criminal Procedure
HSEP 391 Topics in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
HSEP 491 Advanced Topics in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
HSEP 492 Independent Study
HSEP 494 Internship
FIRE 330 Regulatory Aspects of Safety and Risk Control
FIRE 332 System Safety
FIRE 333 Risk and Insurance
FIRE 334 Incident Investigation and Analysis
FIRE 430 Issues in Risk Management and Insurance
POLI 310 Public Policy
POLI 322 State and Local Government
POLI 329 Intergovernmental Relations
POLI/INTL 351 Comparative Politics of the Middle East
POLI/INTL 353 Latin American Politics
POLI/INTL 362 International Organizations and Institutions
POLI/INTL 363 U. S. Foreign Policy
URSP 310 Introduction to Public Planning
URSP 332 Environmental Management
URSP 413 Policy Implementation
URSP 521 Introduction to GIS
URSP 552 Urban Transportation Systems

Collateral requirements
In addition to the homeland security and emergency preparedness courses required for the Bachelor of Arts degree, students must complete the study of a foreign language through the intermediate level (202 or 205) through courses or placement.

Honors in homeland security and emergency preparedness
Homeland security and emergency preparedness majors can earn honors within the program by completing HSEP 490 senior Seminar with an “A” grade and graduating with an overall 3.0 GPA and a 3.3 GPA in courses credited toward the 36 credits of the homeland security and emergency preparedness major.

Minor in homeland security and emergency preparedness
A minor in homeland security and emergency preparedness consists of 18 credits. Students are required to take the following:
HSEP 101 Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
HSEP 301/CRJS 367/POLI 367Terrorism
HSEP 302 Emergency Planning and Incident Management
HSEP 330/CRJS 330 Legal and Constitutional Issues in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

Students should choose three credits from the following list:
HSEP 310 Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
HSEP 311 Strategic Planning for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
HSEP 320/CRJS 375 The Intelligence Community and the Intelligence Process

Students should choose three additional elective credits from the HSEP Electives list in consultation with an adviser (students may also choose these credits from whichever HSEP core courses they have not already taken).

Courses in homeland security and emergency preparedness

HSEP 101 Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (General Education List J, Human Behavior)
Semester Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An introduction to the public and private sector dimensions of the broad range theoretical and practical aspects of homeland security and emergency preparedness, including: origins of natural and terrorist-caused disasters; local, state, and federal emergency management planning and operations; health infrastructure capabilities; public communication strategies; business community concerns; ethical, legal, and constitutional questions; as well as the social and psychological dimensions of disasters.

HSEP 301/CRJS 367/POLI 367 Terrorism
Semester Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HSEP 101, POLI 103 and POLI 105 or permission of instructor. A survey of the modern problem of terrorism with an emphasis on the political nature of terrorist acts. Examines the history of terrorism, domestically within the U.S. and internationally, the role of religion, the structures and operations of terrorist organizations, as well as counterterrorism policies and policy making.

HSEP 310 Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
Semester Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HSEP 301, HSEP 302, and STAT 210 or permission of instructor. An introduction to analytical techniques and methodologies for threat and vulnerability assessment of various types of public and private infrastructure. An all hazard approach is employed, considering natural disaster, system failure, and terrorist attack (conventional or weapons of mass destruction). Special attention will be focused on critical infrastructure protection as well as cyberterrorism.

HSEP 311 Strategic Planning for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Semester Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HSEP 301 and HSEP 302 or permission of instructor. An examination of the strategic planning for emergency preparedness, operations, and recovery for all hazards, as well as terrorist prevention security measures. The course will focus on public goods/free rider issues, setting organizational priorities, governmental budgeting choices, legal aspects of government regulation of infrastructure, and business community security concerns.

HSEP 490 Senior Seminar (Proposed Writing Intensive)
Semester Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: 24 credits in homeland security and emergency preparedness courses or permission of instructor. A capstone course examining the major issues related to homeland security and emergency preparedness. Students will be required to produce a research project related to a role playing simulation of an emergency situation that will include exercises in red-teaming.

HSEP 391 Topics in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3credits. Maximum total of six credits in all departmental topics courses may be applied to the major. An intensive focus on a specialized field of interest to the study of homeland security and emergency preparedness. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.

HSEP 491 Advanced Topics in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Maximum total of six credits in all departmental topics courses may be applied to the major. An intensive focus on a specialized field of interest to the study of homeland security and emergency preparedness within a seminar setting. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.

HSEP 492 Independent Study
Semester course; variable credit, 1-4 credits; maximum total of six credits for all independent study courses. Open to students of junior or senior standing who have earned at least 12 credits in homeland security and emergency preparedness. Determination of credits and permission of instructor and program coordinator must be obtained prior to registration for the course. An independent study that allows students to perform research under the direction of an instructor qualified in that area, in a subject or field of major interest.

HSEP 494 Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Internship
Semester course; variable credit, 1-3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits. 50 hours at internship placement per credit. Designed to provide the student with an opportunity to relate theory to practice through observation and actual experience with governmental, private sector, and non-profit sector organizations that have responsibilities for developing policy or performing analytical research in the area of homeland security and emergency preparedness.