Courses
HSEM 5501 Homeland Security and Emergency Management Overview: 3 semester hours.
This course provides an overview of homeland security and emergency management principles. This course involves a rigorous examination of public safety concerns, crisis decision-making, and explores emerging threats under the national security umbrella. Students will examine policies, threats, program efficacy, and strategic foresight. Specific, evaluated graduate-level activities and/or performances are identified in the course syllabus.
HSEM 5510 Systems Thinking & Sensemaking of Homeland Sec Issues: 3 semester hours.
Students use systems thinking, sensemaking, and mental models to examine grand challenges and complex systems unique to the homeland security enterprise. Students apply systems mapping of the nonlinear, interconnected subsystems involving threats, and the country?s readiness to prepare for and respond with agility through emergent practice.
HSEM 5520 Societal Resilience: 3 semester hours.
Students will examine topics in the resiliency framework from a policy-level standpoint, evaluating the effectiveness of longstanding and emerging innovative initiatives in mitigation, critical infrastructure, public health, equity in governance, public safety, climate action, and technological advancements. Analyzes the concept of community resilience from a systems perspective examining public and private sector roles. This course examines theory and perspectives on the resilience of natural, human, and engineered environments through the formulation of effective research and writing strategies.
HSEM 5530 Analyzing Risk and Protecting Critical Systems: 3 semester hours.
Focuses on the threats, vulnerabilities, risks, and consequences of critical infrastructure and the interdependencies associated with essential services and systems. Explores risk methodologies to narrow in on the critical nodes of highly connected lifeline sectors and systems. Building upon an emerging risk picture, students develop risk reduction strategies and determine how to allocate resources to decrease the likelihood of critical system failures and lessen the impact of disasters, to maintain essential services for the American public. Specific, evaluated graduate-level activities and/or performances are identified in the course syllabus.
HSEM 5540 Health and Medical Disaster Management: 3 semester hours.
Explores and evaluates public health emergency systems and capabilities related to crises such as pandemics, chemical and bioterrorism threats, contamination, and mass casualty incidents. Delves into managing the impacts of all hazard incidents for vulnerable populations and those with access and functional needs during response and recovery efforts. Develops analytic skills and strategies to improve public health policies, preparedness, and response systems. Specific, evaluated graduate-level activities and/or performances are identified in the course syllabus.
HSEM 5570 Ethical Leadership and Decision-Making: 3 semester hours.
Focuses on the qualities of leadership necessary to direct efforts in the critical arenas of homeland security and emergency management. Incorporates intensive case-studies and scenarios to analyze policies, legal structures, ethical dilemmas facing the homeland security and emergency management professional in a stressful and dynamic work environment. Examines the expectations and efficacy of leadership models, while students leverage their own skills and experience to support the complex adaptive systems needed to address the homeland security challenges beyond the horizon. Specific, evaluated graduate-level activities and/or performances are identified in the course syllabus.
HSEM 5580 Accessibility & Inclusion in Disasters: 3 semester hours.
This course analyzes the necessity of accessibility and inclusivity in emergency planning and investigates the impacts that ineffective disaster preparation has on individuals and communities with disabilities or other access and functional needs. Students apply frameworks for effective and inclusive emergency management practices, evaluate past disaster responses, and plan for future scenarios. Students will examine the legal and regulatory standards governing accessibility requirements in disasters and access to government services, which affects the resilience of the disability, access, and functional needs (DAFN) community. Specific, evaluated graduate-level activities and/or performances are identified in the course syllabus.
HSEM 5596 Independent Study: 1-6 semester hours.
The content of this course is not described in the catalog. The title and number of credits are announced in the Class Schedule. Independent Study courses may be offered no more than three times with the same title and content. May be repeated.
HSEM 5598 Special Topics: 1-6 semester hours.
The Special Topics course addresses the special needs of industry, enabling students to engage in critical thinking, innovation, and the application of study and research related to current or emerging threats in the environment that are not included in the current program curriculum. D
HSEM 5599 Experimental Course in Homeland Security and Emergency Management: 1-6 semester hours.
The content of this course is not described in the catalog. Title and number of credits are announced in the Class Schedule. Experimental courses may be offered no more than three times with the same title and content. May be repeated.
HSEM 6610 Cyber Threats and Security: 3 semester hours.
Advances cyber security leadership skills of current homeland security professionals and prepares a new generation of strategic leaders to secure the country's digital infrastructure. Explores the security of networks and digital security threats, offensive and defensive strategies, and system recovery priorities. Examines the use of the Internet in the new age of global terrorism and domestic violent extremists to recruit and organize. Examines the consequences of intentional cyber-attacks in the virtual world with a focus on intelligence issues. Students investigate strategies to detect, to protect critical information against hackers, terrorists, and cyber criminals, and to prioritize the recovery critical systems. Specific, evaluated graduate-level activities and/or performances are identified in the course syllabus.
HSEM 6620 Intelligence, Terrorism, and Domestic Violent Extremism: 3 semester hours.
Examines emerging terrorist threats to the U.S. and strategies to disrupt terrorist plots. Explores the life cycle of terrorist organizations, extreme acts of violence at public venues, and the role of counterintelligence. Studies the collection, analysis and evaluation of intelligence, the management of the intelligence function, and the influence of intelligence in shaping operational security decisions. Develops an understanding of intelligence tradecraft and the analytic and research skills used in intelligence work. Students analyze a case study of how a terrorist organization has ended, and the issues that impacted its demise to better understand how to counter current and future threats to homeland security. Specific, evaluated graduate-level activities and/or performances are identified in the course syllabus.
HSEM 6650 Interdisciplinary Approaches to Homeland Security: 3 semester hours.
Problems facing homeland security and emergency management leaders touch upon a range of disciplines across the homeland security enterprise. This course examines the benefits and techniques to integrate disciplinary insights and gain a more comprehensive understanding of problems and approaches. Students unpack systemic coordination challenges and study biases and conflicting perspectives. They compare the utility of generalists versus specialists, and create an interdisciplinary research strategy for solving grand challenges.
HSEM 6680A Capstone Project Stage 1: 1-3 semester hours.
In this stage, students identify a sponsor organization and point of contact, develop a baseline overview of the current mission, structure, and operating environment of the organization, develop research question(s), and identify the non-linear, dynamic properties and relationships of a complex system involving the organization with a nexus to homeland security and emergency management (1-3 credits, repeatable).
HSEM 6680B Capstone Project Stage 2: 1-3 semester hours.
2: In this stage, students research and isolate the root problem, analyze the reasons for the problem, and employ research methodologies to map the properties and consequences of a critical issue, problem, or challenge facing the organization (1-3 credits, repeatable).
HSEM 6680C Capstone Project Stage 3: 1-3 semester hours.
In this stage, students research the selected issue, problem, or challenge and conduct research to provide a comparative analysis of conventional and innovative courses of action, develop criteria for assessments, create a project management plan and key performance indicators, make recommendations, and finalize a professionally written project proposal and presentation for their sponsor organization (1-3 credits, repeatable).
HSEM 6690A Thesis Stage 1: 1-3 semester hours.
In this stage, students select a thesis topic, develop a research question(s), conduct a preliminary literature review, begin formulating a thesis proposal with a nexus to homeland security and emergency management, and identify the University?s approval requirements for potential research methods (1-3 credits, repeatable).
HSEM 6690B Thesis Stage 2: 1-3 semester hours.
In this stage, students complete a literature review, design a research project, identify relevant research theories and conceptual frameworks, select a research methodology and approach, and begin collecting and analyzing data. (1-3 credits, repeatable).
HSEM 6690C Thesis Stage 3: 1-3 semester hours.
In this stage, students finalize research findings and synthesize them into the final written thesis document. Students will navigate the thesis approval requirements with the guidance of their thesis advisor(s) and thesis advisory committee and defend their thesis at an oral defense presentation (1-3 credits, repeatable).
HSEM 6696 Independent Study: 1-6 semester hours.
The content of this course is not described in the catalog. The title and number of credits are announced in the Class Schedule. Independent Study courses may be offered no more than three times with the same title and content. May be repeated.
HSEM 6698 Special Topics: 1-6 semester hours.
The Special Topics course addresses the special needs of industry, enabling students to engage in critical thinking, innovation, and the application of study and research related to current or emerging threats in the environment that are not included in the current program curriculum. D
HSEM 6699 Experimental Course in Homeland Security and Emergency Management: 1-6 semester hours.
The content of this course is not described in the catalog. The title and number of credits are announced in the Class Schedule. Experimental courses may be offered no more than three times with the same title and content. May be repeated.
