Master of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Program Requirements
Admission Requirements
- A complete MS in Homeland Security and Emergency Management Application (available online)
- Proof of a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited college or university via official transcripts from an institution granting B.A. or B.S. degree.
- Students must have completed HSEM 3301: HSEM Overview either as a pre-req or a co-req to be adequately prepared for the program. Course may be waived with a relevant degree per the Program Director's discretion for student readiness.
- A GPA of 3.0 or higher
- GRE is not required (see notation below for conditional admission option)
- Letter of Intent (3-5 pages)
- Reasons for seeking graduate education in Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- Ways your background and experience flow logically toward an MS degree
- What you anticipate your future contribution will be to homeland security and emergency management
- What research area do you anticipate pursuing for your thesis/capstone (flexibly to change)
- Professional Resume or Curriculum Vitae
- Background Acknowledgement Form
General Requirements
Additional Requirements
Applicants who fall below the minimum requirements may be considered for conditional admission. Such applicants may be required to submit additional materials, including letters of recommendation, admission interview, and/or LSAT/GRE/Millers Analogy test results.
International Applicants
International students must complete the Statement of Financial Guarantee. Applicants educated in an institution where English is not the language of instruction are required to submit official score results for TOEFL (internet-based test score of 80 or paper-based test score of 550), IELTS (6.5), or MELICET 79. Exception: International students whose undergraduate education took place in Australia, Canada (English-speaking provinces), United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, or the U.S. are exempt from this requirement. Students born in one of these countries yet educated elsewhere are still required to satisfy the English proficiency requirement.
Capstone Project
Graduate students must select either a thesis or a capstone project to complete the requirement of the MS degree program. Students who select a capstone project will enroll in three consecutive semesters of research and project coursework separated into three stages. Each stage must be completed prior to advancing to the next stage. Students must identify and partner with an organizational sponsor to support the project proposal. This may be a current employer or another organization the student identifies through initiative and outreach. Students will work with a faculty advisor and the project sponsor for three semesters to provide research results and a project proposal or a completed project that meets the needs of the designated partner organization and the student’s research and analysis requirements.
HSEM 6680-A: Capstone Project Stage 1: 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 a 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 (2 credits, Spring Semester, 16 weeks).
HSEM 6680-B: Capstone Project Stage 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 (2 credits, Summer semester Full Term, 13 weeks).
HSEM 6680-C: Capstone Project Stage 3: 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 (2 credits, Fall Full Term, 16 weeks).
Thesis Project
Graduate students must select either a thesis or a capstone project to complete the requirements of the MS degree program. Students who select a thesis will enroll in three consecutive semesters of thesis research, analysis, writing, and project coursework separated into three stages. Each stage must be completed prior to advancing to the next stage. Students will collaborate with an advisor(s) to identify a research question(s) that will add value to the University’s body of work on the topic and to the homeland security enterprise.
HSEM 6690-A: Thesis Stage 1: 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 6690-B: Thesis Stage 2: 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 6690-C: Thesis Project Stage 3: 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).
Courses Required for Master of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Prerequisite (can be waived with associated degree):
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HSEM 5501 | Homeland Security and Emergency Management Overview | 3 |
Required:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HSEM 5510 | Systems Thinking & Sensemaking of Homeland Sec Issues | 3 |
| HSEM 5520 | Societal Resilience | 3 |
| HSEM 5530 | Analyzing Risk and Protecting Critical Systems | 3 |
| HSEM 5540 | Health and Medical Disaster Management | 3 |
| HSEM 5570 | Successful HSEM Leadership | 3 |
| HSEM 6610 | Cyber Threats and Security | 3 |
| HSEM 6620 | Intelligence, Terrorism, and Domestic Violent Extremism | 3 |
| Select either the Capstone series or Thesis series below: | 6 | |
| Capstone Project Stage 1 | ||
| Capstone Project Stage 2 | ||
| Capstone Project Stage 3 | ||
| Thesis Stage 1 | ||
| Thesis Stage 2 | ||
| Thesis Project Stage 3 | ||
| Total Program Credit Hours | 30 | |