As a Homeland Security and Emergency Services major, you’ll study threats to the US in any form, from protecting the country’s physical borders and cybercrime to natural disasters and drug trafficking. Other threats include food safety, disease and terrorism. And as a major, you’ll learn how to prepare and respond to such events on the local, state and federal levels. Through your classwork, you’ll specialize in this broad, service-oriented field: for example, you could prepare to help people navigate natural disasters or decide how to handle animals during disasters.
Why AU?
- Scholar-practitioners
At AU, you’ll learn the ends and outs of the field from experienced practitioners who have thought deeply about the practice of their work from multiple perspectives. They are scholars who represent the intersection of theory and practice.
- Small class sizes
AU’s small class sizes will enable you to get to know professors and guest lecturers who can give you greater insight into the fields to which you aspire. They also may be able to connect you to specific career-boosting opportunities. For example, you could meet professionals such as the former director of emergency services for the county who can mentor you in your career in emergency response.
- Innovative classes
As an AU student, you’ll have access to innovative classes, such as special topics courses on drones and community emergency response teams.
Career Outlook
When you graduate from AU, you’ll be able to think critically about homeland security and emergency response issues. You’ll be able to develop creative solutions to threats and potential needs, and thus ease anxiety and be poised to provide relief. Your education will prepare you to start a career in emergency planning or firefighting at intermediate levels that require problem solving. For example, you would have tools to develop plans for dealing with a pandemic, such as COVID-19. Or, you’ll be able to think through community building as it relates to the distribution of relief supplies or the equitable application of a criminal justice process. This degree will prepare you for careers or graduate study in the following fields:
- Federal emergency response
- Emergency planning on local, state and federal levels
- Corrections-community relations
- United States Department of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Security Agency, U. S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Central Intelligence Agency
- United States Secret Service
- Cybersecurity monitoring of the dark web
- United States Postal Service
- United States Border Control