Bachelor’s Degree in Homeland Security

Whether you’re interested in working at the federal, state, or local level in criminal justice, your career may begin with a solid education in homeland security. Consider attending school to earn a bachelor’s degree in homeland security. A four-year bachelor’s degree can help you develop the specialized skills, training, and knowledge needed to work in various aspects of homeland security.

Wondering if you’re a good fit for this field? You should be interested in the various threats that face the United States today and have a passion for protecting the country from these threats. In addition, it’s important to be able to maintain secrecy, since positions in homeland security often require you to work in a covert or secretive manner. If you’re ready to take the first step in your homeland security career, learn more about bachelor’s degree programs in homeland security near you.

Curriculum for Homeland Security Programs

The curriculum requirements for a bachelor’s degree in homeland security vary slightly from school to school, but in general, this program covers the same set of basic skills. You may learn about the various avenues of travel that are protected by homeland security, including air travel, waterways, and the country’s borders. In addition, you may discover the various types of intelligence that go into preventing and stopping terrorist movements. Security technology is a major part of homeland security, so you may work with different computing systems and programs as a homeland security student.

As part of your degree, you may finish a comprehensive set of core courses that cover important parts of homeland security. Core courses may include Emergency Management, Risk Analysis, Homeland Security Technology, Legal & Ethical Issues in Homeland Security, Critical Infrastructure Protection, and Disaster Preparedness & Response. To meet the required 120 credits for your bachelor’s degree, you may be able to choose different specialties and areas of focus. Choosing one of these paths may shape your future career. Specialty courses you may take include Cyber Security, Intelligence Analysis, Domestic Terrorism, Personnel Security, and Border & Immigration Control. In addition to these courses, you may complete a practicum or an internship to put your training to use.

Career Benefits of Earning Your Bachelor Degree in Homeland Security

One of the benefits of earning a bachelor’s degree in homeland security is the variety of careers you may pursue upon the completion of your degree. Security management specialists may design security systems, test systems for weaknesses, prepare solutions, and develop security protocols. Per O*Net, the average salary for a security management specialist is $75,990 per year. Their reports indicate that job openings may increase by 2% to 4% through 2032 (O*Net, 2022).

You may also be interested in working as a remote sensing technician. This career choice may put your advanced homeland security training to work. Remote sensing technicians gather data on geospatial technology, verify data across several sources, and utilize this information in mapping projects. The average salary for a remote sensing technician is $50,290 per year (O*Net, 2022). Through 2032, you may find that job openings increase by 2% to 4%.

2022 US Department of Labor salary and employment figures contained here reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2023.

Your career in the exciting field of homeland security may begin with a bachelor’s degree. Use our school listings to contact homeland security schools near you!