Homeland Security Graduate Certificates

There are a range of good reasons to pursue higher education in homeland security. Perhaps you’ve studied this field at the undergraduate level and you’re interested in delving more into one specialty in this area of study. Maybe you have worked in the criminal justice field and you’re interested in using your skills to contribute to homeland security efforts across the country. Regardless of what your background is, a graduate certificate in homeland security may be the key to your new career.

Graduate certificates are fairly short-term degree programs when compared to other options, including bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees. At many schools, you can choose a specific area of homeland security and complete a graduate certificate in that topic. You may only have to spend one or two semesters in school earning a graduate certificate.

With a graduate certificate, you may gain the skills you need to take on specialized roles in this criminal justice field. Ready to learn more about graduate certificates in homeland security? Keep reading.

Featured Online Criminal Justice Programs

Curriculum for Homeland Security Certificate Programs

The courses you take as part of a graduate certificate in homeland security depend on which course of study you choose. There are often multiple options, which vary with the school you choose and the prior training you have in homeland security. You may opt to complete a general graduate certificate in homeland security, public safety and emergency management, cyber security, border security, infrastructure protection, and national security policy. Programs often range from six months to one year.

The curriculum for a graduate certificate in this field may include a wide variety of courses. Some of the classes you may take include Homeland Security and Homeland Defense, Cyber Security for Managers, Homeland Security Policies and Operations, Terrorism in Today’s World, U.S. Border Security, and Weapons of Mass Destruction. Other options you may be able to select include Protection of the Nation’s Critical Infrastructure, Domestic Intelligence Operations, Business Continuity and Homeland Security, and Emergency Management.

Practical training may be part of your curriculum in a graduate certificate. You may shadow employees in a homeland security environment, complete an internship in an approved agency, or take a practicum course. The choices available to you may depend on your geographical location and which agencies are close to you.

Career Outcomes and Salary

A wide range of career options may be open to you after you earn a graduate certificate in homeland security. If you know that you want to pursue a specific career path, you may wish to complete an internship that’s relevant to that path. Much of homeland security focuses on the management of natural and manmade emergencies. With an advanced degree, you may have the skills that are needed to take on a supervisory role in this field. Per O*Net, emergency management specialists earn an average salary of $79,180 per year. Through the year 2032, job openings in emergency management may increase by 2% to 4% (O*Net, 2022).

Information security is crucial in homeland security, since sensitive information getting into the wrong hands can lead to security disasters for the United States. Information security analysts are important in this aspect of criminal justice. The average salary earned by an information security analyst is $112,000 per year (O*Net, 2022). Job openings for this career may increase by 9% through 2032 (O*Net, 2022).

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

Earning a graduate certificate may be the way to start the next phase of your career. Get started today by contacting graduate certificate programs in homeland security. Use our directory of schools to request information today!