Post Bacc Programs in Homeland Security

Post bacc programs in homeland security can be studied online and via campus based traditional programs. The courses within these programs are designed in a way to help students develop a deeper level of understanding with regards to homeland security and safety protocol. These courses are a perfect blend of detailed security procedures and emergency situations preparedness as well. While the main focus of many courses is towards the prevention of security breach, a good part of the courses help students learn how to devise survival techniques and plans for emergency situations such as wars, attacks and other internal issues.

Courses studied within the programs

These programs have a large number of courses and these will vary from one institution to the other in different states. Main courses that are commonly studied are:

• Homeland security and the national challenges
• Emergency medical aid and preparedness
• Infrastructure design, linking and protection
• Transportation and border security
• Maritime and border security
• Intelligence research
• Analytics methods and reports
• Emergency response and planning
• Domestic and international terrorism
• Emergency management

Admission requirements

The admission requirements and criteria for all online or traditional universities will vary in certain aspects. While most of them require students to have completed a bachelor’s degree in the particular discipline before seeking admission into a post bachelor’s certificate.  The grade of the degree will vary in almost all cases. Some institutions require completion of the degree with no actual requirement on the passing grade. Others require students to have passed with at least a B grade or higher level cgpa such as 3.5 and above out of 4.00. Some institutions require students to take standardized tests and submit their scores along with admission packages.  Students who have studied foreign languages hold an advantage in this discipline as being able to understand and speak another language is an added skill that is valuable in this line of work.

Online courses offer flexible study options for students as resources and lectures are available for streaming online. Students can set their own hours and record lectures to watch repeatedly when required.  Online courses also help save on the cost of commuting from homes or apartments to universities and back again.

Depending on whether a student signs up for full time or part time study, the duration of online degree and certificate programs is the same as traditional campus based degree programs. Online education has made it possible for students to obtain a quality education in a flexible manner.

Career outlook and income potential

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that careers in homeland security vary from military personnel, to the coast guard, to police officers as well. In 2012 alone police officers are reported to have made $ 56,980 per year. Other careers after the completion of post bacc programs in homeland security may also be rewarding in a certain manner.  Careers in this particular field have been forecasted to rise by 5% in the current year.