U.D.C.'s Graduate Program Homeland Security is one step closer.

A masters degree program in Homeland Security was approved on November 8, 2010 by the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees of the University of the Distirict of Columbia. The proposed graduate progrm now goes to the full Board for review. The approval resolution is expected to be on the Board's November 17th agenda. If approved there is an anticipated start date of January 2011.

Homeland security refers to the broad national effort by all levels of government to protect the territory of the United States from hazards: internal and external, natural and man-made. This degree program includes a set of core skills and knowledge supported by more in-depth knowledge when students have the opportunity to focus on the science and technology aspects of disciplines in a concentration area. The core courses will provide students with a graduate level understanding of homeland security. The concentration permits students to tailor their program, following consultation with their advisor, to their specific career or research interests. Two themes incorporated throughout the core curriculum are the development, use and analysis of computer-based models to simulate events or phenomena, and spatial analysis using geographic information systems (GIS).

The graduate program in Homeland Security builds upon the University’s undergraduate homeland security science and technology (UDC-HSST) program and is part of its inclusive academic direction in justice, crime, and security studies. The University is committed to developing an enduring capacity in the human factors/social and behavioral sciences priority research area for the DHS Science and Technology Directorate. The thematic focus for the University is community preparedness, response, and recovery from catastrophic events. This is consistent with the University’s urban land grant mission and with a critical national need. As noted by Congressman Bennie Thompson, Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security during a recent hearing, “… the nation’s communities are woefully unprepared….“ As the nation’s only urban land grant institution the University of the District of Columbia has a unique contribution to make in this area.

The program will educate students who are interested in research careers in nonacademic settings, as well as those who are not yet ready to enter a Ph.D. program but who may be interested in the pursuit of a doctorate in the future. The graduate program is designed to offer students extensive individualized mentorship. The program’s formal curriculum emphasizes coursework in research design, specifically qualitative & quantitative methods. Each student completes the degree by preparing and defending an original thesis project based on his or her interests. At the completion of this program students will have the knowledge and skills for further study at the doctoral level or for entry into the field in a professional capacity; science and technology competencies to meet the challenges of homeland security priority research areas; and research experiences enabling them to demonstrate research proficiency.