Eastern Kentucky University’s bachelor’s degree program in homeland security takes a distinctive approach to preparing students for careers in law enforcement, disaster management, private sector security operations and/or intelligence studies.
Teamwork and problem solving are at the core of all homeland security professions. Whether you earn your degree online or on-campus, you will be prepared for careers that safeguard life and assets.
Throughout the United States, public and private sector positions in homeland security and emergency management are held by hundreds of EKU graduates. Some serve small towns at the local level, protecting businesses and communities. Others choose to live in densely populated cities, protecting areas such as airports, seaports or international borders. With an EKU degree, graduates can pursue numerous career paths preparing for threats, mitigating disasters and recovering from imminent hazards.
EKU graduates have careers in local law enforcement and state policing offices, as well as federal positions. Recent graduates have found employment with agencies such as the United States Border Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the New York City Police Department. Law enforcement careers require critical and creative thinking on a variety of levels. Oral communication skills allow officers to interact with their peers, their superior and their community. Written communication skills are also essential. For example, you may be creating records and documentation to be used in court proceedings.
A background in leadership and strategic planning prepares students to identify effective strategies and clarify mandates. Individuals who work in disaster and emergency management professions are uniquely qualified to call on these skillsets. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Americares International Disaster Relief and state emergency management offices are some of the organizations that employ alumni of the EKU homeland security program in these roles.
Graduate Caleb Lawson took a position with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency as a district coordinator. “With the knowledge from my classes, I have been able to apply what I learned at EKU to multiple disasters including tornadoes, hazardous material incidents, search and rescue operations and highway incidents,” he said.
Individuals who work in intelligence operations are trained to recognize and analyze threats in domestic and international context. They may work for the federal government, one of the many companies that contracts with government operations, or international organizations. The U.S. Department of Energy, the United States Army, state homeland security offices and undisclosed federal intelligence agencies are just a few of the numerous organizations that have hired EKU graduates in emergency management positions.
Infrastructure and security resilience operations require planning and coordination across communities of all sizes. EKU students learn to assess and implement operations to secure critical infrastructure. Homeland security graduates can pursue positions in security management such as risk analyst or director of assets protection. Companies employing EKU graduates include both public and private sector agencies working to safeguard physical and cyber infrastructure. The Transportation Security Administration, the healthcare organization HHS, Inc., Goldman Sachs and many other organizations employ our alumni.
EKU has a proud history of educating the men and women of the United States Military. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard choose the homeland security degree to position themselves for promotions in rank or prepare for the transition to civilian life.
Regardless of a student’s career goals, the EKU Homeland Security program offers a respected degree with the support of experts in the field that can be completed 100 percent online.
“The homeland security program at EKU provided me with a broad background of information and experience in the many facets that make up the homeland security mission in the United States,” said graduate Gregory Dunn. “The faculty and staff have a wealth of knowledge that they bring from real world experience dealing with the things their students will face.”
Interested in learning more about how you can pursue a homeland security degree?
Earn your online bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university that has been an online education leader for more than 15 years. EKU’s online homeland security program prepares graduates to protect critical infrastructure, respond to natural and man-made disasters, implement the latest security technology, and provide for our nation’s intelligence and counterterrorism needs.
To learn more about our online homeland security degrees and certificates complete the learn more form or check out our Homeland Security Program.