Courses
HLS 6000. Introduction to Homeland Security. (3 Hours)
Offers an overview of the essential ideas that constitute the emerging discipline of homeland security. Seeks to expand the way students think, analyze, and communicate about homeland security and to assess knowledge in critical homeland security domains. Includes critically exploring strategy, history, terrorism, fear management, crisis communication, leadership, weapons of mass destruction, lessons learned, civil liberties, intelligence and information, homeland security technology, and analytics.
HLS 6010. Contemporary Threats to Homeland Security. (3 Hours)
Introduces the operational and organizational dynamics of terrorism and other threats facing the United States today. Considers those who act as individuals, in small groups, or in large organizations and indigenous actors, as well as those who come to the United States to raise money, recruit, or commit their acts of violence. Focuses on violent clandestine activity that, whatever its motivation, has a political purpose or effect. Addresses specific topics such as suicide terrorism, the role of the media, innovation and technology acquisition, and ways of measuring the effect of counterterrorism policies and strategies.
HLS 6020. Technology for Homeland Security. (3 Hours)
Offers individuals involved in homeland security a broad overview of homeland security technology, information systems, inspection and surveillance technology, communication, knowledge management, and information security. Government agencies in today’s information age are more dependent than ever on technology and information sharing. Focuses on technology as a tool to support homeland security personnel regardless of functional specialty. The methodology used in the course frames technology in terms of its contribution to deterrence, preemption, prevention, protection, and response after an attack.
HLS 6030. Intelligence for Homeland Security. (3 Hours)
Examines key questions and issues facing the U.S. intelligence community and its role in homeland security. The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the ensuing war on terror have focused the nation’s attention on homeland security. Addresses policy, organizational, and substantive issues regarding homeland intelligence support. Course reference materials provide an overview of diverse intelligence disciplines and how the intelligence community operates. Emphasizes issues affecting policy, oversight, and intelligence support to homeland security and national decision making. Covers the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Prevention of Terrorism Act and focuses on homeland intelligence support issues at the state/local/tribal levels.
HLS 6040. Critical Infrastructure and Protection. (3 Hours)
Focuses largely on protecting the most fundamental critical infrastructures, one of the cornerstones of homeland security. Develops a network theory of vulnerability analysis and risk assessment called “model-based vulnerability analysis,” which is used to extract the critical nodes from each sector and then applying fault and financial risk-reduction techniques to derive the optimal strategy for protection of each sector. At the completion of the course, students should be able to apply the model-based vulnerability technique to any critical infrastructure within their multijurisdictional region, derive optimal strategies, and draft policies for prevention of future terrorist attacks.
HLS 6050. Multidisciplinary Approaches to Homeland Security. (3 Hours)
Explores the homeland security project in relation to the laws that both support and constrain it. Homeland security efforts in the United States constitute a project framed by the rule of law. Constitutional concerns, civil rights issues, and the roles of the various disciplines engaged in the effort are driven and impacted by the various local, state, and federal systems of law. Uses both historical and contemporary references to unpack the various issues and answer related questions. While military, law enforcement, and judicial issues are a central concern of the course, considers the range of issues in relation to many other disciplines engaged in homeland security and defense.
HLS 6060. Strategic Planning and Budgeting. (3 Hours)
Examines a resource management system that allows decision makers to see the long-term implications of the decisions they are making today. Homeland security requires programs in such disparate areas as counterterrorism, information security, border security, counterdrug activities, etc. It also requires coordination of programs at the federal, state, and local levels. Covers how decision makers at the various levels decide which of these programs should be funded, the size approved programs should be and how they fit together, and how plans are translated into budgets. Studies an analytic approach to allocating resources in order to provide maximum security with limited budgets.
HLS 6070. Emergency Management and Geographic Information Systems. (3 Hours)
Explores how emergency management activities can best utilize geographic information technologies (GIT) to solve real-world issues in emergency management. This includes planning and response for both natural disasters and man-made events (accidental and terror-related incidents). Through the use of a variety of tools and analytical techniques, demonstrates and explores the nexus between emergency management and GIT. Exposes students to an understanding and appreciation for that relationship as well as the tools and skills for appropriate utilization of them.
HLS 6080. Continuity of Operations and Planning. (3 Hours)
Seeks to enable students to develop and implement continuity of operations (COOP) plans. COOP is a federal initiative, required by presidential directive, to ensure that executive branch departments and agencies are able to continue to perform their essential function under a broad range of circumstances. Today’s changing threat environment and recent emergencies have increased the need for COOP capabilities and plans. Topics include what COOP is and why it is important; how COOP differs from continuity of government (COG); the roles and responsibilities of key players in COOP planning; and family support measures to take in case of COOP implementation.
HLS 6150. Essentials of Emergency Management. (3 Hours)
Examines the hazards and phases in emergency management and planning. Includes all levels of public and private sector involvement in discussing the definition of emergencies and disasters, both natural and man-made, and the issues involved with managing situations. Examines frameworks such as the National Preparedness System; the National Incident Management System; and others for organizing, responding, and mitigating crises from an all-hazards, all-threats perspective, including both U.S. and international concerns. Offers students an opportunity to learn a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. emergency management system; how communities mitigate against, respond to, and recover from all disaster events; as well as the U.S. involvement for international disaster response contingencies.
HLS 6155. Critical Infrastructure, Security, and Emergency Management. (3 Hours)
Examines real-world critical infrastructure protection and emergency response to analyze and assess the essential points of protection and prevention combined with emergency response mechanisms for natural and man-made crises. Examines policy, programs, and management of critical infrastructure risk and protection in the context of emergency management and planning for the varying levels of public and private sector involvement. Uses the 16 Critical Infrastructure Sectors as a basis of examining the collaborative responses and complex interactions at all levels of government for today’s emergency management concerns. Uses frameworks such as the National Preparedness System, the National Incident Management System, and others to analyze emergency management processes and examples of historical critical infrastructure threats, failures, and incidents.
HLS 6160. Advanced Emergency Management. (3 Hours)
Evaluates real-world disaster scenarios for planning and response to prepare students for roles within the continuum of emergency management and planning. Examines cases and contingencies involving various types of threats and hazards to communities, business, and organizations using a scenario-based approach. Offers students an opportunity to analyze, critique, and develop planning strategies based on existing real-world contingencies using Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines for U.S. protection and resilience for communities and organizations. Emphasizes assessing the threats, risks, and vulnerabilities of communities, infrastructure, and organizations, enabling students to plan for and develop strategic assessments for all-hazards, all-threats scenarios within the National Preparedness System.
HLS 6962. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
HLS 6983. Topics in Homeland Security. (1-4 Hours)
Introduces selected and substantive issues in homeland security. Topics vary from one offering of the course to the next. May be repeated up to seven times for up to 8 total credits.
Prerequisite(s): HLS 6000 with a minimum grade of C- ; HLS 6010 with a minimum grade of C- ; HLS 6020 with a minimum grade of C- ; HLS 6030 with a minimum grade of C- ; HLS 6040 with a minimum grade of C- ; HLS 6050 with a minimum grade of C-
HLS 7990. Thesis. (1-4 Hours)
Offers thesis supervision by members of the department.
Prerequisite(s): HLS 6010 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C ; HLS 6020 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C ; HLS 6030 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C ; HLS 6040 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C ; HLS 6050 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C ; GST 6109 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C