Why Pursue Graduate Studies in Homeland Security?

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recently celebrated its 18th anniversary (March 1, 2003), and keeps growing, along with its components. Homeland security needs more well-rounded young leaders from the whole community, thoroughly academically prepared to foster positive change: whether they are looking for a career as a policy analyst, strategic groundbreaker, or leader in the mission space. Needless to say, homeland security policy and practice can be politically and societally controversial. Therefore, workforce members should have a strong ability to conduct defensible analysis and present applicable discoveries from research and science diligently to inform the making of responsive, responsible, and sustainable homeland security policies -- not to provide boilerplate language to underpin given political agendas.

As we know, the homeland security enterprise is broad and complex. Its mission space is all-hazards (from terrorism to cyber to border and immigration, to pandemics, and beyond). Different master’s programs in homeland security on the market are built out of different pertinent disciplines; or, as is the case with our online Penn State World Campus Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security, are designed-to-use all-hazards programs, with various academic specializations (options). A homeland security graduate program will also include an extensive culminating experience, either in the form of a master’s thesis, a capstone course, or other research-related high-level academic work, typically embedded in practical application scenarios.

One of the greatest benefits of a graduate degree in homeland security is the extensive immersive experience and opportunity to learn, think critically, and perform together with peers in challenging real-world scenario assignments -- and develop a desire to help the mission space advance and the homeland security community to become still a little better. The homeland security enterprise is all about cross-collaboration, avoiding groupthink, and the “failure of imagination” so reprimanded by the 9/11 Commission. This is why there is nothing more practical than a thorough graduate academic education in homeland security.