• Interdisciplinary Master's Degree in Homeland Security
    The concept of the Interdisciplinary Master's Degree in Homeland Security resulted from the SDSU focus on this critical area over the past two years, the interest of Faculty in the development of the program, and the demonstrated need in the community for graduates with a homeland security background. The Homeland Security Master's program is offered as an Interdisciplinary degree with students from the Colleges of Health and Human Services; Sciences; Professional Studies and Fine Arts; Arts and Letters, Sciences, and Business eligible to participate. This Degree Program is sponsored by and administered through the College of Sciences.

    Admissions Requirements: Students must first satisfy the requirements for admissions to the university Graduate Division and must complete the online Graduate Studies application. The deadline for application is July 1 for Fall admission, although students are encouraged to apply much earlier. Spring admission is decided by the university each year, but is not available in 2006. In order to be considered for admissions to the Homeland Security Interdisciplinary Master's Program the student must have a Bachelor's degree, a 3.0 GPA or special approval of the Graduate Advisory Committee, and an acceptable GRE scores. A personal interview with the Graduate Advisory Committee and three letters of recommendation are required. Preliminary work can be done on the major through Open University enrollment (up to 9 semester hours), though the student is not guaranteed admission even though work has been completed through Open University. Prospective students are encouraged to contact the Graduate Advisor in Homeland Security to discuss their individual situations. Ongoing or previous work in Homeland Security or military settings are very attractive in prospective students, as it indicates a level of appropriate accomplishment and maturity to deal with the security of the nation.

    Specific Requirements for the Interdisciplinary Master's Degree Program in Homeland Security: The student must complete a graduate program of 30 units, which includes a thesis (Interdisciplinary Studies 799A). The thesis is seen as the student's opportunity to intensively study a topic of their own choosing that will hopefully transition them to a fruitful career tailored to their capabilities and interests. In order to provide a common educational basis, most students will take a series of classes from the core faculty in areas such as Law Enforcement, Remote Sensing, Sensor Networks, Collaborative Visualization, International Terrorism, International Security and Conflict Resolution, Public Health, and Information and Decision systems. Additional classes tailored to meet the needs of each student are then combined with individual research and practical exercises to both educate and train students to be Homeland Security managers and officials. The students are strongly encouraged to participate in local and regional readiness exercises and to do internships in areas such as the County Emergency Operations Center, Red Cross, City of San Diego Homeland Security department, and other government and corporate groups engaged in securing the homeland. Students are also encouraged to participate in International efforts to understand nations and challenges globally for security and shared homeland security.. Some of the classes chosen by students in the program include:

    College of Sciences College of Arts and Letters College of Health and Human Services Professional Studies and Fine Arts College of Engineering College of Business Primary Faculty Involved in Homeland Security Masters Program Liaison Faculty and Staff with Homeland Security efforts of College of Health and Human Services: