Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness
L.
William Newmann
Program
Coordinator (1992)
B.A. 1983
M.A. 1985
Ph.D. 1999
wnewmann@vcu.edu,
804-828-8038
William H.
Parrish
Program
Coordinator (2004)
B.S. 1971
M.S. 1990
Naval
M.S. 1990
whparrish@vcu.edu,
804-828-0496
Emergency preparedness has always been a critical aspect of
governmental policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Response to natural disasters – floods,
hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, outbreak of infectious disease – requires
pre-disaster planning, mid-disaster operations, and post-disaster
reconstruction that can only be carried out successfully through a partnership
between all levels of government and between the public sector, private sector,
and civil society. Since the
The program in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
recognizes this dual nature and is designed to give students both theoretical
and practical knowledge that will prepare them for the following: 1) private or
public sector employment in the expanding area of homeland security as it
relates specifically to international and domestic security as well as
emergency preparedness for both security and non-security related incidents
and/or 2) further study in government, international affairs, law enforcement,
policy planning, or law.
Students will study homeland security and emergency
preparedness from a number of perspectives: emergency planning/management
principles and practicalities; The nature and effects of natural disasters; the
nature of the terrorist threat to the United States from both foreign and
domestic organizations, including terrorist motives, methods, and history;
counterterrorism policies ranging from law enforcement to intelligence to the
use of military force; vulnerability assessment of public and private
infrastructure and institutions; critical infrastructure protection; ethical,
constitutional, law enforcement, and civil liberties issues related to the
prevention of terrorist attacks through surveillance, immigration restrictions,
and detention; public safety legal questions that arise during governmental
responses to natural disaster; intelligence analysis of domestic and
international threats; and policy making topics, such as organizational design
and management, interagency processes, and intergovernmental coordination and
cooperation within emergency preparedness and counterterrorism institutions at
the local, state, federal, and international level.
The knowledge and skills acquired through this course of
study will enable students to continue on to law school or to graduate study in
a number of areas: Business, Criminal Justice, Geography, International
Affairs, Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology, and Urban
Planning. Students will also be able to pursue employment opportunities in
various fields, such as governmental employment at the local, state, and
federal level in homeland security and emergency planning/response; law
enforcement; intelligence; for-profit and non-profit research and consultancy;
and private sector employment with any business that requires emergency
planning expertise to protect critical infrastructure.
Degree requirements – Bachelor of
Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
The
Bachelor of Arts curriculum in homeland security and emergency preparedness
requires a minimum of 120 credits, with at least 36 of those credits in
homeland security and emergency preparedness.
Along
with the general education requirements of the
HSEP Core courses
HSEP
101 Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
POLI
103
POLI/INTL
105 International Relations
HSEP
301/CRJS 367/POLI 367 Terrorism
HSEP
302 Emergency Planning and Incident Management
HSEP
310 Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
HSEP
311 Strategic Planning for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
HSEP
320/CRJS 375 The Intelligence
Community and the Intelligence Process
HSEP
330/CRJS 330 Legal and Constitutional Issues in Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness
HSEP
490 Senior Seminar
Students
must then select their remaining six credits from the following course
list. Students can also count three
credits of internship and three credits of independent study toward the major
requirement.
HSEP Elective courses (additional electives to be added)
CRJS
300 Forensic Criminology
CRJS
320 Principles of Criminal Investigation
CRJS
370 Criminalistics and Crime Analysis
CRJS
373 Crime Scene Evidence, Law, and Trial Procedure
CRJS
463 Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
CRJS
475 Case Studies in Criminal Procedure
HSEP
391 Topics in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
HSEP
491 Advanced Topics in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
HSEP
492 Independent Study
HSEP 494 Internship
FIRE
330 Regulatory Aspects of Safety and Risk Control
FIRE
332 System Safety
FIRE
333 Risk and Insurance
FIRE
334 Incident Investigation and Analysis
FIRE
430 Issues in Risk Management and Insurance
POLI
310 Public Policy
POLI
322 State and Local Government
POLI
329 Intergovernmental Relations
POLI/INTL
351 Comparative Politics of the
POLI/INTL
353 Latin American Politics
POLI/INTL
362 International Organizations and Institutions
POLI/INTL
363 U. S. Foreign Policy
URSP
310 Introduction to Public Planning
URSP
332 Environmental Management
URSP
413 Policy Implementation
URSP
521 Introduction to GIS
URSP
552 Urban Transportation Systems
Collateral requirements
In
addition to the homeland security and emergency preparedness courses required
for the Bachelor of Arts degree, students must complete the study of a foreign
language through the intermediate level (202 or 205) through courses or
placement.
Honors in homeland security and
emergency preparedness
Homeland
security and emergency preparedness majors can earn honors within the program
by completing HSEP 490 senior Seminar with an “A” grade and graduating with an
overall 3.0 GPA and a 3.3 GPA in courses credited toward the 36 credits of the
homeland security and emergency preparedness major.
Minor in homeland security and
emergency preparedness
A
minor in homeland security and emergency preparedness consists of 18
credits. Students are required to take
the following:
HSEP
101 Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
HSEP
301/CRJS 367/POLI 367Terrorism
HSEP
302 Emergency Planning and Incident Management
HSEP
330/CRJS 330 Legal and Constitutional Issues in Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness
Students
should choose three credits from the following list:
HSEP
310 Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
HSEP
311 Strategic Planning for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
HSEP
320/CRJS 375 The Intelligence Community and the Intelligence Process
Students
should choose three additional elective credits from the HSEP Electives list in
consultation with an adviser (students may also choose these credits from
whichever HSEP core courses they have not already taken).
Courses in homeland security and emergency
preparedness
HSEP 101 Homeland Security and
Emergency Preparedness (General Education List J, Human Behavior)
Semester Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An introduction to the public and private sector dimensions of the broad range theoretical and practical aspects of homeland security and emergency preparedness, including: origins of natural and terrorist-caused disasters; local, state, and federal emergency management planning and operations; health infrastructure capabilities; public communication strategies; business community concerns; ethical, legal, and constitutional questions; as well as the social and psychological dimensions of disasters.
HSEP 301/CRJS 367/POLI 367 Terrorism
Semester Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HSEP 101, POLI 103 and POLI 105 or permission of instructor. A survey of the modern problem of terrorism with an emphasis on the political nature of terrorist acts. Examines the history of terrorism, domestically within the U.S. and internationally, the role of religion, the structures and operations of terrorist organizations, as well as counterterrorism policies and policy making.
HSEP 302 Emergency Planning and
Incident Management
Semester
Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HSEP 101, POLI 103 and POLI
105 or permission of instructor. An introduction to the basic tasks of
emergency preparedness and disaster mitigation, including planning, response,
and recovery. Special emphasis will be placed on command arrangements, coordination,
and budgetary issues among emergency responders (law enforcement, firefighters,
and health care system officials), and within and between federal, state, and
local governments.
HSEP 310 Risk and Vulnerability
Assessment
Semester
Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HSEP 301 and HSEP 302 or
permission of instructor. An
introduction to analytical techniques and methodologies for threat and
vulnerability assessment of various types of public and private
infrastructure. An all hazard approach
is employed, considering natural disaster, system failure, and terrorist attack
(conventional or weapons of mass destruction).
Special attention will be focused on critical infrastructure protection
as well as cyberterrorism.
HSEP 311 Strategic Planning for
Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Semester
Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HSEP 301 and HSEP 302 or
permission of instructor. An examination of the strategic planning for
emergency preparedness, operations, and recovery for all hazards, as well as
terrorist prevention security measures.
The course will focus on public goods/free rider issues, setting
organizational priorities, governmental budgeting choices, legal aspects of
government regulation of infrastructure, and business community security
concerns.
HSEP 320/CRJS 375 The
Intelligence Community and the Intelligence Process
Semester
Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HSEP 301 and HSEP 302 or
permission of instructor. An examination
of the concepts of and challenges for state, local, and federal policy making
and organization for homeland security and emergency preparedness. The
intelligence process – the collection, analysis, sharing and dissemination of
information within and between local, state, and federal governmental
agencies – is a special focus.
HSEP 330/CRJS 330 Legal and
Constitutional Issues in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
(Proposed Writing Intensive)
Semester
Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites:
HSEP 301 and HSEP 302 or permission of instructor. An analysis of the legal and civil liberties
changes and challenges brought on by terrorist attacks. Topics addressed may include surveillance
issues, federal legislation passed in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks,
the rights of foreign nationals, the rights of U.S. citizens, the governmental
infrastructure for decisions concerning legal rights, and the difficulties of
prosecuting terrorist suspects, such as jurisdictional issues, rules of
evidence, and prosecution strategies.
HSEP 490 Senior Seminar (Proposed
Writing Intensive)
Semester Course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: 24 credits in homeland security and emergency preparedness courses or permission of instructor. A capstone course examining the major issues related to homeland security and emergency preparedness. Students will be required to produce a research project related to a role playing simulation of an emergency situation that will include exercises in red-teaming.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3credits. Maximum total of six credits in all departmental topics courses may be applied to the major. An intensive focus on a specialized field of interest to the study of homeland security and emergency preparedness. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Maximum total of six credits in all departmental topics courses may be applied to the major. An intensive focus on a specialized field of interest to the study of homeland security and emergency preparedness within a seminar setting. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.
Semester course;
variable credit, 1-4 credits; maximum total of six credits for all independent
study courses. Open to students of
junior or senior standing who have earned at least 12 credits in homeland
security and emergency preparedness.
Determination of credits and permission of instructor and program
coordinator must be obtained prior to registration for the course. An independent study that allows students to
perform research under the direction of an instructor qualified in that area,
in a subject or field of major interest.
HSEP 494 Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Internship
Semester course;
variable credit, 1-3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits. 50
hours at internship placement per credit. Designed to provide the student with
an opportunity to relate theory to practice through observation and actual
experience with governmental, private sector, and non-profit sector
organizations that have responsibilities for developing policy or performing
analytical research in the area of homeland security and emergency
preparedness.