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5: Current and Proposed Educational Programs in Homeland Security
Pages 15-22

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From page 15...
... There are traditional classroom experiences and on-line learning programs. There are opportunities in every geographic region in the continental United States and in institutions of widely varying size and mission (community colleges, four-year undergraduate institutions, doctorate granting institutions)
From page 16...
... PROPOSED FRAMEWORKS Given the breadth encompassed by the term homeland security as defined earlier, it is appropriate that there be a wide range of educational experiences available. This view argues strongly against the creation of an all-definitive, all-encompassing "Homeland Security University," or the development of independent academic tracks for "homeland security specialists." That is not to say that academic content in homeland security is completely formless.
From page 17...
... This will then prepare students for a more in-depth specialization at a four-year institution. Though community college students are 23 percent less likely to earn a four-year degree than those who begin their careers in four-year institutions, they comprise approximately one
From page 18...
... The relevance of the five listed core elements to homeland security can be seen from the fact that some community colleges have intuitively absorbed them, though not necessarily in the form of a formal curriculum leading to an associate degree. For example, Bucks County Community College, the Community College of Philadelphia, Camden County College, Delaware County Community College, and Drexel University have collaborated to provide courses that cover all the core elements listed, but the course format is that of one-day continuing education modules, designed for a target audience of first responders.3 Core element number four -- legal, political, and ethical issues in threat response -- was surprisingly prominent in community college curricula.
From page 19...
... did not reveal any that appear to incorporate all five core elements in the context of an undergraduate minor, concentration, or certificate. Thus, attempting to offer the recommended core elements may be more difficult for undergraduate institutions than for community colleges, which generally had several -- if not all -- of the elements already in-house.
From page 20...
... : CORE PLUS SPECIALIZATION Currently the Department of Homeland Security is providing competitive fellowships to 50 students per year in universities around the country to pursue graduate degrees in multiple fields of science, engineering, and the humanities.7 Workshops are available in the summer to introduce students to careers in the homeland security area.8 This seems to be an appropriate way of supporting doctoral work toward DHS objectives. However, consistent with earlier National Academies work on federal programs, the DHS fellowship program, along with the Homeland Security Centers of Excellence, should be assessed on a periodic basis to 5http://www.abet.org/criteria.html.
From page 21...
... program, might more nearly meet the department's educational objectives at the doctoral level. To the extent that an academic core for homeland security studies can be developed at the graduate level, it would be most appropriate that this material be formulated into a certificate program that could be available to graduate students enrolled in degree programs at the master's or Ph.D.
From page 22...
... Identified as one of the key areas for training by participants at a breakout session, executive training can create a common culture across upper management for handling homeland security issues, regardless of the location or institution represented by that management. For the individual, executive training can provide strategic skills, transfer lessons learned from other executives, upgrade resource management capabilities, and, of course, generate useful personal contacts.


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