Overview
The market for homeland security and emergency preparedness jobs continues to grow, both in the public and private sectors. To meet this demand, Great Bay is the first community college in New Hampshire to offer a two-year degree which will provide emergency response professionals with the skills and expertise needed to effectively plan for, and respond to natural or man-made disasters and emergencies.
Why Great Bay?
Our two-year program is designed to prepare students for a hands-on career. Topics include homeland security, emergency management, terrorism, crisis planning, and national incident management systems. Our graduates will be prepared to assess threat risks and utilize crisis management strategies to develop plans to minimize organization and community vulnerabilities.
Career Options
- TSA Agent
- Emergency Management Director
- Safety Coordinator
- Disaster Recovery Manager
The careers listed above may require additional education beyond an Associates Degree. For more information about the outlook and trends, please visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Related Degrees
- Homeland Security (Certificate)
- Criminal Justice
Total Overall Credits: 60-63
Additional Information
It is highly recommended that all students enroll in a minimum of one homeland security and emergency management course during the first semester of attendance.
Program Specific Requirements
Students enrolling in the Homeland Security & Emergency Management degree programs must consider the following:
Health & Internship Considerations
• Applicants should be aware of the basic health and fitness requirements for many careers in the criminal justice field.
• Prospective students with special needs or limitations that may affect their internship placement and/or potential employability are encouraged to discuss their career goals during the interview with a department member before admission.
• The college must ensure that individuals (customers, employees, etc.) at internship and service-learning sites are not adversely affected by students during learning experiences. Therefore, students participating in internship and field experiences must demonstrate the emotional stability required to exercise sound judgment, accept direction and guidance from a supervisor or faculty member, and establish rapport and maintain sensitive interpersonal relationships with employees, customers, and clients.
Technical Standards
• Overall opportunities within the criminal justice field will be favorable for individuals who meet psychological, physical, and personal qualifications.
• Applicants should be aware that thorough background checks are completed by potential employers before obtaining any position with arrest or detention powers, and typically, even before being accepted for an internship. Applicants with a criminal history may not be employable, or even eligible for participation in the Criminal Justice Internship Program.
• Applicants are strongly advised to discuss any concerns with the department chair before applying to the program.
Program Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:
• Describe the four phases or emergency management and the role each of them plays in managing and mitigating a disaster.
• Differentiate among the various homeland security threats to include those that are man-made, technological, and natural.
• List the resources needed and how to obtain those resources and effectively mitigate disaster damage.
• Examine the historical and evolving concept of homeland security within the contemporary nation-state’s broader political and national security system.
• Discuss the strategic, operational, and tactical threats of chemical, nuclear, and biological agents, including agent characteristics and delivery systems.
• Distinguish among and assess the various homeland security approaches, techniques, and processes such as analytics, indications, warnings, and forecasting.
• Explain the key administrative and command and control elements of the evolving homeland security relationships among the intelligence community, Department of Homeland Security, interagency processes, institutions, federal, state, and local intergovernmental relations, and a comprehensive U.S. homeland security strategy.
• Describe the effective way to make decisions and problem solve during an emergency.
• Be able to assess the risk of a threat and utilize crisis management strategies to develop a plan and minimize organization and community vulnerability.
