MS in Homeland Security and Disaster Management

Credit Hours

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Next Start Dates: February 16, 2026 | March 23, 2026 | May 18, 2026

Prepare to Address Emergencies and Support Community Resilience with Liberty’s MS in Homeland Security and Disaster Management Degree Online

Are you drawn to a fast-paced career where you can help prevent and respond to threats that affect our country? You can study to become a skilled homeland security or disaster management professional by conferring Liberty’s 100% online Master of Science (MS) in Homeland Security and Disaster Management degree. Explore how to protect people and property from natural or manufactured threats to public safety and security.

A master’s in homeland security online aims to help you develop knowledge that may apply to duties within the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies focused on protecting the United States. When you earn an online master’s in emergency management, this can help prepare you for positions such as homeland security director, national security analyst, security consultant, or public safety training officer. Additionally, an MS in Homeland Security can assist you in building the skills necessary for leadership roles in security, emergency management, and public safety.

Our country needs homeland security professionals who want to serve others and help protect people across the nation. By earning your degree through Liberty, you can gain training designed to support a variety of homeland security roles.

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600+ Online Degrees
No Standardized Testing for Admission
Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Top 10 Reasons to Choose Liberty

Why Choose Liberty’s Homeland Security and Disaster Management Master’s Degree?

Choosing where you’ll pursue your master’s degree is an important decision. By selecting Liberty, you’re picking a well-respected, globally recognized, and accredited university. You’re also choosing flexible course scheduling and academics grounded in Christian principles and values.

Liberty University’s mission of Training Champions for Christ is central to all we do. That includes every professor’s professional experience in the field and commitment to teaching from a biblical perspective.

Liberty University understands that while you pursue your degree, you’ll likely still have family, work, and personal responsibilities. A homeland security master’s degree can be completed 100% online with 8-week courses and no set login times. You can maintain a balance between your family life and your career simultaneously. A disaster preparedness degree focuses on providing training for career advancers, prior military, public safety professionals, government employees, and career switchers.

As a student at one of the nation’s leading Christian universities, you can engage in programs that emphasize strong academics in both online and residential formats. Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), so you can feel confident in the quality of your online homeland security degree. You can earn an accredited master’s degree online from anywhere with an internet connection in just 36 credit hours.

What Will You Study in a Master’s in Homeland Security Degree?

Through a disaster response degree, you can study national security strategies, homeland security policies, and both the theory and practice of disaster management, including how people respond in emergencies. When we think of disasters, we often think of natural occurrences, such as earthquakes and floods. In addition to studying these types of threats, you can also learn about terrorist attacks and how the goals of homeland security connect to emergency management programs.

Studying hazard mitigation allows you to better anticipate and reduce potential risks. Therefore, you can explore techniques for best practices in risk assessment by studying hazard identification, vulnerability assessment, and impact analysis. Additionally, you can learn how to reduce risk and create backup systems to help protect your community from different hazards.

A master’s in disaster preparedness offers a broad, up-to-date, and well-rounded overview of homeland security. In this program, you can explore public policy, public administration, law, criminal justice, and the social effects of terrorism and homeland security. Then, you can round out your degree by choosing one of two options. You can complete either elective courses or an optional thesis that allows you to contribute to academic research in homeland security and disaster management.

Potential Homeland Security Career Opportunities

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Tuition & Aid

At Liberty University, a private Christian education is less expensive than you think. Over the last 10 years, Liberty University’s Online Program has only raised its standard tuition costs by less than 5% – and most of our online tuition rates rank in the top 35% for affordability for 2025 when compared to our leading online competitors.

Graduate Full Time	$580/Credit
Graduate Part Time	$645/Credit
Military Graduate	$290/Credit

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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Financial Aid & Scholarships

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Admission Information for a Master’s in Disaster Preparedness Degree

Admission Requirements

Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing. Applicants who have earned a master’s degree or at least 12 graduate credits from an accredited institution will be assessed on the basis of the master’s-level degree work.
- Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form.
Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application.
Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy

Transcript Policies

Unofficial College Transcript Policy

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
Cumulative GPA
A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Admissions Office Contact Information

Submit your application online or over the phone.

Start Online Application

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

Active Duty
Reserve/National Guard
Veterans/Retirees
Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

Tuition discounts – $290 per credit hour for graduate courses
Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder*
8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

*Not applicable to certificates.

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

View Military Benefits

Frequently Asked Questions About an Online Master’s in Emergency Management

What is emergency management?

Emergency management, or disaster management, refers to the process by which communities prepare for and respond to disasters. However, helping communities prepare for disasters is only part of the mission. This process also includes preventing disasters when possible and reducing the impact of natural disasters, terrorism, and other man-made threats.

Emergency and disaster management master’s degree programs focus on supporting you in professions in homeland security, emergency response, and emergency management organizations. A disaster management degree may be a good fit if you want to expand your knowledge or pursue career development.

Should I complete a disaster management course with a thesis?

A thesis can help integrate hands-on research into your program while serving as the culminating step in your master’s degree. You can use your thesis to contribute to the body of knowledge in the field of emergency management. A thesis can also help prepare you for future doctoral studies and assist in signaling advanced research capability to Homeland Security organizations. This feature of an emergency management master’s degree may support career goals across public and private sectors.

Is a master’s in homeland security worth it?

Absolutely! An online homeland security master’s degree can be worth considering to deepen your understanding of emergency preparedness, disaster response, and national security. This type of program can help you explore how government agencies plan for, respond to, and recover from complex threats and emergencies.

Liberty’s Master of Science in Homeland Security and Disaster Management can support current and future professionals in the fields of homeland security and disaster management. The program can also help you build knowledge and skills across different fields and levels of government related to planning, coordination, and management for natural and human-caused disasters.

If you aspire to pursue job markets for emergency management, public safety, government, or nonprofit organizations, a homeland security master’s degree can be beneficial. This kind of degree program can help you build relevant knowledge in policy, coordination, and risk management. You can also explore research and decision-making skills within a graduate-level homeland security program.

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App Fee Waived This Week*

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*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, non-degree-seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and certificate students.

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Online Master’s in Homeland Security and Disaster Management Help Protect Those In Need

Prepare to Address Emergencies and Support Community Resilience with Liberty’s MS in Homeland Security and Disaster Management Degree Online

What Sets Us Apart?

Why Choose Liberty’s Homeland Security and Disaster Management Master’s Degree?

What Will You Study in a Master’s in Homeland Security Degree?

Potential Homeland Security Career Opportunities

Featured Courses

Degree Information

Not sure what to choose?

Tuition & Aid

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Admission Information for a Master’s in Disaster Preparedness Degree

Admission Requirements

Preliminary Acceptance

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy

Transcript Policies

Admissions Office Contact Information

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Frequently Asked Questions About an Online Master’s in Emergency Management

What is emergency management?

Should I complete a disaster management course with a thesis?

Is a master’s in homeland security worth it?

Are you ready to change your future?

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