MS in Public Safety – Homeland Security Lead the Charge
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30
Credit Hours
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Coordinate and Collaborate to Protect Your Community with Liberty’s MS in Public Safety – Homeland Security
Public safety is an all-encompassing term that typically refers to multiple departments or levels of government. Understanding the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of public safety management and administration can be the key to a smooth process. If you would like to further your current career in public safety or shift to a new one, Liberty’s Master of Science (MS) in Public Safety – Homeland Security can help you gain the skills you need. Learn how to coordinate with multiple agencies at varying levels of government to ensure the safety of the public.
A public safety administration master’s degree can help you pursue a wide range of positions within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other agencies at all levels of government. If you’re passionate about protecting the public from harm, this degree can help you fill the need for qualified leaders in first response and public safety organizations. Liberty’s Helms School of Government saw the need for a degree that would synthesize best practices in public administration and governance to bolster the work of front-line first responders and public safety professionals – and our master’s degree in safety administration does just that.
Our country needs people who are dedicated to providing for the public’s safety and security. Whether you are interested in homeland security or hometown security, we want to partner with you as you seek to develop a cohesive and collaborative approach to public safety.
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Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America
What Sets Us Apart?
- Private Nonprofit University
- 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
Why Choose Liberty’s Master’s Degree in Public Safety?
As a public safety professional, you have an important job to do – so it’s important that you choose carefully when deciding where to get your public safety master’s. By choosing Liberty, you’re choosing a well-respected, globally recognized, accredited university. You’re also choosing flexible course scheduling and academic excellence that is grounded in Christian principles and values.
Liberty University’s mission of Training Champions for Christ is central to all we do. Every professor in your program is committed to teaching from a biblical perspective. We understand that while you pursue your degree, you’ll still have family, work, and community obligations. That’s why this public safety degree can be completed 100% online with 8-week courses and no set login times. You can stay committed to your mission of protecting your community and providing for your family while gaining important skills needed in the field.
What Will You Study in Our Master’s in Public Safety – Homeland Security Degree?
Our homeland security master’s program offers a broad, up-to-date, multidisciplinary overview of homeland security as well as additional training on public safety leadership and administration. You can learn about leadership principles and practices applicable to the management and administration of public safety organizations. Specifically, you can learn how to function as a leader in your organization and in a collaborative, multijurisdictional, and incorporative public safety environment.
Your core courses will cover a variety of subjects such as crisis and first responder training skills and techniques and an introduction to disaster management. You’ll also learn about terrorism and the overarching goals of homeland security as it relates to emergency management and public safety. Additionally, you can learn about the structure of both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other public sector organizations.
You will also study how to mitigate hazards so you are not caught unaware or unprepared. You can learn how to determine best practices for risk assessment by studying hazard identification, vulnerability assessment, and impact analysis as an integrated process. Protecting your community from various hazards begins with learning how to mitigate danger and create redundant systems.
In addition, you can learn about the various legal issues that deal not only with homeland security but with all levels of public safety and government. Understanding the history, laws, and legal issues affecting safety and security can help you be better prepared as you work to protect your home and community.
Potential Career Opportunities
- Emergency management director
- First responder/crisis response officer
- Homeland security director
- Homeland security planner
- Law enforcement officer
- Public safety compliance officer
- Public safety training officer
- Security management consultant
Featured Courses
Degree Information
- This program falls under the Helms School of Government.
- View this online program’s Graduate Government Course Guides (login required).
Degree Completion Plan (PDF)
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Not sure what to choose?
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
Tuition & Aid
Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
Graduate Full Time | $565/Credit |
---|---|
Graduate Part Time | $615/Credit |
Military Graduate | $275/Credit |
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Information for the MS in Public Safety – Homeland Security 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.
Dual Enrollment
Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.
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
Liberty University Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
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Ready to Apply?
Submit your application online or over the phone.
Military
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 – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
- Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)*
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is public safety management?
Every day, we rely on various services that ensure our safety and security. The general term for these services — which are usually run by governmental agencies at all levels — is “public safety.” Public safety is not just handled by one agency or one level of government but is a multijurisdictional, multilevel, and interdisciplinary task. We need people at local, state, and federal levels who can help manage and govern these agencies and develop a unified approach to this critical work.
If you are a public safety professional or are looking to become one, then Liberty’s MS in Public Safety – Homeland Security can help you become a positive force in the field. Whether you are fighting terrorism or responding to a hurricane, fire, or flood, we want to partner with you to make a difference.
How is Liberty University accredited?
Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), so you can rest assured that your degree program has met rigorous accreditation standards.
Can I get credit for my life experience?
Make the most of your time in service to your community by earning credit for your professional experience through our Experience Plus program.
How fast can I complete this degree?
You can complete your public safety master’s degree in 30 credit hours, which allows you to start putting what you’ve learned into practice sooner.
Inner Navigation
- Overview
- What Sets Us Apart?
- Why Choose Liberty?
- What Will You Study?
- Tuition & Aid
- Admission Information
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