The University of New Hampshire at Manchester announced today a new Bachelor of Science degree in homeland security.
“Homeland security is an evolving enterprise at the local, state and national level,” said J. Michael Hickey, UNH Manchester interim dean. “We have a significant corporate interest existing in New England in the industry, with plenty of local talent in fields such as law enforcement, first responders, the defense sector, biotechnology, health care, security and more, who will be able to be a part of and benefit from the program we are creating. With their help, we can do an excellent job of addressing the discipline as a whole at UNH Manchester. We intend to grow a program of national significance through our advisory board, our faculty and the students we attract.”
The Homeland Security program at UNH Manchester will give students the tools to defend, protect, act and react to a variety of threats, from small- and large-scale attacks of violence and bioterrorism to catastrophic events such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes.
The program covers a wide range of topics that describe the entirety of the homeland security enterprise, allowing students to learn about terrorism, emergency management, critical infrastructure protection, environmental and human security, strategic planning and decision making, intelligence, physical security and the legal basis of homeland and national security.
“The world is changing at the speed of now. Current and future first responders need dynamic tools in their personal toolboxes to address emerging homeland security and emergency management issues,” said Paul H, Dean, Chief of Police with the University of New Hampshire. “The UNH Manchester homeland security program and, the highly engaged faculty team, provide those tools and much more.”
James Ramsay, Ph.D., M.A.B., CSP, joined UNH Manchester in March to spearhead the creation the homeland security department. Ramsay is widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on homeland security education, with expertise in a wide range of health, emergency management planning and evaluation issues, as well as occupational safety and environmental health.
“UNH Manchester has a marvelous depth of experience, making it the perfect place to create a new homeland security program,” Ramsay said. “We’re going to build a hub here that connects everything that’s important to the industry – policy experts, climate change specialists, engineers, biochemists, political scientists, law enforcement agents and more.”
Homeland security is a rapidly growing field, with the number of dedicated academic programs skyrocketing from just a handful to more than 400 across the country. By 2018, the global homeland security market is expected to reach $544.02 billion, meaning vast job potential for graduates in fields as diverse as cyber security, intelligence analysis, law enforcement, emergency preparedness, disaster management, safety and occupational health, immigration and travel security, private security and more.
Students in UNH Manchester’s Homeland Security program will spend a significant part of their coursework in hands-on settings working with businesses, agencies and organizations. During both an internship and a senior capstone project, students will help industry partners systematically solve their real-world challenges using their marketable skills in critical thinking, communications, ethical decision-making and problem solving while they develop and evaluate preparedness and business continuity plans, cybersecurity plans, risk analyses and more.
Written by Kathrin Havarilla
Request more information about UNH Manchester’s Homeland Security program.
