In keeping with the laugh a thon, or more like the incredible idiocies of the world, below read about something I saw advertised in Newsweek. Over the internet. An actual certificate. Insane.
Certificate in Homeland Security
Program Goals
Offered only via web-based distance education, the Certificate in Homeland Security (CHLS) provides graduate education opportunities to homeland security professionals and future leaders in a flexible format that accommodates the needs of working professionals. The program coursework gives students a broad understanding of homeland security issues and strategies at the national level with an in-depth analysis of key security issues affecting federal, state, and local government, as well as private business.
Target Audience
Intended for the next generation of national, state, community and business leaders who need to understand the new security environment as part of their management and supervisory duties, the CHLS will complement but not overlap the many first responder programs being developed nationwide. Students and professionals from a broad range of disciplines will find this graduate program useful as the issues of homeland security touch virtually all professions. The Bush School welcomes law enforcement and military professionals, who will bring an added dimension to the courses as well. Students may already be part of another graduate program, may intend to use the CHLS as an entry point for additional education, or may use the program to be a stand-alone addition to their qualifications. If you intend to transfer courses from the CHLS into another graduate program, then please check with your MA program of choice, to determine its specific policies on transferring graduate credit.
Program Description
The CHLS is available totally and only online. It has no residency requirements, and students may be located in the US or abroad. Following the Texas A&M academic calendar, students may begin their studies in the fall, spring, or 10-week summer semester. Courses are built around three main components: readings, recorded lectures with Power Point slides, and interactivity. Research papers, essays, exams, case studies, and Power Point briefings are common assignments, depending on the course and instructor. New material is released each week, but within weekly time frames, students may complete their objectives as their individual schedules allow. Attending a one-hour, live, weekly online seminar with the professor is recommended but not required. All course elements are designed to work on a 56K modem connection, and students are not required to purchase any software or hardware. A standard, reasonably up-to-date computer and a consistent internet connection are the basic technological requirements.
The CHLS consists of 15 graduate credit hours (5 courses), beginning with a fundamentals course and combining a broad understanding of homeland security issues and strategies at the national level with an in-depth analysis of key security issues affecting federal, state, and local government, as well as private business. Students choose three elective courses from a menu of selections to then tailor the program to their interests. Following the fundamentals course and the three electives, each student will complete a final three-credit capstone research project, a semester-long independent study for which the student is paired with an appropriate professor/mentor.
Course List
The core list of courses for the new CHLS is below. As enrollment grows, additional courses will be added:
BUSH 656: Homeland Security Fundamentals*
BUSH 657: Terrorism in Today's World
BUSH 689: WMD: Response & Recovery
BUSH 689: Critical Infrastructure Protection
BUSH 689: Government & Homeland Security
BUSH 689: Business & Homeland Security
BUSH 689: Independent Study (Capstone Research Project)*
*Required of all students.
This list is subject to change at any time.
Students may take as little as one course per year or as many as several courses per semester. The Fundamentals course must be taken in the student's first semester. Each course can be expected to take about nine hours of reading, interaction, and work time per week. Students new to graduate education are encouraged to take one course their first semester, to get a feel for the level of work required.
Admission Requirements & Costs
The certificate program requires a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university. To be admitted without taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the applicant's overall grade point average must be 3.0 in his or her undergraduate major field of study or during his or her last 60 credit hours of undergraduate education. Certificate program admission processes differ for students already admitted to Texas A&M University for the purpose of graduate study. For more information on the application process, please see the Bush School application page.
Cost per course will vary, depending on whether you are a Texas resident or not. Costs also fluctuate slightly each year, based on tuition and fee adjustments. Overall, the Bush School's distance education courses are several hundred dollars more expensive than in-residence graduate classes in order to pay for the staffing and development required in an online program. For more information on costs per course for both in-state and out-of-state students, please see the CHLS admission and cost page on the Bush School web site.
For more information about the Bush School's Certificate in Homeland Security, please contact:
Ms. Nancy Small
Director of Distance Education
George Bush School of Government and Public Service
1051 Allen Building
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-4220
Email: nsmall@bushschool.tamu.edu
Fax: (979)-845-4155
Certificate in Homeland Security
Program Goals
Offered only via web-based distance education, the Certificate in Homeland Security (CHLS) provides graduate education opportunities to homeland security professionals and future leaders in a flexible format that accommodates the needs of working professionals. The program coursework gives students a broad understanding of homeland security issues and strategies at the national level with an in-depth analysis of key security issues affecting federal, state, and local government, as well as private business.
Target Audience
Intended for the next generation of national, state, community and business leaders who need to understand the new security environment as part of their management and supervisory duties, the CHLS will complement but not overlap the many first responder programs being developed nationwide. Students and professionals from a broad range of disciplines will find this graduate program useful as the issues of homeland security touch virtually all professions. The Bush School welcomes law enforcement and military professionals, who will bring an added dimension to the courses as well. Students may already be part of another graduate program, may intend to use the CHLS as an entry point for additional education, or may use the program to be a stand-alone addition to their qualifications. If you intend to transfer courses from the CHLS into another graduate program, then please check with your MA program of choice, to determine its specific policies on transferring graduate credit.
Program Description
The CHLS is available totally and only online. It has no residency requirements, and students may be located in the US or abroad. Following the Texas A&M academic calendar, students may begin their studies in the fall, spring, or 10-week summer semester. Courses are built around three main components: readings, recorded lectures with Power Point slides, and interactivity. Research papers, essays, exams, case studies, and Power Point briefings are common assignments, depending on the course and instructor. New material is released each week, but within weekly time frames, students may complete their objectives as their individual schedules allow. Attending a one-hour, live, weekly online seminar with the professor is recommended but not required. All course elements are designed to work on a 56K modem connection, and students are not required to purchase any software or hardware. A standard, reasonably up-to-date computer and a consistent internet connection are the basic technological requirements.
The CHLS consists of 15 graduate credit hours (5 courses), beginning with a fundamentals course and combining a broad understanding of homeland security issues and strategies at the national level with an in-depth analysis of key security issues affecting federal, state, and local government, as well as private business. Students choose three elective courses from a menu of selections to then tailor the program to their interests. Following the fundamentals course and the three electives, each student will complete a final three-credit capstone research project, a semester-long independent study for which the student is paired with an appropriate professor/mentor.
Course List
The core list of courses for the new CHLS is below. As enrollment grows, additional courses will be added:
BUSH 656: Homeland Security Fundamentals*
BUSH 657: Terrorism in Today's World
BUSH 689: WMD: Response & Recovery
BUSH 689: Critical Infrastructure Protection
BUSH 689: Government & Homeland Security
BUSH 689: Business & Homeland Security
BUSH 689: Independent Study (Capstone Research Project)*
*Required of all students.
This list is subject to change at any time.
Students may take as little as one course per year or as many as several courses per semester. The Fundamentals course must be taken in the student's first semester. Each course can be expected to take about nine hours of reading, interaction, and work time per week. Students new to graduate education are encouraged to take one course their first semester, to get a feel for the level of work required.
Admission Requirements & Costs
The certificate program requires a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university. To be admitted without taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the applicant's overall grade point average must be 3.0 in his or her undergraduate major field of study or during his or her last 60 credit hours of undergraduate education. Certificate program admission processes differ for students already admitted to Texas A&M University for the purpose of graduate study. For more information on the application process, please see the Bush School application page.
Cost per course will vary, depending on whether you are a Texas resident or not. Costs also fluctuate slightly each year, based on tuition and fee adjustments. Overall, the Bush School's distance education courses are several hundred dollars more expensive than in-residence graduate classes in order to pay for the staffing and development required in an online program. For more information on costs per course for both in-state and out-of-state students, please see the CHLS admission and cost page on the Bush School web site.
For more information about the Bush School's Certificate in Homeland Security, please contact:
Ms. Nancy Small
Director of Distance Education
George Bush School of Government and Public Service
1051 Allen Building
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-4220
Email: nsmall@bushschool.tamu.edu
Fax: (979)-845-4155