Friday, 1 June 2012

Online Public Safety Degree Program Options

These online programs train students in a combination of public health and criminal justice concepts, familiarizing them with specific ways to protect and serve the public. Students can earn a Bachelor of Science in Public Safety or a Master of Science in Public Safety.

Online Bachelor of Science in Public Safety

In a public safety bachelor's degree program, students learn to identify and control threats to the public. Students study concepts in managing governmental programs designed and methods used to generate funds.
Interested students must have at least a high school diploma or equivalent, though some schools may require an associate's degree. This program includes courses in business, public safety and hazard control. There are several online programs available in public safety and related fields, including criminal justice and homeland security.

Online Program Information and Requirements

An online bachelor's degree program in public safety takes between two and five years to complete, depending on whether students are studying full-time or part-time and whether or not they have an associate's degree.
Certain aspects of the program, such as internships, must be completed in-person. Students access pre-recorded and live video lectures, classroom discussions, lecture notes and assignments online.
Students must have a working computer, reliable Internet access and media player software.

List of Common Online Public Safety Bachelor's-Level Courses

These public safety courses can be completed entirely on students' own time, through a flexible schedule that allows students to choose when they access lessons and turn in assignments. Students who haven't completed an associate's degree will be required to complete general education courses.

Hazard Mitigation Course

Students completing this course analyze the best methods for controlling a hazardous situation. They develop, practice and investigate various disaster management strategies designed to protect the public.

Response Planning for Catastrophic Events Course

This course trains students in the methods designed to control disastrous situations, such as terrorist attacks, fires or floods. They learn to help others to respond appropriately so chaos doesn't worsen the problem.

Gang Awareness for Public Safety Management Course

How do gang members communicate? What signs do they use? What areas do they inhabit? How serious are they? This course familiarizes students with all aspects of gang safety and awareness so they know what to look for and who gangs are targeting.

Career Information for Graduates

A bachelor's degree in public safety can lead to several career opportunities in the fields of criminal justice and homeland security. For instance, students could find careers as 911 operators, police officers or border patrol agents, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov). The BLS reports that the anticipated growth for all of these positions is as fast or faster than the average anticipated career growth for all occupations between 2008 and 2018. The median annual salary for 911 operators in 2008 was $33,670 and the median annual salary for police officers and detectives was $51,410. In 2006, the median annual salary for a border patrol agent was $31,209 (www.bls.gov).

Online Master of Science in Public Safety

Graduate students completing an online program in public safety study concepts in environment and health management designed to help them effectively manage programs designed to protect the public. Students gain skills in planning disaster management strategies, analyzing the likelihood of a disaster and planning ways to protect the people from both natural disasters and terrorism.
To be accepted into the master's program, students must have at least a bachelor's degree. The program includes courses in public preparedness, criminal justice and management. There are a few programs in public safety and related fields, such as criminal justice, homeland security and environmental health, available online.

Online Program Information and Requirements

An online master's degree in public safety takes about two years to complete. To complete the program, students can log onto the university's website where all the information for each course is available, including lectures, professor's notes and assignments. Students can interact with classmates and instructors, turn in assignments and complete group projects anywhere they have an Internet connection.
Requirements for the online master's program include reliable Internet access, a working computer and an e-mail address. Students must have Microsoft Office, a color printer, Flash Player, Apple QuickTime and Adobe Acrobat.

Common Online Public Safety Master's-Level Courses

Students take courses when their schedule allows, without any professor-specified due dates or class times.

Public Health and Disaster Preparedness Course

In this course, students examine specific threats to the public and develop plans so that emergency preparedness professionals, first responders and law enforcement officers can prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Psychology of Disaster Course

Students learn how natural disasters and acts of terrorism affect victims, family members, law enforcement professionals and society in general. They discuss the positive and negative effects of disaster and ways to reduce the negative effects.

Communicating in Disaster Course

This course covers the various methods for communication that can be used to communicate information regarding disasters to the public so they know how to respond. It also covers techniques emergency professionals can use so everyone is aware of the situation.

Career Information for Graduates

An online master's degree in public safety could lead to a variety of homeland security or criminal justice positions. Some possibilities include immigration officers, criminal investigators, security specialists or emergency management program directors, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov). As of May, 2008, emergency management specialists made a median annual salary of over $45,000.

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