The Department of Homeland Security, also known as DHS, is a government agency that oversees different branches, and many colleges now offer both a major and a minor in this field. While you can major in this subject, you may prefer choosing a major in a related field and taking a smaller number of courses that prepare you for working in jobs available with DHS. Get a better understanding of these education programs with a look at the classes you can take, number of credits required and even the best majors that go along with those programs.
Classes You Take
As these programs are available both online and on college campuses, you have the option of deciding how you want to study. Most programs feature some of the same classes though. An introductory class will go over the basics of what DHS is and what that department does. If you want to work as a border patrol agent, you might take a class that looks at what steps the country takes to patrol its borders and what those agents do. Other courses will look at terrorism in general and the rising threat of cyber terrorism. Some colleges offer classes on intelligence operations within the DHS and how DHS keeps the peace with other countries.
Number of Credits
The number of credits you need to complete to finish a minor in this subject depends on your school. Colleges typically require that students take between four and six classes, which are worth 12 to 18 credit hours. Some schools may ask that you take a class worth one credit hour that looks at some of the jobs available with DHS or that you take a course worth three credits that functions as a seminar. A seminar course will ask you to do some independent research on your own based on the topics presented in that class.
Careers Available
If you want to work for the DHS, you need at least a bachelor’s degree. The type of degree that you get has an impact on the jobs available to you. DHS has a need for construction managers with a construction management degree and for lawyers who have a law degree and passed the bar exam. Other jobs working for DHS are available through the various departments that it oversees, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Agency, U.S. Secret Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Best Majors
While you can complete a shorter program in Homeland Security without actually majoring in that subject, you do need to know which major will best benefit your future career. Criminal justice is a good choice because you’ll learn more about the legal and criminal justice systems in America and the role of professionals within that system. Some DHS workers have a political science background and a good understanding of how each department within the government operates. Other majors that are suitable for those interested in working for DHS include law, management, leadership and nursing or medicine.
As much as you might want to work for DHS, choosing a major in another field can help expand the jobs open to you and provide you with options outside of working for the government. A Homeland Security minor lets you take some of the same classes available within that major while majoring in another subject.