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2021-2022

Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, Bachelor of Arts

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: General Studies (Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway))
Brightpoint Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Science: General Studies

Program description

The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs is a creative, interdisciplinary grouping of programs in the social sciences and professional arenas that provides students with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary for success in public service. The Wilder School brings together faculty from multiple disciplines that share a common interest in public affairs.


Emergency preparedness has always been a critical aspect of governmental policy at the federal, state and local levels. Response to natural disasters — floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, outbreak of infectious disease — requires predisaster planning, mid-disaster operations and postdisaster reconstruction that can only be carried out successfully through a partnership between all levels of government and between the public sector, private sector and civil society. The program in homeland security and emergency preparedness recognizes this dual nature and is designed to give students both theoretical and practical knowledge that will prepare them for the following:


  1. Private- or public-sector employment in the expanding area of homeland security as it relates specifically to international and domestic security, as well as emergency preparedness for both security and nonsecurity-related incidents.
  2. Further study in government, international affairs, law enforcement, policy planning or law.
Career opportunities

Launched as the nation’s first homeland security and emergency preparedness program in 2005, we prepare students to manage the complexities of disaster planning and response.


Alumni often work in private and public-sector jobs related to emergency management, security or crisis planning, or pursue graduate study in fields such as government, international affairs, law enforcement, policy planning and law. Students gain knowledge and skills in emergency planning/management principles and practicalities, the nature and effects of natural disasters, domestic and foreign terrorist threats to the U.S., and ethical and constitutional issues related to terrorist prevention tactics.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Case Officer (CIA)
  • Critical Infrastructure Protection
  • Cyber Security Specialist
  • Defense Contractor
  • Disaster Relief Officer
  • Emergency Planner
  • Emergency Preparedness/Exercise Specialist
  • Federal Law Enforcement (Special Agent)
  • Hazardous Material Manager
  • Intelligence Analyst
  • Military Officer
  • Policy Analyst
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Emergency Management Director
  • Foreign Service Officer
  • Government Agency Administrator
  • Hospital Administrator
Contact information

  

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • STAT 208
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, Bachelor of Arts

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Science: General Studies)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Attend Tyler Orientation.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV course.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your ENG and MTH classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Browse careers related to Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness through the career coach.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Review career services at John Tyler.
  • Understand how you will fund your education. Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Use the career coach to take a career assessment.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways at VCU.
Experience Year 2
  • Take service-learning classes or volunteer to address a current issue through ConnectVA or HandsOnRVA.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Wilder School.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Attend Tyler Orientation.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV course.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your ENG and MTH classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Browse careers related to Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness through the career coach.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Review career services at John Tyler.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Understand how you will fund your education. Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Use the career coach to take a career assessment.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways at VCU.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Take service-learning classes or volunteer to address a current issue through ConnectVA or HandsOnRVA.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Wilder School.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, Bachelor of Arts

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Science: General Studies)

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning MATH 131 3 General education
CST 100 or CST 110 Principles of Public Speaking or Introduction to Communication SPCH 121 3 Elective
History elective Select 1: HIS 111, 112, 121, 122 HIST 3 General education
Art elective Art elective (select 1)): ART 101, ART 102, CST 130, CST 151, MUS 121, MUS 226 VCU equivalent 3 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
Social/Behavioral Science Social/behavioral science (select 1): PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, SOC 268 (PSY 230 can be accepted if Associate Degree is completed) VCU equivalent 3 General education
ITE 115 Intro to Computer Applications INFO 160, 161, 162 3 Elective
PLS 135 U.S. Government and Politics POLI 103 3 General education
Laboratory Science Laboratory science (select 1): BIO 101, CHM 101, CHM 111, ENV 121, PHY 101, PHY 201 VCU equivalent 4 General education
Foreign Language or Humanities elective Foreign Language 101 or PHI 220, REL 230, PHI 101, REL 100, PHI 111. VCU equivalent 3 to 4 General education
ENG Any 200-level ENG literature course (select 1) ENGL 3 General education
HLT 160 Personal Health and Fitness. Additional Course Options: BUS 100, ECO 201, ECO 202, ADJ 100, ENG 210, ENG 211. VCU equivalent 3 Elective
Social/Behavioral Science Social/behavioral science (select 1): PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, SOC 268 (PSY 230 will be accepted if Associate degree is completed) VCU equivalent 3 General education
Laboratory Science Laboratory science (select 1): BIO 101, BIO 102, CHM 101, CHM 112, ENV 121, PHY 101, PHY 202 VCU equivalent 4 General education
Foreign Language or Humanities elective Foreign Language 101 or PHI 220, REL 230, PHI 101, REL 100, PHI 111. VCU equivalent 3 to 4 Elective
Transfer elective PLS 241 International Relations POLI 105 3 General education
Transfer elective Transfer elective VCU equivalent 3 Elective
John Tyler credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
HSEP 301/POLI 367 Terrorism 3 Major
HSEP 302 Emergency Planning and Incident Management 3 Major
HSEP 310 Risk and Vulnerability Assessment 3 Major
HSEP 314 Cybersecurity Policy 3 Major
HSEP 320 The Intelligence Community and the Intelligence Process 3 Major
HSEP 330 Legal and Constitutional Issues in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness 3 Major
HSEP 490 Senior Seminar 3 Major
Select nine credits of approved HSEP electives (see VCU advisor for course options) 9 Major
GVPA 100 Making Policy Real: Social Problems and Policy Solution 3 Major (Ancillary)
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 15 Elective
Open electives 12 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120