Abstract

After the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003 and the creation and reorganization of agencies charged with “protecting the homeland,” employment opportunities related to homeland security increased. To meet the educational needs for future and current DHS employees, the number of homeland security education programs has increased dramatically. With the growth of these programs have come questions about where this field fits in academia and the types of degrees and curricula that should be provided. This assessment adds to the emerging scholarly discussion by surveying DHS employees as to what they believe are relevant subjects and courses in homeland security curricula. Through nationwide  access to DHS employees at the Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Citizenship and Immigration Services the researchers collected over 5,000 surveys, which asked employees about what courses they feel should be included in HS undergraduate education programs. The findings provide valuable information for designers of curricula in this dynamic and growing field.

Authors