- The tedious task of signing up for classes could become
more exciting for students as they return to college campuses this month
to find a growing number of homeland security and terrorism course offerings.
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- In an effort to attract federal funding, draw new students
and prepare graduates for careers in the expanding field of homeland security,
universities are augmenting existing courses and launching entire programs
around security, defense and terror issues.
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- Most university course books now include at least a few
related classes. For example, students at the University of Richmond can
enroll in Rhetorics of Terror/ism, Homeland (In)Security, and the State,
which examines the root causes of terrorism and current United States security
concerns. Rice University offers Jihad and the End of the World, a religion
class that explores the concept of holy war in the Islamic world.
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- Students taking the Urban Security course, at Cooper
Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, analyze blast loads and explosion
mitigation in order to learn how to design buildings that can withstand
acts of terrorism.
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- Departments like Syracuse University's Institute for
National Security and Counterterrorism, Ohio State University's International
and Homeland Security program and Denver University's Homeland Security
Certificate program are also popping up in an attempt to coordinate security
education across the country.
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- "It's not unusual for educators to provide content-specific
courses as different issues arise," said Mel Bernstein, director of
the Department of Homeland Security's University Programs Office. "We're
trying to get an assessment of these. Many are going to be very valuable,
but they need to prove they can meet our needs."
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- According to Todd Stewart, a retired major general and
director of Ohio State's program, there is no consensus on what constitutes
a homeland security course, let alone a coherent program.
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- "Programs in this area come in all shapes and colors,"
he said. "Some are just doing research; others are offering a curriculum
and certificate. Some have taken an existing course and simply changed
the title for marketing purposes."
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- Stewart expects programs will remain fairly wide-ranging
until there's a better agreement on what someone working in homeland security
is expected to know upon graduation.
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- "Before there's recognition (of homeland security)
as an academic undertaking, there needs to be acceptance and understanding
of it as a profession," he said. "That hasn't happened yet."
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- In an attempt to gain some consensus, in March 2003 Stewart
founded the National Academic Consortium for Homeland Security. Today,
about 150 universities are part of the consortium, sharing information
with one another and the government in developing course work and research
goals.
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- For its part, the DHS encourages students and universities
to take an interest in homeland security courses, and offers funding to
some individuals and programs. The agency has already named the University
of Southern California, Texas A&M and the University of Minnesota Homeland
Security Centers of Excellence, awarding the schools and their respective
partners $45 million over the next three years. USC will focus on risk
analysis and economic impact of terrorist threats and events, while Texas
A&M and Minnesota will study agriculture and food defenses.
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- According to Bernstein, more such centers are on the
way. The DHS recently put out a call for proposals for universities to
focus on the social aspects of terrorism and counterterrorism, and to explore
the roots of terror and how the United States responds to terrorist acts.
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- The DHS currently offers about 300 scholarships and fellowships
to undergraduates and graduate students. The agency also provides summer
internships in DHS-related organizations across the country and awards
stipends during the school year.
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- Potential job opportunities abound, as the DHS alone
employs an estimated 180,000 people across the 22 federal agencies that
were combined to create the department. Add in state and private-sector
positions, and demand for graduates well-versed in dealing with violence,
fear, bombs, religion and government will become more acute.
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- "It's definitely an emerging discipline," said
Dan McBride, a former federal agent and senior faculty for Kaplan College's
Terrorism and National Security Management Certificate program. "These
lay the groundwork for the future. What you'll start seeing are undergraduate
degrees and Ph.D.s in various fields with expertise in homeland security."
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- In the meantime, students can sign up for classes like
Terrorism Issues at Clemson University, which covers a myriad of national
security concerns, including arms control, terrorism, counterintelligence
and weapons of mass destruction. Or Missouri University's Science &
Technology and Terrorism & Counterterrorism, combining engineering
and political science to learn about the types of technologies used by
and available to terrorists. Or, Why do "They" Hate Us? from
St. Lawrence University, a historical and political examination of 9/11.
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