This is a list of schools and programs that focus on the Most Affordable Online Masters Degree in Homeland Security In The US. Follow Along!
The accelerated online Master program is just a little younger than the field itself; with the Department of Homeland Security being established in 2002, graduate degrees began being conferred just a few years later. The field itself is vast and has a variety of concentrations associated with it, making it easy for professionals to pick and choose their career specialty.
Because this degree is still a relatively new field, most professionals who are interested in applying for positions are working adults. This means that they need access to affordable, accelerated, and flexible programs. They need programs that will not take up too much of their time and can be completed in two years or less. The programs in this ranking meet those criteria and will serve as a great starting point for professionals interested in finding programs that suit their needs.
Methodology: Ranking the Most Affordable Accelerated Homeland Security Degree Programs
To rank the most affordable accelerated Homeland Security master’s programs, the editors at Fast Online Master’s researched reputable, accredited schools offering a speedier way to the credential. Programs are presented here according to their tuition rate, using the most up-to-date IPEDS data.
1. Thomas Edison State University
Thomas Edison State University offers an MS in Homeland Security (MSHS) that only requires 36 semester units, of which twelve may be transferred in if eligible. Thomas Edison State University accelerated degree includes coursework in research methods in public service, technology & information security, and program administration for homeland security field. Homeland Security professionals enrolled in Thomas Edison State University’s homeland security online programs can select from three areas of specialization – emergency management, security threats, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism.
Thomas Edison State University was founded in the early 1970s and named to honor the scientist who did most of his work in the Garden State. This school operates a robust online platform and a campus in New Jersey’s capital that serve more than 17,050 students each year. Thomas Edison State University is named to honor the prolific inventor, who did much of his life’s work in the Garden State, in Llewellyn Park, West Orange, NJ.
Program: MS in H.S.
2. Angelo State University
Angelo State University offers an MS in Homeland Security or a Master of Security Studies that are both accelerated homeland security program options. Angelo State University’s graduate degree includes 36 credit units of classes like research methods and statistics in security studies, national security policy, seminar in criminal justice agency ethics, and introduction to geographic information systems(GIS), plus a capstone seminar in homeland security, to name a few.
Founded as a public school in 1928, Angelo State University now serves nearly 11,000 students each year and is a member school of the Texas Tech system of universities, the second largest! The US Veterans magazine recognized Angelo State University among the top veteran-friendly schools in the country. Angelo State University maintains a lake house nearby on Lake Nasworthy that provides many recreational options to ASU homeland security professionals and alumni.
Program: MS in H.S or Master of Security Studies
3. Northwestern State University of Louisiana
The Northwestern State University of Louisiana offers an MS in Homeland Security that is considered among Louisiana’s best accelerated homeland security program. Students enrolled in the Northwestern State University’s online master’s degree can finish the degree in as few as 24 months – all online. Classes for this graduate degree in homeland security include domestic terrorism prevention and analysis, constitutional issues and global security, domestic and international threats, and homeland security, among others.
The Northwestern State University of Louisiana is a multi-campus school that was established in the mid 1880s as a teacher’s training school. The Northwestern State University of Louisiana is a member of the state’s university system and a space-grant designated institution of higher education. The Northwestern State University of Louisiana holds the distinction of being the first school in the state to offer business and nursing educational programs.
Program: MS in Homeland Security
4. University of Maryland Global Campus
The University of Maryland Global Campus MS in Homeland Security Management can be completed online or through a hybrid delivered format. This 36-credit graduate degree is among Maryland’s most innovative accelerated homeland security degree options. This graduate degree allows for up to six credits to be transferred (if eligible) and is available as a hybrid or online program.
The University of Maryland Global Campus began as University College in 1947. Although UM’s Global Campus maintains academic facilities in Largo, the Baltimore – Washington, DC metro area, and across the state of Maryland, it primarily focuses on online learning. The University of Maryland Global Campus serves nearly 100,000 undergraduate and graduate students attending classes from all over the globe.
Program: Masters in Management – Homeland Security Management
5. Arizona State University
Arizona State University offers two accelerated homeland security program options with its Master of Arts (MA) in Emergency Management or its Master of Arts (MA) degree in Global Security. Each of these baccalaureate degree programs from Arizona State University requires the completion of 30 graduate semester units. Classes are offered in 7.5 – week formats, with all work available through the university’s distance-learning program. Featured classes include hazards government, applied data analysis in criminal justice, GIS for hazards analysis, and integrated emergency management, to name a few.
Arizona State University was established before Arizona reached statehood in 1885 and joined the union. The university’s multiple campuses in the greater Tempe and Phoenix areas serve more than 90,000 students. Prospective students enrolled at Arizona State University were the Big Idea Challenge offered by NASA in 2020, a competition to build a probe to explore the moon.
Program: MA in Global Security or MA in Emergency Management and Homeland Security
6. Wilmington University
Wilmington University offers an MS in Homeland Security that can be finished in only one year. Wilmington University’s accelerated homeland security degree allows for customization through available concentrations and field experiences which allow for the application of theoretical knowledge to real-world situations. Wilmington University’s graduate degree is available online, as a hybrid course, or, traditionally, at the Wilson Graduate Center. This MS homeland security program requires the completion of 33 graduate units.
Wilmington University (Wilmington) is a private institution of higher education that was founded in the late 1960s as Wilmington College. Wilmington University is also a space-grant school with a suburban campus in Wilmington Manor (and other locations) that serves more than 20,100 students each year. Highlight -Wilmington University maintains partnerships with other schools in New Jersey and Maryland.
Program: MS in Homeland Security
7. Towson University
Towson University offers an MS in Integrated Homeland Security Management (IHSM) that only requires 36 semester credits to graduate. Towson University’s accelerated homeland security degree program offers specializations in security policy, information assurance, and health preparedness. Classes for this graduate degree from Towson include crucial national infrastructures, prevention and risk management, information systems vulnerability and risk analysis, and strategic and tactical planning, to name a few.
Towson University is an institution of higher learning in Towson, Maryland, that was founded in 1866 but now operates as a space-grant school. Towson’s campus is home to more than 18,500 students and is located a few miles from Baltimore’s downtown and harbor. Towson University is organized into eight schools/colleges and is among Maryland’s largest universities, consistently producing the most educators in the state.
Program: MS in Integrated Homeland Security Management
8. Park University
Park University offers an MA in National Security that can be completed entirely online. Park University’s accelerated homeland security degree program requires online master’s degree candidates to complete 36 graduate semester hours, with a minimum cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) for all classes at Park University of 3.0. Coursework for this homeland security program includes international relations theory, research methods, international law and security, and regional security issues, plus a thesis or non-thesis (exam) concluding graduate project.
Park University (PU) was founded in 1875 as a private university. The Parkville University campus is home to more than 11,250 undergraduate and graduate students each year. Park University was initially conceived for students to work in lieu of paying tuition and room/board. The university’s campus sits atop a bluff that overlooks the Missouri River.
Program: MA in National Security Studies
9. University of Arizona
The University of Arizona offers an MA in International Security Studies (ISS) that is among the most innovative, accelerated homeland security degree program in the state. Prospective students enrolled in the University of Arizona’s homeland degree have seven concentrations from which to choose, which include the following, technology and security, US Foreign Policy, Eurasia, Violent/Non-violent Conflict, Non-traditional Security Threats, Latin America, and Global. The graduate degree from the University of Arizona requires the completion of 12 classes and a capstone for a total of 34 graduate credit units.
The University of Arizona (UArizona) was founded in the 1880s, prior to Arizona entering the union. More than 45,550 undergraduate and graduate students each year vying for degrees offered by the University of Arizona’s nineteen colleges/schools. The University of Arizona is the state’s flagship, land-grant and space-grant institution of higher education.
Program: MA in International Security Studies
10. Mississippi College
Mississippi College offers a Master of Social Science in Homeland Security that can be completed 100% online. Degree candidates enrolled in Mississippi College’s degree program complete coursework in international terrorism, grant writing for homeland security, legal aspects of homeland security, and cyber terrorism, to name a few. Core classes for Mississippi cover a wide variety of homeland topics that include administration of justice, with electives available to cover homeland security issues for the program.
Established in 1826 as Hampstead Academy, Mississippi College is recognized to be the state’s oldest institution of higher education. The university’s online platform and Clinton campus serve more than 6,150 students. Mississippi College holds the distinction of the country’s 2nd oldest Baptist affiliated higher learning institution.
Program: MS in Homeland Security
11. Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Joseph’s University offers an MS in Criminal Justice Homeland Security specialization that is ranked among the best accelerated homeland security program on the east coast. The homeland security concentration for Saint Joseph’s University’s master’s degree in criminal justice includes coursework in risk assessment, the sociology of disasters, and terrorism threats & strategy, to name a few. Graduates enter the workforce as federal agents, intelligence analysts. probation officers, or criminal investigators, to name a few.
Saint Joseph’s University is a Jesuit institution of higher education that was established as a college in 1851. Saint Joseph’s University serves more than 9,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Saint Joseph’s University is recognized to be among the oldest of Jesuit institutions of higher education in the nation.
Program: MSCJ – Homeland Security
12. Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale offers a Master of Public Safety and Homeland Security that is one of most innovative accelerated homeland security degree programs in Illinois. Students must complete a minimum of thirty graduate credit hours, of which half are required core curriculum. These classes include public policy and ethics, strategic planning, legal administrative law, financial management, and disaster preparedness, emergency management, and crisis management, plus a practicum, to name a few.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale was founded in the 1860s as a normal school (for teachers) and is the state’s oldest university in the Southern Illinois system. More than 11,200 postgraduate and undergraduate students attend classes online and on the college – town campus in Carbondale every year. This campus of Southern Illinois University offers more than three hundred academic degree and certificate programs at all levels.
Program: Master of Public Safety and Homeland Security
13. Excelsior College
Excelsior College offers an MS in Criminal Justice – Homeland Security & Emergency Management concentration that prepares students for administrative and leadership roles in criminal justice and homeland security. Excelsior College’s degree program requires a student to finish at least 30 semester units with classes that include terrorism and counterterrorism, risk assessment in homeland security and emergency management, plus a criminal justice capstone concluding project, to name a few. The school also offers a cannabis control certificate for master’s levels students.
Excelsior College was established in 1971 as a private distance-learning school by the New York State’s Board of Regents. Excelsior College serves more than 25,250 students – most nontraditional working learners. a variety of notable military members, call Excelsior College their alma mater, including distinguished members of Congress and the senate.
Program: MSCJ – Homeland Security
14. California University of Pennsylvania
The California University of Pennsylvania offers an MS in Legal Studies – Homeland Security specialization that is available 100% online. Students enrolled in California University of Pennsylvania’s accelerated homeland security degree program must complete a minimum of 30 graduate credit units. Sample coursework for California University of Pennsylvania’s master’s degree includes domestic extremism in the United States, law and legal method, law and ethics, emergency management principles, law and policy, and intelligence practice in homeland security, to name a few.
The California University of Pennsylvania (CUP) is a public school that was established in the 1850s. The California University of Pennsylvania now operates as a space-grant school and a member of Pennsylvania’s state system of higher ed. More than 7,240 graduate and undergraduate degree students attend classes each year. California University of Pennsylvania offers more than 150 academic and certificate/diploma programs, including three doctoral programs in health and exercise leadership, education/administration leadership, and criminal justice.
Program: MS in Legal Studies: Homeland Security
15. Regent University
Regent University offers an MA in National Security Studies with a homeland security concentration that can be completed on-campus or entirely online. Regent University’s degree program requires the completion of 36 to 38 graduate credits. Core classes for Regent University’s graduate degree in homeland security include international relations theory, grand strategy and military operations, US foreign policy, Christian ethics and the law of armed conflict, and national security affairs, to name a few.
Regent University is an evangelical Christian school that was established in the 1970s by Pat Robertson as Christian Broadcasting Network University – originally in Chesapeake, Virginia. The distance-learning platform and Virginia Beach campus are home to more than 8,550 students each year. The Virginia Beach campus covers more than 70 acres and includes neo-Georgian architecture.
Program: MA in National Security Studies
16. UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell offers two accelerated homeland security degree options with its Master of Arts or Master of Science (MS) degree in Security Studies that can be completed online or on campus. In addition, UMass Lowell’s graduate degree is ranked by bestcolleges.com as the fifth best program in the country. Available concentrations for the Master of Arts in homeland security degree programs include homeland defense, international security, and industrial/economic security. Available concentrations for the MS degree include CBRNE security, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure protection.
UMass Lowell is a multiple-campus school within the Massachusetts state university system that was established to train teachers in 1894. The school’s dual campuses and online platform serve nearly 18,500 students each year. The Lowell campus of the University of Massachusetts is a space-grant school comprised of six college/schools offering programs in science, engineering, social science, fine arts, education, business, health sciences.
Program: MA or MS in Security Studies
17. Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University offers an MA in Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness that offers an interdisciplinary approach of theoretical and practical knowledge with all classes delivered online. Virginia Commonwealth University’s accelerated degree requires a final concluding research project, thesis, or dissertation to qualify. Classes include risk assessment, emergency management, law enforcement policy and judicial precedent, intelligence and counterintelligence, and survey of cybersecurity, to name a few.
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) was founded in the 1830s as a medical department of a nearby college. The university now serves more than 31,000 undergraduate and graduate students each year from its campuses and academic facilities. Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus is home to a number of historic buildings across its multiple campuses and satellite/research sites in the state.
Program: MA in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
18. Tiffin University
Tiffin University offers a MS in Criminal Justice – Homeland Security Administration concentration that is one of the best of Ohio’s accelerated degree programs. Degree candidates enrolled in Tiffin University’s thirty-credit graduate degree must complete classes in legal and ethical issues in homeland security, federal budgeting for homeland security administrators, policy formulation in homeland security, and research design and analysis, plus a homeland security administration capstone, to name a few.
Tiffin University is a private higher learning institution that was chartered in the 1880s as Commercial College. Tiffin University maintains several campuses – a few in Ohio and another internationally at the University of Bucharest in Romania. The school’s suburban campuses and online platform serve more than 3,000 students each year.
Program: MSCJ – Homeland Security Administration
19. National University
National University offers an MS in Homeland Security with a Homeland Security and Emergency Management academic concentration that is delivered in four-week classes. National University’s College of Professional Studies’ accelerated homeland security degree program also offers monthly start dates throughout the year. Classes for this degree include infrastructure protection, emergency management, domestic terrorism, policies of homeland security, leading complex environments, fundamentals of recovery, and global lessons in security, to name a few.
National University is a private higher learning institution with a student enrollment that nears 23,000, making it the largest school in the greater San Diego Metropolitan area. This veterans founded and military school was established in the early 1970s by a former US Navy lieutenant commander, David Chigos. National University maintains multiple campuses throughout California, Nevada, and online.
Program: MS in Homeland Security and Emergency Management
20. Upper Iowa University
Upper Iowa University offers an MPA in Emergency Management and Homeland Security that is considered among Iowa’s most innovative accelerated homeland security degree programs. This graduate degree allows students to complete this 36 credit master’s degree in five years or less. Classes for this master’s degree include government and NFP financial management & control, political economy and regulatory policy for public administrators, and survey of public administration, plus a capstone research seminar, among others.
Upper Iowa University was founded as a private school in 1857. Upper Iowa University operates a variety of academic centers throughout the country and even internationally in Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong that serve more than 6,100 students each year. Upper Iowa University was affiliated with the United Methodist Church until the late 1920s and now operates as a nonsecular school.
Program: MPA in Emergency Management and Homeland Security
21. Liberty University
Liberty University offers an MS in National Security that is available 100% online in only 18 months. In addition, this accelerated homeland security degree program allows for up to half of the required 36 credit units to be transferred if they meet Liberty’s eligibility requirements. Classes for this homeland security degree include ethics in national security, cyberspace policy and operations, national defense and foreign policy, and sovereignty & national security challenges, to name a few.
Founded in the 1970s, Liberty University now operates as one of the largest evangelical institutions of higher education in the nation. More than 100,000 students attend classes online and on the Lynchburg campus each year. The Freedom Tower on the school’s campus is the tallest structure/building in Lynchburg. Liberty University’s conservative Christian orientation requires all undergraduate students to complete bible studies classes to graduate.
Program: MS in National Security
22. Penn State World Campus
Penn State World Campus offers a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Homeland Security that requires students to complete thirty-three graduate credits. This accelerated homeland security degree program from Pennsylvania State University includes these classes – ethic and social issues in homeland security, homeland security administration policy and programs, disaster psychology, homeland security and homeland defense in practice,emergency management, and multifaceted approaches to homeland security, to name a few.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (PSUWC) is the distance learning division of the state university that is MSCHE accredited. Pennsylvania State University World Campus serves about 14,500 undergraduate and graduate students each year. Pennsylvania State University World Campus offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs online – in partnership with other Pennsylvania State University colleges/schools.
Program: MPS in Homeland Security
23. Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University offers an MS in National Security Affairs that is ranked as one of Florida’s best accelerated homeland security degree programs. This graduate degree from Nova Southeastern University offers an optional cybersecurity concentration. Classes for Nova Southeastern University’s master’s degree include directed readings in national security affairs, American government and domestic security, government agencies, cyber conflicts and statecraft, and special topics in national security affairs, border security, public health, emergency preparedness, plus thesis and internship, among others.
Nova Southeastern University (NU) is a private university that operates multiple campuses in South Florida. Nova Southeastern University’s campus was once an outlying field used by the navy during WWII. More than 20,350 students attend classes online and on the school’s campuses. Nova Southeastern University offers more than 150 programs from its eighteen colleges/schools that cover law, business, medicine, social science, health, therapy (of various kinds), education, and nursing, to name a few.
Program: MS in National Security Affairs
24. Northeastern University
Northeastern University offers an MA in Homeland Security that is available to both part and full-time students – entirely online. Northeastern University’s accelerated homeland security degree program can be completed in 12 to 18 months, depending on the student’s time availability. This graduate homeland security degree from Northeastern University offers concentrations in Geospatial Services, Port Security, Emergency Management, and Organization & Infrastructure continuity. Graduates find rewarding careers working for the FBI, the United States Department of State, and Naval Criminal Investigative Services, to name a few.
Northeastern University was founded in 1898 but now operates as a comprehensive school with a space-grant designation. More than 27,550 students attend classes online and on various academic campuses throughout the United States and the world. The study abroad program offered by Northeastern University includes a partnership with more than 150 international education and academic facilities throughout the world.
Program: MA in Homeland Security
25. Pace University
Pace University offers an MA in Homeland Security that is ranked among the best accelerated homeland security degree program, according to US News and World Report. Classes for these homeland security degrees include computer and internet forensics, international human rights, public health issues for homeland security leaders, technology and critical infrastructure protection, emergency management, and public health issues for homeland security leaders, to name a few.
Pace University is a multiple campus institution of higher education that was established more than one century ago, in 1904, in what was the New York Tribune building. The school’s campuses in New York City and Westchester County (to the north of New York City) serve more than 13,300 undergraduate and graduate degree students each year. Pace University began as a business school for accountancy by two brothers.
Program: MA in Homeland Security
Why Should I Get an Online Master’s in Security Studies?
Security master’s degrees offer many possible benefits including promotions, an increase in salary, and leadership opportunities. Master’s in security studies online make earning security master’s degrees more accessible, easier, more affordable, and for many students more practical too.
An online master in homeland security and emergency management degree offers the same benefits as a traditional classroom setting course. The difference is that an online master in securities studies online offers options that traditional security masters degrees and programs can’t.
For working students, students with children, or students with other responsibilities and obligations (like taking care of an elderly parent), online master degrees are a perfect solution. With choices like on-demand classes, evening classes, and self-paced course options among others, students can earn a degree without interrupting their lives.
Online security master’s degrees also provide the convenience of being able to study from the comfort of home. These online security master’s degrees can also save students time and expenses that are typically attached to attending traditional classes.
What Kinds of Security Master’s Degrees are There?
Students considering pursuing a masters in security studies will discover that there are many areas in which they can study. A masters in security studies can include a range of security and intelligence courses from counter-terrorism to intelligence collection courses.
These security online master’s degrees can also afford graduates financially and personally rewarding careers. Here is a brief overview of a few of those masters in security studies at online schools.
Masters in Intelligence
A masters in intelligence degree is one of the most popular online master in security studies programs. This degree focuses on various aspects of security Intel including surveillance techniques and other Intel collection methods.
Masters Degree in Counter Terrorism
This program is designed with a focus on the detection and prevention of terrorist acts. The main concentration of a masters degree in counter terrorism will teach students about practices used to recognize potential terrorist threats and pro-active counter-terrorism measures.
Masters in Intelligence and National Security
A master’s degree in intelligence and national security is structured around homeland security measures. These masters in national security studies programs are focused on recognizing, reacting, and preventing immediate threats to US borders and national security.
Masters in Global Security and Intelligence
With a master’s in global security and intelligence, students will be introduced to global security measures, and tools such as global intelligence networks, security analysts, and other security and Intel practices.
There are many different areas of homeland and global security that students can pursue. And with programs like an accelerated online homeland security master’s, students can earn their degree from home, while holding down a job, or raising a family. These security and intelligence degrees also open up the opportunity for exciting and rewarding careers.
How Much Can I Make with a Homeland Security Master’s Degree?
One of the many perks of earning a homeland security master’s degree is the typical homeland security jobs salary. A homeland special agent salary, for example, can expect to make at least $119.000 working at the Security Headquarters office or homeland security agencies. These types of homeland security degree salary ranges are common, and can even be considerably higher.
Someone earning a homeland security management salary, for instance, can expect to make considerably more than the median average for employees of the Security Headquarters facility. The typical Homeland security jobs salary also generally includes a generous benefits package, as most government roles do.
Some Careers Include:
- information security analysts
- transportation security
- labor statistics
- security strategies
- private organizations
- border protection
- emergency planning
- agricultural biosecurity
Those in management roles at the Homeland Security Headquarters office are averaging a median pay of $185,225 based on data from Federalpay.org. An accelerated online homeland security master’s degree can open up doors to meaningful careers, positions that provide a comfortable income, and jobs that make a difference.
Few things are more important than our national security and the fight against terrorism. Students interested in a career in national security and counter-terrorism can take the first steps towards those goals by earning an accelerated online homeland security master’s.
In addition to earning an above-average income and a great benefits package, those who work in areas like homeland security, intelligence, emergency management directors, disaster management, and counter-terrorism roles also earn the respect and gratitude of a nation. The answer to the question of how much can I make with a homeland security master’s degree can’t be answered in only dollars and cents.
Those who work in the area of homeland security earn more than just a good income. Those who work on the front lines of Intel, counter-terrorism departments, and homeland security also earn a sense of pride, the satisfaction of doing a job that matters, and so much more.
Related:
TOP 25 MOST AFFORDABLE ACCELERATED MASTER’S IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY ONLINE
TOP 20 MOST AFFORDABLE ACCELERATED MASTER’S IN CYBERSECURITY ONLINE
TOP 20 MOST AFFORDABLE ACCELERATED MASTER’S IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ONLINE
