About CEHC
Message from the Dean
Welcome to the University at Albany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (CEHC).
At CEHC, you have a tremendous opportunity to make your mark on the world. Here you will receive the essential tools needed to address some of society’s biggest challenges such as global responses to disasters and the systematic inequalities and injustices in government services. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and forge your path as a future leader in preparedness, homeland security, cybersecurity, and information science.
Our College has a unique interdisciplinary culture that truly sets us apart. We’re proud of our work not only in the classroom but in our communities as well. Our faculty conduct research that contributes to a better world and our inclusive and accessible laboratory ecosystem showcases this vast array of innovative research endeavors. We’re also committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in all we do, and are immensely grateful for the engagement and generosity of our alumni and donors.
We have a simple motto: Make a Difference. The College serves as a gateway to endless opportunities if you work hard and are willing to continue learning and becoming an instrument of positive impact on our communities.
As both an academic and practitioner, I believe cultivating diverse, educated and well-trained students is not just a moral necessity but a national security imperative. Every year we welcome new students and faculty that adhere to this sacred mission, and each year our students become more involved, committed, diverse and well-known for their actions and activities.
Our College is extremely dynamic and we work hard every day to expand our academic, experiential learning and study abroad offerings. Check out our variety of programs and opportunities. Should you have any questions, you should not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].
Our location at ETEC, UAlbany’s newest state-of-the-art facility, provides ample opportunities for innovate, interdisciplinary work. Here you will be able to further promote innovation; foster personal, social, and economic growth; and continue networking and sharing ideas and resources.
Home is where the family is, and we proudly call CEHC home. Come join us!
Robert Griffin, Dean
Emergency preparedness, homeland security and cybersecurity are dynamic and diverse fields. Like security threats themselves, the work required to protect the nation is constantly changing and it cuts across numerous disciplines.
The academic programs at CEHC will draw from several disciplines – including public administration, criminal justice, digital forensics, atmospheric science, public health, political science, computer science, and others – in order to fully equip students with the necessary and varied skills these fields require.
Classroom work will be supplemented by experiential learning opportunities in all of our programs, where through internships and training, authentic simulations, work with real-world clients, and research in contemporary and highly relevant topics, students will further their classroom learning in an applied environment.
This facet of the curriculum allows students to put theory learned in the classroom to practice in the field, and begin cultivating a network of colleagues for their future career.
The University at Albany is classified as an RI institution for its research focus and activity. CEHC plays an integral role in this classification by producing innovative, highly visible, and externally funded research. The College’s rich research ecosystem thrives through faculty-student collaborations, cross-disciplinary research groups endeavors and partnerships with other leading institutions both nationally and globally.
CEHC students undertake a significant amount of training in the areas of homeland security and emergency preparedness. We require 100 hours of approved training, based on your preferences. Training opportunities are regularly advertised on Brightspace, via email, and in social media posts. We partner with the New York State Preparedness Training Center located in Oriskany, NY, to facilitate training opportunities. Students are exposed to the national and international facets of EHC through online training delivered by federal organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDC).
Also, since 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has funded the College of Integrated Health Sciences’ Center for Public Health Preparedness, which provides highly relevant emergency preparedness training, resources, and assistance to public health professionals and their community response partners across New York State and the nation. Similarly, the College of Integrated Health Sciences’ Center for Public Health Continuing Education is nationally known for its distance learning training.
The challenges our fields are working to address are complex and multi-faceted impacting all levels of society. That’s why CEHC’s commitment to generating and sustaining strong partnerships with a wide array of organizations is critical to its success. The College leverages a “hub and spoke” model through which the College serves as the hub, anchoring and supporting collaboration between the various spokes, including academic units, state agencies, and private and non-profit organizations.
These partnerships allow the College to draw from the expertise of a range of disciplines; create relevant academic programming; set a research agenda informed by input from the state and other public, private and non-profit organizations; and to minimize duplication by integrating existing academic and training offerings into the College’s programs. To discuss potential collaborations, please contact the College at [email protected].
American Library Association (ALA) Accreditation
The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity is proud to offer an American Library Association (ALA), accredited Master of Science Information Science degree. This accreditation is vital to obtain many of the information professional-level positions in the field of Library and Information Science.
As part of the accreditation process, the program undergoes a self-evaluation and peer review based on the ALA standards, process, policies and procedures. These standards have been established "to foster excellence through the development of criteria for evaluating education effectiveness. Throughout the Standards, the requirements for evaluation include assessments, not only of educational processes and resources to achieve established objectives expressed as student learning outcomes. Further, institutions seeking accreditation of master's degree programs in library and information studies have an obligation to use the results of their evaluations for broad-based, continuous program planning, assessment, development, and improvement."1
Our current ALA accreditation is through 2027.
1 Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies (Chicago, IL: Office for Accreditation, American Library Association, 2008), p.4.
Related Links
The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity has been a member of the iSchools consortium since July 2018. We join industry thought-leaders worldwide in shaping the teaching and practice of information studies and related aspects of the field, now and into the future.
Together we share a fundamental interest in the relationships between information, people, and technology; and the vision that our interdisciplinary approaches to education and training have a profound impact on how those relationships function.