Two professionals working on cybersecurity in a computing facility.

Bachelor of Science in
Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
Online or On Campus

Program of Study

programofstudy
Courses

Core Courses

  • Introduction to Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
  • Critical Inquiry and Communication in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
  • Cybersecurity OR Cybersecurity Basics
  • Homeland Security
  • Emergency Preparedness
  • Leadership and Ethics in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity
  • Research Seminar in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity


Concentration

Select one concentration:

Emergency Preparedness Concentration (General Program BA)

  • Preparedness and Response
  • Mitigation and Recovery
  • Two additional courses from approved list as advised
     

Homeland Security Concentration (General Program BA)

  • Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism
  • Homeland Security Risk
  • Two additional courses from approved list as advised
Training

100 Hours of Approved Training

This program requires 100 Hours of approved training, based on your preferences. Training opportunities are regularly advertised on Blackboard, via email and in social media posts.

  • Foundation: 30 hours
  • Professional Development: 20 hours
  • Community Engagement: 15 hours
  • Concentration Specific: 35 hours

 

Experiential Learning

Choose two:

  • Contemporary Issues in Security and Preparedness
  • Washington in Perspective
  • Washington Internship
  • External Internship Experience in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity
  • Research Internship Experience in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 
  • Exercise Design and Implementation 
  • Experimental and Service Learning in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 
  • Capstone Project in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity
  • Special Topics in Research, Applied and Experimental Learning
  • Independent Research

Honors Program

honors

The Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity Honors Program engages well-qualified majors in more immersive research and writing. The coursework provides you with the tools and strategies needed to complete an independent and original honors thesis project.

In addition to the regular requirements for the EHC major, students in the Honors Program complete an additional seven credits:

  • Research Seminar in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
  • Research Methods Course
  • Senior Honors Thesis Project

For more information about the Honors Program, please contact [email protected].

A student studies a Google satellite view map during terrorist planning training
A CEHC student demonstrates a 3D printer
Applied Learning

The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity provides an experiential learning component to all students. Through 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. The college partners with various offices, agencies and centers that help to provide research and training opportunities for students, academics, and professionals.

Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Options


You can save time and money by beginning your graduate degree coursework while still enrolled as an undergraduate student. Up to 12 academic credits, billed at the undergraduate rate, will count towards both degrees – so you’ll complete your combined program in only 5 years and spend less than you would if you completed each program separately. Choose to combine your Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity undergraduate degree with the following graduate programs:

combined

MS in Emergency Management and Homeland Security
The master's program encompasses the fundamental principles of emergency management and homeland security: identifying stakeholders, studying past incidents and research, evaluating governance and ethics, and designing appropriate solutions.

MPA in Public Administration and Policy
This top-ranked master’s program prepares you to help solve complex socioeconomic problems with concentration areas including non-profit management and leadership, public policy, healthcare management, information technology management, public economics and finance, and homeland security.

MIA in International Affairs
This master’s program studies foreign relations and global cooperation with concentrations in Global Public Management, Diplomacy and Global Governance, Global Economic Policy and Global and Homeland Security. You can also create your own custom concentration. 

MS in Information Science
This ALA-accredited master's program covers a broad range of interdisciplinary topics related to library science, information processing, information management and data analysis.

 

UAlbany graduate with confetti at Commencement.

Alumni Outcomes

Through coursework, training and experiential learning, UAlbany’s Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity program prepares you for careers in government agencies at the federal, state and local levels, as well as private sector and nonprofit organizations. 

Recent alumni employers include:

  • Central Intelligence Agency
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • New York State Police
  • New York State Department of Transportation
  • New York City Human Rights Commission
  • Bank of America
  • Deloitte
  • PwC
  • Broadcom/VMware
  • Capgemini
  • FTI Consulting
  • Starr Insurance Companies

 

 

Students in the Virtual Operations Support Team
alumni-outcomes

"This program opened so many doors for me and provided so many experiences I could never have imagined."

- Elizabeth Doerr, '17

Student Learning Objectives


Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program.

Bachelor of Science
  • Risk Management: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of risks, generate an analysis of options for mitigating risks, select the most appropriate mitigating actions for each risk, develop contingency and crisis response plans, communicate the risk assessment to a variety of audiences and evaluate risk management plans.
  • Critical Thinking: Critically analyze arguments by identifying assumptions, understanding claims, evaluating evidence and drawing a conclusion.
  • Communication: Recognize and formulate effective written and oral communication, giving appropriate consideration to audience, context, format and textual evidence.
  • Problem Solving: Design and implement strategic plans and creative solutions in novel and evolving circumstances.
  • Ethical Analysis: Demonstrate understanding of ethical principles in general and the ability to recognize, articulate and apply ethical principles in concrete situations related to emergency preparedness, homeland security and cybersecurity.
  • Diversity: Demonstrate an understanding of diversity and the ability to assess social equity in management and policy decisions through courses that focus on topics such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, physical ability, language and/or social class.
  • Teamwork and Project Management: Work effectively in teams in evaluating policies, managing projects and implementing programs as well as effectively managing conflicts, optimizing resources and meeting deadlines.
  • Demonstrate a solid foundational knowledge of the architecture of computer and networks hardware and software, how that is the basis of vulnerabilities to these systems. From this foundation, be familiar with the tools and techniques used to defend such systems from attacks.
  • Understand how risk management, the use of cybersecurity policies and related tools can help an organization prepare for, remain functional during, and recover from cyber incidents.
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What Makes The University at Albany Great

Student move-in day.

Living-Learning Communities

Live and take classes with other incoming freshmen who share your personal interests, passions or intended academic major.

A student abroad visiting a monument.

Study Abroad

Become a global citizen: international experience is crucial to success in business, education, research, and public policy.

A student conducting undergraduate research.

Undergraduate Research

Research, scholarship, and creative activities at the University at Albany is an option for all students, across all academic disciplines. You will be able to learn more about a specific academic field or career path all while building a long-lasting mentoring relationship with a faculty member or principal investigator.

Explore Minors

Build competency in a passion or strengthen your resume.

A minor consists of 18–24 graduation credits which must include a minimum of 9 graduation credits of advanced coursework at or above the 300 level. Most undergraduate degrees require completing a minor and it has to have a different title from your major.

Full List of Minors
  • Acting
  • Africana Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Art
  • Art History
  • Atmospheric Science
  • Bioethics
  • Biology
  • Broadcast Meteorology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Chinese Studies
  • Cognitive Science
  • Communication (Fully Online Option)
  • Computer Science
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminal Justice Studies (Fully Online Option)
  • Cybersecurity (Fully Online Option)
  • Documentary Studies
  • East Asian Studies
  • Economics
  • Educational Studies
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Electronics
  • Film Studies
  • Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (Fully Online Option)
  • English
  • Forensic Science
  • French
  • Game Design and Development
  • Geographic Information Science
  • Geography
  • Globalization Studies
  • Hebrew
  • History (Fully Online Option)
  • Informatics (Fully Online Option)
  • Instrumental Performance
  • International Studies
  • Italian
  • Japanese Studies
  • Journalism (Fully Online Option)
  • Judaic Studies
  • Korean Studies
  • Latin American and Caribbean Studies
  • Law and Philosophy
  • Leadership
  • Legal Studies
  • LGBTQ Studies
  • Library and Information Science
  • Linguistics
  • Machine Learning
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Anthropology
  • Music
  • Musical Performance
  • Musical Theatre
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Political Science
  • Portuguese
  • Pre-Education
  • Psychology (Fully Online Option)
  • Public Health
  • Public Policy
  • Religious Studies
  • Russian
  • Russian and Eastern European Studies
  • Social Welfare Studies
  • Sociology (Fully Online Option)
  • Spanish
  • Statistics
  • Sustainability
  • Theatre
  • Theatrical Design/Technology
  • Urban Studies and Planning
  • U.S. Latino Studies
  • Vocal Performance
  • Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Note: Effective Fall 2024, students enrolling in the Bachelor's in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity program will only have the BS option.

Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity FAQs
 

What can you do with a bachelor’s degree in emergency preparedness, homeland security and cybersecurity?

Earning a bachelor’s degree in emergency preparedness, homeland security and cybersecurity from UAlbany can help you develop the tactical and leadership skills you’ll need to qualify for a range of national security and emergency management roles.

The frequency and severity of the threats facing the nation is growing — from natural disasters to cyberattacks — and professionals who can safeguard against these hazards are urgently needed. Our program will help you learn how to assess risk, prepare for the unexpected and respond and recover effectively.

Is the bachelor’s degree in emergency preparedness, homeland security and cybersecurity program accredited?

The University at Albany is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State, which has registered all its degrees and programs and fully approved its professional programs through the State Education Department. UAlbany is also fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Additionally, the MS in Information Science program is accredited by the American Library Association (ALA), while the MPA program is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration. Students can combine their BS in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity with either of these programs to earn their graduate degree faster. 

How long is the on-campus bachelor’s in emergency preparedness, homeland security and cybersecurity program? How long is the online program?

Both the on-campus and online versions of the program take approximately four years to complete on a full-time schedule.

What are the program concentrations?

Students in the BS in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity program can choose between two different concentrations: emergency preparedness or homeland security. These concentrations provide focused coursework, allowing you to tailor your academic journey to your professional ambitions. 

How do the combined master’s programs work?

At UAlbany, we give you the opportunity to combine the bachelor’s degree in emergency preparedness, homeland security and cybersecurity with one of the following graduate programs:

  • Master of Science in Emergency Management and Homeland Security

  • Master of Public Administration

  • Master of International Affairs

  • Master of Science in Information Science 

This allows you to begin your graduate degree coursework while still enrolled as an undergraduate — and paying an undergraduate rate. You can complete the combined program in only five years and pay less than if you completed each program separately.