Curriculum & Courses
Security Studies is a strong major that requires both hard and soft skills, which are reinforced in our curriculum. The BS degree requires 120 total credit hours, which includes 40 hours of general education courses, 42 hours of core courses, and 38 hours of minor and elective courses.
At least 50% of core courses and 25% of the degree must be completed at ECU Online. Second-degree students are waived from General Education and Minor or General Elective requirements.
Keep in mind that as a degree completion program, we accept transfer credits, which may significantly reduce your required hours to graduate. The required Security Studies courses include the following:
Core Security Studies Courses - 42 credit hours
SECS 1000 – Introduction to Security Studies
Basic concepts and principles of security planning and program implementation across multiple academic disciplines with application at local, state, and federal levels of government as well as private and non-profit sectors.
SECS 4000 – Senior Seminar in Security Studies
Practical application and exercises in security studies, to include threat-based scenarios, consequence management, and disaster assistance planning.
CRIM 1000 – Introduction to Criminal Justice
Law enforcement, courts, and correctional systems.
POLS 2020 – Introduction to International Relations
Basic concepts and principles of functioning of international systems. Includes war and peace, economics, diplomacy, arms control, and threats to peace.
POLS 3031 – Research Design for Political Science
Concepts and theories essential to research design, kinds of data, and measurement used to address political questions.
POLS 2090 – Writing for Political Science
Organizing the research process in political science. Writing a research paper; writing an essay on a political or policy subject for other audiences.
Choose 24 credit hours (from at least four different prefixes):
CRIM 3620 – Homeland Security
Examination of homeland security in the United States, including apparatus, preparedness, and role of criminal justice.
CRIM 4005 – Organized Crime
Comparison of organized criminal behavior around the world, including structural aspects, activities conducted, and criminal justice responses.
CRIM 4620 – Transnational and Global Crime
Study of transnational and global crime and crime prevention mechanisms.
GEOG 2300 – Environment and Society
Introduction to dynamic relationships between the environment and society including, but not limited to, population, markets, management, ethics, risks and hazards, political ecology, and social constructions of nature.
HIST 3260 – The United States and the Middle East, 1783 to the Present
History of American interests and involvement in the Middle East since 1783.
HIST 3350 – War and Society
Survey of interrelationship between society and warfare from dawn of civilization to present.
PLAN 1900 – Sustainable Cities
Overview of planning concepts applied to critical issues impacting urban environments at a variety of scales from local to global. Introduces the role of urban planning in managing and building sustainable urban environments.
POLS 3080 – Security and Weapons of Mass Destruction
Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear weapons, their potential use, and the challenges governments face at all levels as they prepare to counter these threats.
POLS 3144 – American Foreign Policy
Principles and policies which characterize America’s recent and contemporary foreign relations.
POLS 3155 – National Security Policy
Overview of processes, forces, and influences which determine contemporary national security policy in the United States. Examine contemporary issues, including transnational threats, multinational and coalition defense strategies, force modernization, recruitment and retention, and homeland security.
POLS 3180 – The U.S. Intelligence Community
Missions, roles, activities and policy impacts of the major agencies of the U.S. intelligence community and their relationships with other agencies.
Note: students may take all of these courses and count over 24 hours toward electives. Additionally, more options are planned for future semesters
