ECU Online: Flight Path Programs
Think Bigger Than the Threat.
ECU’s online Bachelor of Science in Security Studies helps working adults finish their degree while building the practical, interdisciplinary skills needed to address today’s complex security challenges. Learn from real-world scenarios, customize your degree with a required minor and graduate prepared for careers across government, intelligence, emergency management and the private sector.
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ECU’s online Bachelor of Science in Security Studies is designed for working adults who have earned college credit and are ready to finish their bachelor’s degree while preparing for careers in security, intelligence, emergency management and public service. It’s an excellent fit for professionals looking to advance in law enforcement or military-adjacent fields, transition into federal or private-sector security roles or strengthen their credentials with a broad, interdisciplinary education.
Today’s security challenges don’t fit neatly into a single discipline, and neither should your education. ECU’s 100% online Bachelor of Science in Security Studies helps you develop the knowledge and practical skills to understand, assess and respond to complex security issues from every angle. Drawing from political science, criminal justice, geography, history, environmental health and safety, and religious studies, you’ll learn to evaluate challenges through multiple perspectives while building the critical thinking and decision-making skills employers value.
Learning extends well beyond theory. You’ll work through realistic threat-based scenarios, disaster assistance planning, consequence management and national security challenges while exploring topics such as homeland security, transnational crime, war and society, and U.S. foreign policy. Faculty with professional experience connect coursework to the realities of emergency management, intelligence, public safety and security operations, helping you apply what you learn to real-world situations.
Every student completes a required minor in Criminal Justice, Human Development and Family Science, or Sociology, adding focused expertise to your broad security foundation. Combined with flexible online coursework, a transfer-friendly degree completion pathway and dedicated faculty and advisor support, you’ll graduate with the same respected ECU degree as on-campus students and be prepared to pursue opportunities across government, intelligence, public safety and the private sector.
Learn to tackle security challenges from every angle by studying history, criminal justice, environmental health and more.
You'll study threat-based scenarios, consequence management and disaster assistance planning so you graduate ready to step into the job.
Focus your education by choosing a minor from 3 options and graduate with a credential built for the specific security path you want.
Our grads have landed roles at the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Oracle, Google, and and Raytheon. That's a network you can build a career on.
Security challenges rarely stay within one discipline, and neither do the careers that solve them. ECU’s online Security Studies program prepares you to pursue opportunities across federal agencies, intelligence, emergency management, law enforcement and the private sector by combining practical security knowledge with the critical thinking employers expect. Graduates have launched careers with organizations including the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Raytheon, Google and Oracle, proving that the skills you build here translate to meaningful opportunities across government and industry. Explore career paths and national salary information below.1
Job outlook for emergency management directors, 2024–2034
Job outlook for information security analysts, 2024–20342
Open roles for information security analysts in 20243
1 U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2026
2 Cybersecurity Workforce Data Initiative’s “Supply and Demand Report, 2024”
3 Payscale, 2026
Strategize Like a Pirate
“Our program is very unique by being multidisciplinary. We take a sociological perspective on terrorism as well as a psychological, political and historical one. We bring in all of those disciplines so that students are getting a well-rounded education."
The online Bachelor of Science in Security Studies program is a 120-credit undergraduate degree offered through the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences. It includes 40 hours of general education courses, 42 hours of core courses, and 38 hours of minor and elective courses.
The curriculum in the security studies degree online program is built around one idea: today’s security challenges require more than one perspective. Through coursework spanning political science, criminal justice, geography, history, environmental health and safety, and religious studies, you’ll learn to analyze complex issues from multiple angles while understanding how policy, culture, intelligence and public safety intersect. Electives in homeland security, transnational crime, war and society, and U.S. foreign policy allow you to broaden your understanding while building expertise in the issues that matter most to your career goals.
Learning is rooted in application, not abstraction. Throughout the program, you’ll work through threat-based scenarios, consequence management, disaster assistance planning and national security challenges that reflect the kinds of decisions professionals make every day. You’ll also complete a required minor in Criminal Justice, Human Development and Family Science or Sociology, giving you specialized knowledge that complements your broader security education and strengthens your preparation for careers in intelligence, public safety, emergency management and organizational security.
Coursework in ECU’s online Security Studies program prepares you to understand today’s security environment from every angle while developing the practical skills needed to respond when challenges arise. Rather than focusing on theory alone, you’ll examine real-world issues including homeland security, terrorism, emergency management, intelligence, consequence management and national security policy through applied coursework and scenario-based learning. Guided by experienced faculty, you’ll strengthen your analytical thinking, decision-making and leadership while building an interdisciplinary understanding of the complex systems that protect communities, organizations and nations.
Examination of homeland security in the United States, including apparatus, preparedness and role of criminal justice.
Comparison of organized criminal behavior around the world, including structural aspects, activities conducted and criminal justice responses.
Study of transnational and global crime and crime prevention mechanisms.
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.
Survey of interrelationship between society and warfare from dawn of civilization to present.
Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear weapons, their potential use, and the challenges governments face at all levels as they prepare to counter these threats.
Principles and policies which characterize America’s recent and contemporary foreign relations.
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.
Missions, roles, activities and policy impacts of the major agencies of the U.S. intelligence community and their relationships with other agencies.
The strongest security professionals understand more than one perspective. Choose from three built-in minors to tailor your degree around the work you want to do after graduation without adding extra time.
Where Criminal Justice Meets National Security.
Today’s security challenges go beyond responding to crime. Expand your understanding of how policies, systems and institutions work together to prevent threats before they happen. Through coursework in homeland security, intelligence, emergency management and global security, you’ll learn to evaluate complex risks, shape security strategy and understand the frameworks that guide decision-making across government, public safety and national security.
Strengthen Communities from the Inside Out.
Security challenges are rarely just operational. They affect people, families and the communities they call home. Pairing Security Studies with Human Development and Family Science gives you a deeper understanding of how resilient communities are built, combining emergency management, security policy and threat response with coursework in human development, family dynamics and community well-being. You’ll graduate prepared to protect people by strengthening the systems and relationships that help communities thrive.
Use Social Insight To Inform Security Strategy.
An effective security strategy starts with understanding the conditions that create threats. Pairing Security Studies with Sociology gives you the analytical tools to examine how social systems, institutions and human behavior shape security outcomes. You’ll learn to apply social insight to risk assessment, policy analysis and strategic decision-making, helping you develop more informed approaches to today’s complex security challenges.
The learners I support are parents, they're working full time, they're people who felt like it was too late to go back to school. My role is to make sure they never feel alone in this process. From enrollment through graduation, I help them figure out how to fit coursework into a real life, stay on track, and remember why they started. Watching someone finish their first course and realize they can actually do this — that never gets old.
When you earn a degree from East Carolina University, you earn more than a credential. You earn the reputation of a university that's spent more than a century serving students who are determined to make a difference.
East Carolina University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Questions about the accreditation of East Carolina University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website.
<strong>You’ll find that ECU is a place where people know you for more than what you do; we see you for who you are and who you’ll grow into. As such, we are committed to equality of opportunity and do not discriminate based on race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation and veteran status.</strong>
At least 24 transferable credit hours from the last or current institution attended.
A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all attempted coursework.
A grade of C (1.7) or higher in coursework is required to be considered for transfer.
Applicants must be in good academic standing at their current or most recent institution.
Official transcripts are required from all colleges and universities previously attended.
Submission of ECU’s online application for admission, including all required materials.
Current ECU students should email [email protected] before completing a Flight Path program application.
Mail Official Transcripts to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Mail Stop 517
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-435
We also accept electronic transcripts from most transcript services. Please request to have them sent directly to [email protected].
To qualify for in-state tuition rates, North Carolina residents must first confirm their in-state status by completing an application through the Residency Determination Service (RDS). To learn more about how to apply for NC residency, please refer to the North Carolina Residency page.
Chromebook devices are currently not recommended by any academic programs at ECU due to several limitations. For more information on tech requirements, visit our technology page.
ECU’s online Flight Path programs are designed to make earning your degree affordable, transparent and predictable.
Tuition may vary by program and is subject to change.
Financial aid options may be available to help cover the cost of your degree, including federal aid, grants, scholarships and loan programs.
Dr. Alethia Cook is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science. Her current research interests include the policy challenges posed...
Dr. Keith A. Preble is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science. He completed his doctorate at the University at Albany, SUNY...
Dr. Robert Nalbandov is a Teaching Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the Flight Path program in security studies. His research interests include political...
Our admissions team can help you explore your options. Flight Path is designed for students returning with 24 or more college credits who want a focused path to graduation.
A security studies degree online prepares students to understand complex security challenges from political, historical, criminal justice, geographic and cultural perspectives. You’ll develop practical skills for careers across government, intelligence, emergency management and private industry.
Security studies focuses on understanding global security challenges, policy, intelligence and threat analysis through an interdisciplinary lens. Security management typically emphasizes organizational security operations and business security. ECU’s program prepares graduates for opportunities in both public and private sectors.
Graduates work in intelligence, homeland security, emergency management, corporate security, global risk, federal agencies, defense contracting, nonprofit organizations and private-sector security roles.
No. The program is designed for both newcomers and current professionals. Military experience or law enforcement background can be an advantage but is not required.
Security Studies is broader and more interdisciplinary. Criminal Justice focuses on the legal system and domestic law enforcement. Security Studies examines large-scale threats — terrorism, natural disasters, cyber threats, global instability — along with policy and emergency response.
The minor adds depth in a complementary field and strengthens career competitiveness. Options are Criminal Justice, HDFS, and Sociology.
Yes. The curriculum in the security studies program is rigorous and thorough. Students analyze threat scenarios, consequence management, disaster planning and national security challenges while learning from faculty with professional field experience.
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Filling out a quick form connects you with an ECU admissions representative who will answer your questions, review your options and help you chart the best path to your degree. It's a conversation focused on your goals, not a sales pitch.
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