Homeland Security
 Mission of CHDS
To strengthen the National Security of the United States by providing
graduate level educational programs that meet the immediate and
long-term leadership needs of organizations responsible for Homeland
Defense and Security.
BACKGROUND
Since 2002, the NPS Center for Homeland Defense and Security(CHDS) has
conducted a wide range of graduate and education programs to assist
current and future homeland security leaders to develop the strategies,
policies and organizational design elements needed to defeat terrorism
in the U.S. The programs are developed in partnership with, and
sponsored by, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Through graduate
and executive-level coursework, seminars and research , leaders gain the
analytical skills and substantive expertise to prevent, deter and
respond to terrorist attacks and to bridge gaps in interagency and
civil-military cooperation. This is accomplished by bringing together
a diverse range of senior officials to share perspectives and lay the
foundation for long-term homeland security collaboration. All CHDS
programs are designed to create a multiplier effect through the
distribution of content, technology, research and other resources to
universities and agencies that are building national preparedness.
MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE
This 18 month program is offered at no cost to eligible senior local,
state, tribal and federal officials and NORTHCOM sponsored officers with
significant homeland security responsibilities. Designed for busy
leaders, this program requires participants to be in residence just 2
weeks each quarter for a total of 12 weeks. Participants complete the
remainder of their coursework via network-based distance learning. The
curriculum and research are focused on current policy, strategy and
organizational design challenges. Participants complete research papers
and a thesis on actual policy development issues confronting their city,
state, or sponsoring organization. Many of the research papers have
been implemented by government agencies around the country. The
application deadline is December 1 for the April and June classes, and
May 1 for the September class.
EXECUTIVE LEADERS PROGRAM (ELP)
The ELP is a non-degree graduate-level program for the nation's most
senior homeland security leaders. There is a total of 4 one-week
sessions over 9 months. The goal of the program is to enhance senior
leaders' capacity to identify and resolve homeland security issues and
challenges from a leadership perspective. Participants acquire a deeper
understanding of current and emerging homeland security issues, public
policy debates, and terrorist threats, as well as evolving smart
practices. The program broadens leaders' perspectives with a vision for
addressing homeland security in innovative ways and strengthening
working relationships across regions, agencies, and jurisdictional
lines. The application deadline is January 15 for the May class and June
15 for the November class.
MOBILE EDUCATION TEAM (MET) SEMINAR
The MET seminar is a facilitated executive roundtable discussion
designed to provide a governor and his/her cabinet or urban area leaders
with a neutral educational setting to take a hard look at their homeland
security policies, strategies, plans and organizational structure. The
half-day seminar's curriculum and multi-media scenarios are tailored for
each event to reflect the unique challenges of the state or
jurisdiction. Nationally recognized subject matter experts participate
in the non-attribution discussion to help clarify state and local roles
and responsibilities and to assist officials in recognizing the
specialized requirements of terrorism prevention and protection, and the
response and recovery to catastrophic events. MET seminars are delivered
on-site at a location convenient for the governor of city officials
UNIVERSITY & AGENCY PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE (UAPI)
The partnership
initiative increases the number and diversity of students in homeland
security education by accelerating the establishment of high quality
academic programs nationwide. This initiative provides an opportunity
for all those engaged in thinking about and teaching homeland security
to collaborate and create an intellectual multiplier effect that
furthers the study of homeland security. CHDS makes its curriculum ,
distance learning technology, Homeland Security Digital Library, and all
other resources available through the partnership. In return, partners
share their curriculum and specialized expertise with CHDS and other
partners. UAPI provides a cost-effective way to educate thousands of
students beyond the NPS campus, reducing the expense and difficulty of
universities and agencies having to "reinvent the wheel" and build their
own curricula and programs from scratch.
SELF-STUDY COURSES
Non-credit versions of CHDS master's degree courses are available
online. The courses are designed for homeland defense and security
professionals who wish to enhance their understanding of key homeland
security concepts and require the flexibility of self paced instruction.
NPS does not provide credit for the courses. Percipients are encouraged
to inquire of their professionals associations regarding continuing
education units/credits.
HOMELAND SECURITY DIGITAL LIBRARY
The Homeland Security Digital Library (HSDL) is the nation's premier
collection of homeland security policy and strategy related documents.
HSDL supports local, state and federal analysis and decision-making
needs and assists academics of all disciplines in homeland defense and
security related research. HSDL provides quick access to important U.S.
policy documents, presidential directives, and national strategy
documents as well as specialized resources such as theses and reports
from various universities, organizations and local and state agencies.
The resources are reviewed and selected by a team of homeland security
researchers and organized in a unique homeland security taxonomy. HSDL
content includes state-of-the-art multi-media offerings and other
valuable assets identified by CHDS program participants, faculty , and
university and agency partners.
HOMELAND SECURITY AFFAIRS JOURNAL
Homeland Security Affairs is the online journal of CHDS and is the
nation's pre-eminent peer -reviewed journal, providing a forum to
propose and debate strategies, policies, and organizational arrangements
to strengthen U.S. Homeland security. CHDS instructors, participants,
alumni, and partners represent the leading subject matter experts and
practitioners in the field of homeland security. E-published quarterly,
it captures the best of their collective work, as well as that of
scholars and practitioners throughout the nation. These articles
constitute not only the "smart practices", but also the evolution of
homeland security as an emerging academic and professional discipline.
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