Security Studies Undergraduate Course Descriptions
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Core Courses
- 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. - CRIM 1000 – Introduction to Criminal Justice
Law enforcement, courts, and correctional systems. - POLS 2020 – Introduction to International Relations
May receive credit for one of POLS 2020, 2106. Basic concepts and principles of functioning of international system. War, peace, economics, diplomacy, arms control, and threats to peace. - POLS 3031 – Research Design in Political Science
Concepts and theories essential to research design, kinds of data, and measurement used to address political questions. - SECS 4000 – Senior Seminar in Security Studies
P: SECS 1000 and consent of instructor. Practical application and exercises in security studies to include threat-based scenarios, consequence management, and disaster assistance planning.
Elective Courses
- ANTH 3027 – Human Health and Disease Ecology
P: ANTH 2015, ANTH 2016; or consent of instructor. Interaction between environment, behavior, and illness. Environmental niches conducive to maintenance and spread of disease. Methods of examining diseases in prehistoric societies. - BIOL 4150 – Pestilence, Politics, and Conquest
P: BIOL 1050 or BIOL 1100 or consent of instructor. Pathology of infectious diseases and the impact that they had, or may have, on world events, past, present and future. - CRIM 3101 – Conflict Management
P: JUST major or minor; JUST 2004. Conflict assessment and intervention in criminal justice settings. - CRIM 3500 – Principles of Criminal Law
P: JUST major or minor; JUST 2004. Nature, sources, and types of criminal law, as well as specific criminal offences, liability, and defenses. - CRIM 3501 – Criminal Procedure
P: JUST major or minor; JUST 2004. Rules and procedures governing criminal justice process from arrest through sentencing, including concepts of due process and rights given to prisoners. - CRIM 3620 – Homeland Security
P: Criminal justice and criminology major or minor; CRIM 2004. Examination of homeland security in the United States, including apparatus, preparedness, and role of criminal justice.
- CRIM 4005 – Organized Crime
P: JUST major or minor; JUST 2004. Comparison of organized criminal behavior around the world, including structural aspects, activities conducted, and criminal justice responses. - CRIM 4615 – Terrorism and Criminal Justice
P: CRIM major or minor; CRIM 2004. Study of the history and characteristics of terrorism and criminal justice responses to terrorism. - CRIM 4620 – Transnational and Global Crime
P: CRIM major or minor; CRIM 2004. Study of transnational and global crime and crime prevention mechanisms. - CRIM 5000 – Comparative Criminal Justice
P: Graduate standing in JUST or consent of instructor. Multinational and comparative study of crime and criminal justice including the examination of legal, police, court, correction, and juvenile system models. - EHST 2110 – Introduction to Environmental Health Science
Principles of environmental health practices. - EHST 3350 – Safe Water and Lab (3351) 3+1 sh
P: BIOL 2110, BIOL 2111; CHEM 1160, CHEM 1161. C: EHST 3351. Fundamentals of safe water and principles of drinking water treatment and supply. - EHST 3370 – Waste Water Management and Lab (3371) 3+1 sh
P: EHST 3350, EHST 3351. C: EHST 3371. Fundamentals of waste water production, collection, treatment, and safe disposal. - EHST 4350 – Vector Borne Disease Ecology and Lab (4351) 4+0 sh
2 lecture and 2 lab hours per week. P: EHST 2110, EHST 3003, EHST 3350, EHST 3351, EHST 3370, EHST 3371; or consent of instructor. Introduction to vector borne diseases, their vectors and their ecology in humans and the environment. - EHST 4520 – Biological and Chemical Health Hazards
Basic concepts and principles of environmental and occupational health related to biological and chemical health hazards. - EHST 4530 – Physical and Radiological Health Hazards
Basic concepts and principles of environmental and occupational health related to physical health hazards, including radiation. - EHST 5010 – Principles of Toxicology and Lab (5011) 3+1 sh
For EHST majors but other majors accepted. P: Senior or graduate standing; 8 s.h. of general chemistry; 6 s.h. of biology, including BIOL 2130; or consent of instructor. Basics of toxicology such as physiological response and environmental sources as well as specifics of major toxins. - EHST 5800 – Solid and Hazardous Water Management and Lab (5801) 3+1 sh
2 lecture and 2 lab hours per week. P: CHEM 1160, CHEM 1161 or consent of instructor. Problems associated with collection, treatment, and disposal of municipal solid waste and hazardous wastes in the United States. - GEOG 2300 – Geography of Environmental Resources
Location and development of environmental resources at world and national levels. - GEOG 2350 – Climate Change: Science and Society
Explores societal aspects of climate change science, relevant social science debates, human adaptation, mitigation, strategies, and international policy. - GEOG 2420 – Cartography
May not count toward general education social sciences requirement. Foundations for understanding and using geographical information systems. Foundations for understanding and using geographical information systems. Emphasis on creation, visualization, and analysis of geographically referenced data. - GEOG 3003 – Political Geography
Geographic factors in current national and world problems. Internal and external power, frontiers and boundaries, colonialism, and neonationalism, and impact of technology. - GEOG or PLAN 3430 – Geographic Information Systems I
Introduction to basic cartographic principles, with an emphasis on map symbolization, design and layout using desktop computers and web-based mapping platforms. - GEOG 4250 – Environmental Impact Analysis
P: GEOG 1000, GEOG 2300 or PLAN 1900. Evolution of the practice of environmental analysis in regulatory and decision-making contexts, with emphasis on the US National Environmental Policy Act. - GEOG 4325 – Resources, Population, and Development
Demographic issues and population policies in relation to resource use and economic development from a geographical perspective. - GEOG 4340 – GIS for Health Studies
P: GEOG 2410 or PLAN 2410 or consent of instructor. Topics range from geographic patterns and processes of disease to locational aspects of health care delivery systems. GIS used to describe and analyze problems in medical geography. - GEOG 4410 – Advanced Cartographic Design and Production
May not count toward general education social sciences requirement. P: GEOG 2410 or PLAN 2410 or consent of instructor. Advanced mapping techniques such as animation, Internet mapping and production of publication-quality maps. - GEOG or PLAN 4430 – Geographic Information Systems II
Advanced topic. Emphasis on the development of GIS projects. - HIST 3121 – American Military History to 1900
History of military thought and institutions in US from era of American Revolution through nineteenth century. Emphasis on interrelationship between war and society by study of political, economic, and social aspects of military affairs. - HIST 3122 – American Military History since 1900
American military thought and institutions since 1900. Emphasis on interrelationship between war and society by study of political, economic, and social aspects of military affairs. - HIST 3260 – U.S. and the Middle East 1783 to the Present
History of American interests and involvement in Middle East since 1783. - HIST 3350 – War and Society
Survey of interrelationship between society and warfare from dawn of civilization to present. - HIST 3680 – Women and Gender in the Middle East
Women’s roles in Middle Eastern societies from pre-Islamic times to the present. - ICTN 2150, 2151 – Network Fundamentals with Lab
2 lecture hours per week. C: ICTN 2151. Introduction to the architecture, structure, functions, components, and models of the Internet and other data networks. - ICTN 2900, 2901 – Fundamental Network Security with Lab
2 lecture hours per week. P: ICTN 2150; C: ICTN 2901.Computer network and information security principles, devices, and applications. - ITEC 3800 – Cost and Capital Project Analysis
P: MATH 1065; ITEC 2000 or ITEC 3000 or MIS 2223. Economic analysis of technology alternatives. Valuation techniques, time value of money, cash flow analysis, cost estimation, taxes and depreciation, operations planning and control, project evaluation, accounting and budgeting tools. - 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. - PLAN 2410 – Introduction to GIS in Planning
Introduction to geographic information systems (GIS) emphasizing creation, management, visualization, and analyses of geospatial data in planning. - PLAN 4015 – Emergency Management Planning
Case studies examine emergency management planning and techniques. Emphasis on mitigation of, preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural and technological disasters. - 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
RP: POLS 2020. 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 United States. Examine contemporary issues, including transnational threats, multinational and coalition defenses strategies, force modernization, recruitment and retention, and homeland security. - POLS 3180 – The U.S. Intelligence Community
Mission, roles, activities, and policy impacts of the major agencies of the U.S. intelligence community and their relationships with other agencies. - POLS 3236 – Russian Politics
RP: POLS 2010. Political structures, institutions, and processes in post-Soviet Russia. Legacies of communism and current political, economic, and social transformations. - POLS 3260 – Middle Eastern Political Systems
Comparative study of government and politics in selected countries in the Middle East. - POLS 3290 – Communities in Conflict: Causes, Dynamics, and Resolutions of Civil Wars
Political, economic, socio-cultural, and ecological issues in post-Cold War international system that structure nature of conflict and prospects for future cooperation and peace. - POLS 3291 – Politics of Genocide in the Twentieth Century
RP: POLS 2010 or POLS 2020. Domestic, international, political, legal, socio-cultural issues which structure government atrocities since 1900, prevention, punishment. - POLS 3293 – International Organizations
RP: POLS 2020. Origins, structures, and functions of United Nations, Organization of American States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and other international organizations. - POLS 4382 – Politics of Terrorism
Explores phenomenon of terrorism throughout world with particular focus on characteristics of terrorism, reasons why groups choose terrorist action, and issues in counter-terrorism. - POLS 4383 – Clash of Nations: The Drivers Behind Interstate Conflict
Broad-ranging study of politics of modern war. Causes, weaponry and strategy, and effects. Arms control issues and analysis of potential for armed conflict in post-Cold War era. - POLS 4983 – Internship in Political Science 3 sh
- RELI 1690 – World Religions
Historical and contemporary expressions of major living religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism. - RELI 2691 – Classical Islam
Islam and some of its cultural manifestations during the formative period. Topics covered include early history, basic beliefs and practices, and the Qu’ran. - RELI 3691 – Islam and the Modern World
3 WI*: Selected Sections are Writing Intensive GE:HU Formerly PHIL 3691. Contemporary issues of war and peace, gender issues, fundamentalism, modernity, and religious identity. - RELI 3800 – Religion and Violence
Classic and contemporary theoretical approaches to the study of religious violence and critical analysis of religious practices, ideologies, and imagery that involve violence and non-violence. - SOCI 2220 – Sociology of Deviant Behavior
P: SOCI 2110. Extent and nature of deviance. Traditional problems such as mental illness, suicide, and crime as well as less commonly considered organizational and occupational deviance. - SOCI 3219 – Sociology of Immigration
P: SOCI 2110. Current state of sociological knowledge and research on immigration as a social phenomenon. Attention given to trends in immigration and its impacts on society. - SOCI 3235 – Population Trends and Problems
P: SOCI 2110. Population theory, composition, dynamics, and mobility of populations and problems involved in population trends. - SOCI 3330 – Criminology
P: SOCI 2110. Nature, extent, causes, and methods of treatment and prevention of crime and delinquency. - SOCI 3600 – Power and Politics in Society
P: SOCI 2110. Political sociology analyzing relationship of state and society. Sociological perspectives on power, politics, and the state are considered by analyzing contemporary social issues, conflicts, and political alignments.
Cognates (Writing)
- POLS 2090 – Writing for Political Science
Organizing the research process in political science. Writing a research paper, writing an essay on political or policy subject for other audiences. - Or a program director approved rhetoric or writing course.