Security Studies
If you are interested in homeland or international security and looking forward to an exciting career making the world safer, this is the degree for you.
Security Studies Program Overview
Graduates of our Bachelor of Science (BS) in security studies program go on to incredibly interesting and rewarding careers. Some examples from our recent graduating classes include but are not limited to Federal Bureau of Investigation agent; intelligence analyst in government or the private sector; U.S. Secret Service; foreign service officer; counterterrorism analyst; legislative affairs liaison; law enforcement; defense policy analyst; U.S. military service; and advanced education in some of the country’s best graduate and law schools.
ECU Advantage
ECU's BS in security studies is uniquely designed to reflect and prepare you for the diverse challenges we face in international and homeland security, as well as the complex ways governments act to prevent and respond to them. In addition to your core classes, you will take electives from multiple different departments. The program is also unique in that courses address local, state, federal and international issues rather than just focusing on one level of government.
What You Will Study
Program Director: Jonathan Morris (252-328-1067; morrisj@ecu.edu)
Security studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to understand and address diverse domestic and international threats to US security. Students learn how to evaluate threats and develop responses at the international, national, state, and local levels. These threats may be posed by natural disasters or by human agency, whether through governments or non-state actors, such as terrorist groups.
For more information about security studies, please contact the program director or visit the program website.
The degree requires a minimum of 120 s.h. as follows:
Core Requirements:
1. General education requirements - 40 s.h.
(For information about courses that carry general education credit view the General Education Program section.)
2. Core - 42 s.h.
A minimum of 24 s.h. from sections 2 and 3 must be above 2999.
a. Research and seminar courses (6 s.h.)
- SECS 1000 - Introduction to Security Studies
- SECS 4000 - Senior Seminar in Security Studies
b. Core courses (9 s.h.)
- CRIM 1000 - Introduction to Criminal Justice
- POLS 2020 - Introduction to International Relations
- POLS 3031 - Research Design for Political Science
c. Writing course (3 s.h.)
- POLS 2090 - Writing for Political Science
- or a program director approved rhetoric or writing course
d. Elective courses (24 s.h.)
Some of the below elective courses require prerequisites. Click on courses to view the prerequisite(s) and to see if the course can be used to satisfy general education or other requirements. If you have questions, please ask the program coordinator or an advisor.
Choose courses from at least 4 different prefixes with no more than 12 hours from any one prefix.
Choose a minimum of 24 s.h. from the below electives:
- CRIM 3620 - Homeland Security
- CRIM 4005 - Organized Crime
- CRIM 4615 - Terrorism and Criminal Justice
- CRIM 4620 - Transnational and Global Crime
- EHST 2110 - Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences
- GEOG 2300 - Environment and Society
- GEOG 2350 - Climate Change: Science and Society
- GEOG 3430 - Geographic Information Systems I
- GEOG 4430 - Geographic Information Systems II
- HIST 3121 - American Military History to 1900
- HIST 3122 - American Military History Since 1900
- HIST 3260 - The United States and the Middle East, 1783 to the Present
- HIST 3350 - War and Society
- HIST 3670 - History of the Middle East Since 1500
- PLAN 1900 - Sustainable Cities
- PLAN 4015 - Disaster Planning
- POLS 3080 - Security and Weapons of Mass Destruction
- POLS 3144 - American Foreign Policy
- POLS 3155 - National Security Policy
- POLS 3180 - The US Intelligence Community
- POLS 3260 - Middle Eastern Political Systems
- POLS 3290 - Communities in Conflict: Causes, Dynamics, and Resolutions of Civil Wars
- POLS 3293 - International Organizations
- POLS 4382 - Politics of Terrorism
- POLS 4383 - Clash of Nations: The Drivers Behind Interstate Conflict
- RELI 1690 - World Religions
- RELI 2691 - Classical Islam
3. Minor (or second major) and electives to complete requirements for graduation
A minimum of 24 s.h. from sections 2 and 3 must be above 2999.
ECU Minor Requirements Policy
The university's policy regarding double counting credits between major and minor can be found in the Academic Advisement, Progression and Support Services section of this catalog. See "Minor Requirements".
If you have questions, please reach out to your program coordinator or director.
- No more than 9 credit hours required for satisfying a major can count towards the credits required for satisfying a minor, excluding specified cognates (required courses but outside of the major discipline).
- Individual programs may have additional restrictions.
- A student may not major and minor in the same discipline as defined by the program's 6-digit CIP code.
For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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