Department of Security Studies

About | Academic Programs | Highlights | Career Opportunities | Student Organizations and Activities | Internships | Scholarships | Courses


About

Acting Chair

Phillip Lyons, Ph.D.

Faculty

Magdalena Denham, Jim Dozier, John Payne

Mission
Through its degree and certificate programs, the Department of Security Studies in the College of Criminal Justice provides students with the theoretical foundations of the nature and origins of threats to our nation and its critical infrastructure as well as the tools to identify and mitigate those threats through risk assessments and emergency management. Consistent with the Homeland Security Enterprise model, the all-hazards approaches emphasized prepare students for work as security analysts and emergency managers in private security and all levels of government, addressing foreign and domestic threats, natural or otherwise.

Contact Information

Doris Pratt
936.294.3637


Academic Programs

Master of Science in Homeland Security Studies

Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management


Highlights

Academically located within the College of Criminal Justice, the Department of Security Studies builds on one of the leading Criminal Justice and Criminology programs in the nation and the decades-long relationships of the College with public safety practitioners in the field. Moreover, the department is geographically situated within Texas, home to:

  • Two of the nation’s top 10 airports,
  • 16 waterports,
  • 29 oil refineries,
  • One of only a dozen Major Medical Centers nationwide, and
  • The longest border with a foreign country of any of the 48 contiguous states

Career Opportunities

The security studies program is designed to prepare students for work as security analysts and emergency managers in private security and all levels of government, addressing foreign and domestic threats, natural or otherwise. 


 Student Organizations and Activities

  • Graduate Student Organization

Internships

The Department’s geographic and academic context have given rise to a very robust internship program which provides students with hands-on experience in the field to supplement their classroom experiences.

Graduates of the program have been employed by:

  • The Department of Homeland Security (Border Patrol)
  • The Central Intelligence Agency (Intelligence Analyst)
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation (Intelligence Analyst)
  • Local police departments (Crime Analysts)
  • South Texas Nuclear Power Plant (Plant Security)
  • Photofax (Surveillance Firm)
  • Mustang Engineering (International Oilfield Service Company)
  • G4S Security (Private Security)

Scholarships

Scholarship opportunities, assistantships, and financial assistance are available. Student assistantships and scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis based upon academic performance, GRE scores, letters of recommendation and previous laboratory experience.

Financial awards are available, including out-of-state tuition waivers. University policy requires all students to pay in-state tuition.

Information on specific scholarships available in the College of Criminal Justice are available through Cutty Gilbert (cutty@shsu.edu) at 936.294.3755.

Please see the College of Criminal Justice section for information on college and university level scholarships.


Courses

Security Studies

 


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