ICCB approves new Homeland Security degree at COD

The Illinois Community College Board has approved College of DuPage's Homeland Security Associate in Applied Science degree, which will debut this fall at the same time the college opens its state-of-the-art Homeland Security Education Center.

The new degree is an extension of the existing Homeland Security Certificate offered by the College for the past two years. The new degree will provide an introduction to such topics as threats posed by domestic and international terrorism, concepts of emergency management, and strategies for preventing, responding and countering catastrophic events.

In addition, six new courses move the provided training beyond the certificate level:

Multiculturalism and Diversity in Criminal Justice, Continuity of Operations, Critical Incident Management, Disaster Management and Response, Introduction to Intelligence for Homeland Security, and Introduction to Bio-Security and Bio-Terrorism.

“Many of our students want to transfer to earn a baccalaureate degree and look for opportunities within the federal government, such as immigration and customs enforcement, the U.S. Marshals, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms,” said Theo Darden, Criminal Justice coordinator and associate professor. “This is a growing profession with extensive opportunities.”

The U.S. Department of Labor states that between 2004 and 2014, more than 700,000 jobs will be created in the areas of law enforcement, private security and emergency management. In Illinois, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has a marketing strategy to create homeland security technology and jobs.

The first facility of its kind in the Midwest, the new 65,000 square-foot Homeland Security Education Center will house the College's Criminal Justice, Fire Science and Suburban Law Enforcement Academy programs, as well as the College's Police Department. Features include a full-scale, 4-D tactical village with training equipment used by military operations, an emergency command post, advanced forensics technology and cybercrimes laboratories, and a lecture hall that also serves as a mock courtroom.

For more information on this degree, call (630) 942-2989 or e-mail darden@cod.edu