Homeland Security Studies Certificate - Credential As You Go

New Playbook: Incremental Credentialing in Graduate Education

Case Study

Homeland Security Studies Certificate

Colorado State University, Pueblo

CREDENTIAL TITLE

Homeland Secruity Studies Certificate

CREDENTIAL LEVEL

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

CREDIT/NON-CREDIT # OF CREDITS (IF CREDIT BEARING)

9 credits

INCREMENTAL CREDENTIALING FRAMEWORK APPROACHES

Learn As You Go
Retro As You Go

Stack As You Go

Partner As You Go

Specialize As You Go

Transfer As You Go

Why the Credential Was Developed

The certificate in Homeland Security was designed by faculty to provide students with an opportunity for introductory level study of real world political and public policy issues involved in prevention and response to natural and man-made disasters and events
The program is directed at creation and enhancement of pre-professional knowledge and skills, which are immediately transferable to related career fields in government and industry
The certificate is also available for students who left the college with completed coursework but no degree

How the Credential Was Developed

The Political Science faculty designed this credential to serve students and employees looking for knowledge and skills in homeland security, separate from a full degree
Available to all our majors and the community, it provides this training for learners in a wide variety of disciplines and occupations
The approval process involved faulty design, administration and faculty governance approvals, plus CSU System Board of Governors and Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) approval
The credential is recorded on a student’s transcript when conferred
A certificate document is also provided to the student

The Targeted Learners

Full time students seeking a professional credential and federal emergency response certifications
Currently employed professionals seeking career relevant training and advancement
Previous students with some completed courses in Political Science or related fields, but not a completed degree

Lessons Learned

The need for collaborative effort and lift from many different areas on campus: administration, faculty, advising, registrar, admissions, to make this as seamless an option for students to opt-in

Top Competencies/Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of:

Intelligence and counter-intelligence concepts; legal and constitutional principles pertaining to homeland and national security policy; strategic planning interfaces between national, state, and local governments; conceptual aspects of terrorism and counter-terrorism; and understand basic inter-agency communication needs, methods, and processes
Writing: students will be able to construct and present coherent, objective, and well-reasoned arguments or discussions pertaining to topics on homeland security
Communication: Students will be able to construct, compose, and deliver professional reports, research, and briefings
Critical Thinking: Students will be able to: recognize issues that are pertinent to homeland security; question issue validity; develop logically sounds arguments pertaining to said issues; and evaluate sources of evidence pertaining to the issues (including contrary and supporting evidence)

Credential Components

3 courses from our homeland security minor and political science degree:
- POLS 270 Introduction to Homeland Security
- POLS 271 Terrorism
- POLS 272 Incident Management

Improving Education and Employment Outcomes

ABOUT US

TOOLS AND RESOURCES

RESEARCH

LEARN-AND-WORK ECOSYSTEM

CONNECT

NEWSROOM

© COPYRIGHT 2024 CREDENTIAL AS YOU GO

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

FUNDING STATEMENT

Credential As You Go has acquired three phases of funding to date. Lumina Foundation funded Phase I, resulting in the Incremental Credential Framework for testing. The Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education funds Phase II (Grant R305T210063), which focuses on rapid prototyping of and research on incremental credentials with a national campaign. An anonymous private donor fund at the Program on Skills, Credentials & Workforce Policy at George Washington University funds the development of the prototype Learn and Work Ecosystem Library. Walmart funds Phase III, which focuses on systems change for expansion and sustainability of incremental credentials. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of Lumina Foundation, Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Education, Walmart, or George Washington University.