Homeland Security Graduate Certificate
Expand your expertise in homeland security by mastering critical policies, procedures and frameworks across local, state, and federal levels to effectively address evolving security challenges.
- Offered 100% Online as well as Face-to-Face in Commerce.
- 1 to 2 years
- 12 credit hours
- No thesis required
- No foreign language credits required
Ensure a Safe Community
Earn your Homeland Security Graduate Certificate from East Texas A&M, offered fully online for flexibility. In just 12 hours, you'll have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to address U.S. security challenges. Our program covers essential areas like risk management, emergency response and interagency collaboration, preparing you for leadership roles in both public and private sectors. Complete your certificate in as little as one year with accelerated eight-week courses designed for your busy schedule.
What Are My Job Opportunities?
Our graduate certificate opens doors to a variety of career paths in government, private industry and emergency management, all focused on safeguarding national and international security.
Careers Possibilities
Current Median Salaries from US DOL Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2023
program details
This program equips you with critical skills and knowledge in national security, emergency management and risk mitigation, preparing you for impactful roles in securing communities and organizations.
What Will I Learn?
You will have the opportunity to gain experience in a number of key areas.
High-Stakes Risk Assessment
Learn to evaluate and manage security threats, with real-world applications in disaster zones, terrorism prevention and national emergencies.
Crisis Leadership
Build leadership skills for high-pressure situations, drawing from case studies like 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and pandemic response efforts.
Cyber Defense
Gain expertise in safeguarding critical infrastructure from cyber threats, with lessons based on high-profile incidents such as the 2020 SolarWinds cyberattack and ransomware attacks on government agencies.
Agency Coordination
Master the coordination of law enforcement, government agencies, and private sectors in response to crises, as demonstrated in coordinated operations like the Boston Marathon bombing response.
Taking Classes
Our 12 credit hours Homeland Security Graduate Certificate equips you with essential knowledge and skills in national and international security, risk management, and emergency response.
Online and Face-to-Face
This program is available in two flexible formats: in-person (Main Campus) and fully online. On-campus courses provide a hands-on, interactive learning experience with expert faculty, while the fully online option offers flexibility for working professionals to study at their own pace.
Curriculum
Our program offers a comprehensive curriculum that combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience. You'll explore key areas such as risk management, emergency response, security policy, and interagency collaboration, equipping you with the skills needed for leadership roles in the homeland security field.
Courses offerings
Adding Value with Certificates
Expand your skill set and career opportunities by pursuing additional certifications in specialized areas that complement your expertise.
Criminal Justice Management Graduate Certificate
This certificate is designed to attract student practitioners seeking to advance within the decision-making and leadership roles within their field. The courses in this plan focus on management and policy issues. This certificate is ideal for you if you wish to specialize in management issues, such as evaluating, planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting and budgeting.
Criminal Justice Studies Graduate Certificate
If you are seeking to gain general knowledge in the field, whether you are new to concepts in criminal justice or are currently working in the criminal justice field, this might be the best fit for you. The flexibility of this certificate allows for a great deal of latitude in customizing courses to suit individual professional interests.
Public History Graduate Certificate
This certificate helps you develop specific skills related to public history. The practical, theoretical and analytical training provided in the certificate program will enhance your ability to compete for jobs in museums, historical societies, cultural resource centers, parks and historic preservation.
Finding My Community
We believe that education thrives in an environment where collaboration, support, and mutual respect flourish. Our community of students and professors embodies these values, creating an enriching and dynamic atmosphere for learning and growth. Our students come from diverse backgrounds and bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives to the table. Our professors are not only experts in their respective fields but also dedicated mentors who are committed to guiding and nurturing the next generation of scholars.
Nicole Farris, Ph.D.
Faculty
Zachary Palmer, Ph.D.
Faculty
Willie Edwards
Alum Faculty
Student Organizations
Our student organizations, including the Criminal Justice Club, Homeland Security Student Association, and Education Club, provide excellent opportunities for networking, leadership and professional development. These groups offer students the chance to connect with peers, engage in impactful events, and build skills supporting academic success and career advancement.
I’m Looking For Something Different
Is this program close, but still not right for you? Check out our related degrees!
Financing My Future
Financial Aid
Financial aid includes a variety of programs, like scholarships, federal and state grants, and federal and state work-study programs. Find out how you may be eligible for scholarships, grants, loans and/or a graduate assistantship. Financial Aid and Scholarships
On-Campus Employment Opportunities
Enhance your expertise through on-campus employment opportunities.
Graduate Assistant/Research/Teaching
Graduate assistant teaching (GAT), graduate assistant research (GAR), and graduate assistant non-teaching (GANT) assistantships at East Texas A&M offer financial support and professional development for graduate students. Assistantships are available in academic and non-academic departments.
Cost Before Financial Aid
East Texas A&M is one of the most affordable colleges around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Our tuition rates are some of the most competitive in Texas.
$3,669
for Texas residents
/
$7,341
For non-residents
Tuition and fees for graduate students taking nine credit hours are $3,669 for Texas residents and $7,341 for non-residents. But don’t worry: there are
Additional Fees May Apply
- Online Courses ($50 per hour)
- Remote Locations ($20 per hour)
- Lab Fees ($5 – $30 per course)
How Do I Get Started?
If you have not already done so, complete the Request Information form. You will be connected with your enrollment specialist, who can answer your questions. When you’re ready, go ahead and follow the steps below to apply.
Admissions Requirements
Once admitted, you must:
- Earn a 3.0 GPA on all required coursework (No course substitutions may be applied on graduate certificates)
- Submit a Completion of Certificate Request while taking your final graduate certificate courses.
Plan Ahead
Upon completion of the certificate program, courses will count towards a Master of Science in Applied Criminology (MSAC), and newly declared graduate students can lock in their tuition rates for two years.
Admission Process
- Create an ApplyTexas account or login if you already have one
- Complete your profile section first once you log into your account
- Select “School Search” and select East Texas A&M
- Choose the semester you wish to begin
- Select “Homeland Security, Graduate Certificate” as your “Program.”
- Pay the $50 application fee.
Wait to receive an application confirmation email before proceeding to the next step.
- Within two business days of your application, the Graduate School will send a confirmation email to the personal email account you used for ApplyTexas.
Provisional Status
After you submit your application, you may be granted provisional status, which means you can enroll in one semester of courses. You will not be eligible for financial aid until you submit all of your documents and are accepted into the program.
Submit the following documents to your graduate coordinator after you receive an application confirmation email.
Your Graduate Coordinator
Domestic Transcripts
Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to your Graduate Student Services Coordinator. We accept transcripts officially via email (directly from the institution), through Parchment, and any other official transcript providing agency. If your university does not offer an electronic transcript service, you may request them to be sent via regular mail to:
East Texas A&M University
Attn: Graduate School
2600 S. Neal St.
Commerce, Texas 75428
If your degree is from East Texas A&M University, you do not have to order a transcript. We will access your transcript.
If we already have your transcript, we will reuse it for a new application as long as it is still on file.
International transcripts
WES ICAP evaluations will be required for certain countries; those are listed below:
- Transcripts/Degrees from universities in Nigeria
- Transcripts/Degrees from universities in China that do not come from CSSD (formerly CHESICC)
- Any country where the official transcript is not in English
For all other countries, an evaluation is not initially required. Original official transcripts are required for admission consideration.
Please know that upon receipt of your official transcript, the Graduate School reserves the right to require an external evaluation at that time.
Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to:
East Texas A&M University
Attn: Graduate School
2600 S. Neal St.
Commerce, Texas 75428
We will need official/original documents.
If those documents are the only copies you have, the Graduate School can mail them back to you upon request. Contact your graduate coordinator for more information.
Look for application updates in myLeo > Apps > Check Application Status
- Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive an email to your student email account at myLeo > Apps > Leomail.
- Apply for scholarships and graduate assistantships once you are admitted.
- Apply for financial aid by submitting a FAFSA and sending it to school code 003565.
- Contact your financial aid advisor with any questions.
Once registration opens and you are eligible to enroll, your graduate enrollment specialist will contact you to complete registration.
- View your degree plan in DegreeWorks.
- To register for classes, go to myLeo > Student Resources > Registration Menu.
Contact your graduate enrollment specialist if you have any questions regarding your degree plan and registration.
Your Graduate Enrollment Specialist
Note: International students interested in graduate certificates must do so in conjunction with a graduate degree.
- Create an ApplyTexas account or login if you already have one
- Complete your profile section first once you log into your account
- Select “School Search” and select East Texas A&M
- Choose the semester you wish to begin
- Select “Homeland Security Graduate Certificate” as your “Program.”
- Pay the $75 application fee
Wait to receive an application confirmation email before proceeding to the next step.
- After you submit your application, the Graduate School will send a confirmation email within two business days to the personal email account you used for ApplyTexas.
Submit the following documents to your graduate coordinator after you receive an application confirmation email.
Your Graduate Coordinator
Domestic Transcripts
Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to your Graduate Student Services Coordinator. We accept transcripts officially via email (directly from the institution), through Parchment, and any other official transcript providing agency. If your university does not offer an electronic transcript service, you may request them to be sent via regular mail to:
East Texas A&M University
Attn: Graduate School
2600 S. Neal St.
Commerce, Texas 75428
If your degree is from East Texas A&M University, you do not have to order a transcript. We will access your transcript.
If we already have your transcript, we will reuse it for a new application as long as it is still on file.
International transcripts
WES ICAP evaluations will be required for certain countries; those are listed below:
- Transcripts/Degrees from universities in Nigeria
- Transcripts/Degrees from universities in China that do not come from CSSD (formerly CHESICC)
- Any country where the official transcript is not in English
For all other countries, an evaluation is not initially required. Original official transcripts are required for admission consideration.
Please know that upon receipt of your official transcript, the Graduate School reserves the right to require an external evaluation at that time.
Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to:
East Texas A&M University
Attn: Graduate School
2600 S. Neal St.
Commerce, Texas 75428
We will need official/original documents.
If those documents are the only copies you have, the Graduate School can mail them back to you upon request. Contact your graduate coordinator for more information.
Look for application updates in myLeo > Apps > Check Application Status
- Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive an email to your student email account at myLeo > Apps > Leomail.
- Apply for scholarships and graduate assistantships once you are admitted.
Once registration opens and you are eligible to enroll, your graduate enrollment specialist will contact you to complete registration.
- View your degree plan in DegreeWorks.
- To register for classes, go to myLeo > Student Resources > Registration Menu.
Contact your graduate enrollment specialist if you have any questions regarding your degree plan and registration.
Your Graduate Enrollment Specialist
I Still Have Questions
We are here to help! Send us an email. We can answer your questions and assist you in the application process.
Contact the Department
- Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
- 903.886.5332
- 903.886.5330
- P.O. Box 3011
- Commerce, TX 75429-3011