Homeland security educationOakton, NIU to offer degree program in emergency provider fields

The trend toward more offerings in homeland security education and certification continues. A new program at Oakton Community College offers police officers, firefighters, and emergency management personnel taking courses there the chance to earn a Northern Illinois University bachelor’s degree.

The degree was designed for professionals with an associate of applied science degree from a community college. All coursework would be completed at Oakton, with general education courses taught by Oakton faculty and degree-specific courses delivered by NIU faculty. The bachelor’s degree, however, will be awarded by NIU, said NIU president John Peters.

Wilmette Life reports that bachelor’s degrees for first responders have become increasingly important in light of comprehensive training requirements enacted since 9/11. Many municipalities now require police officers and firefighters to have a bachelor’s degree to be hired or promoted. NIU is leading a movement in Illinois to create more pathways for community college students to complete four-year degrees, Peters added.

“The associate of applied science degree held by so many in the emergency response field has not, until recently, been designed for transfer to a four-year university, so this is really a groundbreaking development. We are now able to offer our community college partners. NIU is taking a leadership position in developing ways for the residents of our region to increase their credentials to meet emerging needs in the economy and better prepare themselves for the future,” he said.

Margaret Lee, president of Oakton, indicated that in conjunction with the degree offering, Oakton will immediately implement the First Providers for First Responders Initiative, which will benefit all the communities served by the college and NIPSTA. “The two pathways in this initiative are designed to increase educational attainment and enhance access to critical curricula for Oakton’s public safety partners and NIPSTA members. The first pathway will provide three tuition waivers to the chief of each public safety department, who will designate qualified employees to pursue an associate’s degree. The second pathway extends in-district tuition to qualified public safety employees and NIPSTA members who enroll in certificate or degree programs in fire science technology or law enforcement,” Lee told Wilmette Life. “This partnership creates tremendous opportunities for an extraordinary number of working adults,” she added.