Engineering graduate schools address homeland security

Published 30 July 2010

In response to a variety of recent disasters — including high-profile hurricanes, terrorist attacks, and structural collapses — some graduate engineering schools are creating new courses of study that teach students how to address these catastrophes

GradView advises graduate students who have taken a few engineering courses but are not quite sure how they would like to apply their skills to consider enrolling in a masters program in homeland security.

In response to a variety of recent tragedies — including high-profile hurricanes, terrorist attacks, and structural collapses — some graduate schools are creating new courses of study that teach students how to address these catastrophes.

For instance, the University of Minnesota launched a masters program in this field one month ago, CNN reports. Enrollees are examining a wide variety of issues that have threatened national security in the past, including pandemic diseases, natural disasters, infrastructure failures, as well as biological and explosive terrorist activity.

Furthermore, these degree seekers are studying financial collapses, the postal service, food supply chains, and electric power grids.

GradView notes that similar courses of study could lead graduates into government jobs or high-paying security positions in the private sector.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, masters degree holders earned an average of $1,257 per week last year.

Interested engineering students may find more information in International Homeland Security Job Network:

States also encourage students to choose homeland security careers. Maryland is partnering with higher education, companies, and the federal government to train 1,000 students in cyber security. Governor Martin O’Malley made the announcement Monday with Maryland Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin and Representative John Sarbanes.

Lori Aratani writes that the Pathways to Cyber Security Careers Consortium, which includes academic, industry, and government partners, has received almost $5 million for a three-year grant from the U.S. Labor Department.

Sarbanes (D-Maryland) says the cyber security business is a large growth area for the region, and the state needs to prepare for job opportunities in the industry.