Public Safety (online)

Overview

The field of Public Safety is rapidly expanding and there is an increasing need for public safety professionals. This major at Bluefield College encompasses a broad scope of the public safety discipline and presents a wide range of issues related to the field. In addition to the principle courses in public safety, this major offers unique concentration options in Criminal Justice, Pre-Law or Homeland Security with a focus on either Emergency Management or Critical Infrastructure. Whether your goal is career entrance, career mobility, or to pursue a graduate or legal education, the major is designed to help you build the skills and knowledge you need to succeed. Our faculty brings years of executive-level, legal, practitioner, clinical, academic, and research experience to the classroom. You will be taught by faculty who have made a mark in their respective fields and who have worked for some of the most prestigious public safety agencies. The objective is to produce graduates who will move forward in their chosen field or their graduate education. Public Safety students are taught to think critically, act ethically, and to apply theory to practical situations.

Concentrations

Prerequisites

The following courses are part of the core curriculum and are prerequisites for all Public Safety degree concentrations:

• INT 3063 - Learning and Research Skills
• HSE/PSY/CRJ 3143 - Psychology of Criminal Behavior
• HSE/CRJ 4003 - Terrorism
• HSE/CRJ 4133 - Public Safety Agencies & Public Policy
• CRJ/HSE 4023 - Management of Public Safety Organizations
• HSE/CRJ/SOC 3093 - Social Research Methods

GRADUATES

• increase their knowledge of contemporary public safety theory and issues;
• develop skills in the management of public safety organizations;
• broaden tolerance toward groups and individuals of diverse ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.