An online public safety degree helps students to prepare for career opportunities in this high-demand field.
It encompasses different specialties, from disaster management to law enforcement tactics to public safety policy.
Some security positions and law enforcement officers are also thought to see and manage positive job growth over the next decade.
As you read on, you will get to know the Best Online Public Safety Administration Degrees, certifications, and career paths available in the public safety field.
Online Public Safety Administration Degrees
Interested students have been provided with many online bachelor’s public safety degrees. They must choose the one that is right for them and their specific interests and career goals.
1. Bachelor of Criminal Justice
This degree is structured to provide a vast and broad overview of the criminal justice system. The career opportunities for Criminal justice includes case worker, police officer, detectives, youth workers, security officers, and FBI agents.
You can also take on different courses as part of your degree. These courses include criminology, correction laws, juvenile justice, media crime, and American policing.
2. Bachelor of Emergency Management and Homeland Security
The degree is designed to provide you with an understanding of the different practices, theories, and operations related to security and emergency management.
Careers in this field include Security He Analysts, Consultants, Border Patrol Officers, Homeland Security Officers, Disaster Management Specialists, and Military Personnel.
Courses to be taken as part of your studies include internal security, crisis management, border security, and transportation. Your introduction will include an introduction to public administration and disaster management.
3. Bachelor of Science in Fire Science
As the name implies, the program is designed to provide you with an understanding of fire safety and management protocols. It includes the importance of building codes in fire protection, fire safety, and the concept of fire protection.
Successful professionals with this degree work as fire inspectors, fire protection specialists, emergency management managers, and fire and occupational safety inspectors.
Courses you can take as part of your study include fire investigation and analysis topics, fire and rescue services, basics of rescue services, and fire behavior.
Your coursework should also cover policy and legal issues in emergency services, fire safety management, and community risk reduction.
4. Bachelor of Law Enforcement
This program is designed to provide an overview of the criminal justice system and police response tactics.
Careers in law enforcement include Crisis Officers, Police Officers, Detectives, Security Guards, Correctional Officers, and police leadership.
Programs include courses associated with crime analysis, effective police strategy, criminal justice, and police leadership.
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Public Safety Bachelor’s Curriculum & Courses
Applying for an online public safety degree gives you access to different degree-specific courses. These courses include:
- Introduction to Public Safety Management
This course gives you a comprehensive idea of the necessary functions and concepts of public safety in the private and public sectors.
- Contemporary Public Safety Practices
This course helps you learn about the best practices in hazard and risk identification, integrated safety services, quality management, and risk analysis.
- Public Safety Planning
This course exposes the methods used to develop strategic public safety plans, resource allocation, operational controls, and plan implementation.
- Public Safety Issues
The Public Safety Issue course shows and teaches a variety of issues and challenges that public safety professionals face in their day-to-day work.
- Legal and Public Policy Issues in Public Safety
This course reviews public safety laws that professionals may encounter and the impact of the legal system and political environment on public safety issues and policy development.
- Public Safety Research and Technology
This course explores various technologies and research applications in the field of public safety.
- Information Systems within Organizations
The Information Systems within Organizations studies various information systems used within organizations, particularly by public safety professionals.
- Public Safety Administration Ethics
This course develops awareness and understanding of various ethical issues and behaviors related to public safety.
- Public Safety Leadership
It explores various theories of public safety leadership and key leadership qualities, styles, and performance models.
- Management Finance
The Management Finance reviews essential financial skills for managers in non-financial areas such as Public Safety.
Admission Requirements
You will have to meet several admission requirements if you want to complete this degree. Some of the you will need to meet are the ACT scores (only some schools require these).
Accreditation
Accreditations are given to colleges and universities that meet the predetermined set of quality standards in terms of academic delivery and available student services.
Accreditation is very important and is a factor that should be considered while choosing the school you want to enroll in, as it can affect your ability to transfer credits to another school or program.
Your ability to receive financial aid or help will also be affected as you may not be able to apply for graduate studies later.
Also, even in your pursuit of employment, accreditation may also affect or influence an employer’s hiring decision.
Public Safety Certification
This certification is necessary and always required for employment. So obtaining a certificate is beneficial to your career.
Some of the public safety certifications are listed below.
- Certified Emergency Manager
- Certified Fire Inspector
- Associated Emergency Manager
Acquiring a public safety certification allows you to show your expertise, knowledge, and skills. Furthermore, with this certification, you also stand the chance of becoming a competitive candidate in the workforce.
Your certification depends on your area of interest and career goals. Also, your undergraduate major can also affect the type of certification you may obtain.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Earning this degree may be quite expensive, so there are definitely opportunities for financial aid. There are many financial aid options available to help ease the financial burden. Some of which are;
- Scholarships
- Government-funded Dual Degree Programs
- Employer Training Programs
Public or private organizations give these scholarships. Students pursuing a particular educational pathway or field of study are mostly always lucky to get these scholarships.
Financial assistance also comes from loans and grants by the federal and state governments. You can also visit the U.S. Department of Education website for more inquiries on financial aid.
Professional Public Safety Organizations
Membership in this degree offers many academic and career benefits. For instance, some organizations provide excellent networking opportunities so you can meet like-minded public safety professionals.
What Can You Do With a Public Safety Degree?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an online bachelor’s degree in public safety can help you qualify for several careers in the sector.
Some courses under public safety include the following;
- police and detectives
- firefighter
- fire inspector, and public safety telecommunications worker.
The major you choose can affect the types of positions available to you. You can also get a job based on your previous experience, geographic location, and chosen field of study, among other things.
What are some high-paying careers in public safety?
Of course, there are many paying jobs and several career options in the public safety sector. However, some positions tend to pay more than others.
For instance, emergency management directors get a medium salary of $76,730 per year, while the median salary for detectives and criminal investigators is $83,640. Most positions also earn salaries that are above the median for all occupations.
As stated above, your salary may also depend on the amount of experience, your geographic location, and your industry, among other things.
What type of Public Safety Administration Degree do you need?
A Bachelor of science is the most common degree for this course. However, most courses have options and may need you to specify your area of specialization.
However, a professional degree allows you to pursue general majors and electives in that field. Choosing a specialized degree is always advised for people who know the particular field they want to pursue after graduation.
Also, choosing a specialized degree could be best if you plan to do a master’s degree. Online degrees are best suitable for students that have a part-time work job that they are committed to.
This is because they offer flexible schedules, which allow students to finish their coursework and tests in their own time by the specified deadline.
Furthermore, a reasonable level of scholarship is also available. They are also very affordable due to the availability of academic and financial aid opportunities.
How Much Money Do People With An Online Public Security Administration Degree Earn?
The average salary for those with a degree in Public Security Administration is $59,053. A science graduate is slightly more, on an average of $64,606. Employment prospects for crisis management chiefs are projected to increase by 6% between 2014 and 2024, with all medical and health services managers at $93,000 and the Chief of Police is his $101,000.
However, the main factor used to determine salary rate is experience and performance, as well as work location.
Though some of the higher positions favor those with a master’s degree or another advanced degree, work experience is really a significant factor.
How Long Will It Take To Earn A Public Safety Degree Online?
If the degree program adheres to and follows the traditional 16-week semester, you will round up within 4 years to complete your degree.
Enter with an accelerated online bachelor’s degree program with 8-week terms and continuous enrollment during the summer months. As a result, you will be able to finish your degree in less time.
Is A Public Safety Degree Worth It?
From everything we have said about public safety, we can say that a public safety degree is worth it. As a matter of fact, there should be growth in the public safety sector over the next several years.
What To Do With An Online Public Safety Administration Degree?
There is a lot to do as the degree prepares graduates for local, state, or national careers involved in maintaining public safety.
For some people, the care and safety of the public id of concern to them; hence this degree is what they need to achieve that task.
The jobs and degrees are concerned with education and prevention, direct response, and the aftermath of disasters.
It also includes some popular industries that engage in homeland security, medical services, police or fire departments, and private security.
Some of these jobs also require additional licenses or certifications. But, again, this is because it has to do with the health and safety of the society.
Some students do not have to worry about getting jobs as there are many job opportunities after completing this degree.
What Are The Requirements For The Online Public Safety Administration Degree?
Students are expected to submit the following.
- Transcript
- SAT or ACT scores
- letters of recommendation
- supporting documents
- essay
For most programs, the specific GPA they’re looking for is not listed, but for some other schools, they have a minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Some students can also do some electives or advanced courses related to their high school years.
Universities Offering Online Bachelor’s In Public Safety Degree Programs
1. Charter Oak State College
This college offers a bachelor’s degree in the sector of public safety administration. Interested candidates must complete 36 credit hours related to their principal to earn their degree.
You can apply online from the school website if you are interested in the public safety degree. This college is an accredited one, which is another factor students should look into when choosing their college of study.
2. Eastern Florida State College
This is a college that offers a degree in public safety. If you have successfully completed an associate degree, this program is for you as a student.
All interested students must ensure to complete an additional 60 credit hours to graduate. To apply, candidates must submit their transcript to be eligible for the program.
3. Florida Atlantic University
The university offers an online degree program in public safety administration. Interested students may decide to add a concentration in disaster management and law enforcement.
If you really want to graduate, you must ensure that you complete 120 credit hours and a capstone project. All interested students must have to submit their official transcript and SAT scores. The university is also an accredited university.
4. Franklin University
They offer a bachelor’s degree in public safety administration, which is part of our list. You must ensure to complete 120 credit hours to graduate.
Their courses are usually offered online, and they last for up to 6 to 12 weeks. All interested candidates must submit a transcript from their high school to be eligible.
5. Johnston Community College
The program in this college usually takes up to 2 years to complete. If you are looking for a foundation in the field of public safety before moving on to a 4-year program, then this is the right place to be.
Interested candidates must submit an online application alongside their high school transcript.
6. Neumann University
This is also the best place for you if you seek a bachelor’s degree in public safety administration. Each of the lessons takes up to seven weeks to complete.
You must have 60 to 90 transferable credit hours or have completed a police or fire program with a GPA of 2.0 or more to be eligible for the program.
7. Southern Illinois University
This university specializes in fire protection management, emergency management, and more. Interested students must ensure to finish 120 credit hours to graduate.
Application is made online from the school website. The Higher Education Commission accredits the school.
Conclusion
There you have it. Public safety is a course that many people should be interested in as it concerns the well-being of the entire society.
Interested students should take their courses seriously as their jobs are very delicate and no part should be missed. If you have any questions, please do so in the comment section below, and they will be attended to.
