This 18-credit, six-course certificate is designed for safety and security professionals and school officials. This program encourages the importance of safety planning in the total school environment. Guidelines for responding and managing crises in a school setting are emphasized. Measures for reducing risks are addressed. These credits can also be applied to the Master of Administrative Science degree.

Choose six courses from the following:

  • MADS 6617 Emergency Management & Safety Administration [National Guard Bureau Approved Online Course]
  • MADS 6634 Community Threat Assessment & Risk Analysis [National Guard Bureau Approved Online Course]
  • MADS 6636 Global Preparedness for Catastrophic Emergencies [National Guard Bureau Approved Online Course]
  • MADS 6655 Contemporary Issues in Community Policing
  • MADS 6691 Preventing Future Columbines
  • MADS 6692 Cultural Diversity, Stereotype, and Profile
  • MADS 6707 Impact of Terrorism on School Safety
  • MADS 6714 ST:  First Responder Stress Awareness and Management

Course Descriptions

  • MADS6617 This course will provide an in-depth analysis of planning and administration for emergency management in both the public and not-for-profit sectors, the need for emergency planning, recovering losses from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state agencies due to catastrophic events, identification and allocation of resources, incident command procedure, safety in the working environment and federal Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA) and state Public Employee Occupational Safety and Health Act (PEOSHA) regulations. Students evaluate their environment and prepare a safety plan that is presented to the class.

  • MADS6634 An analytic course that is designed for public safety officers, elected officials & business community leaders for developing collaborative approaches to counter - terrorism and other security threats. Topics include vulnerability assessments, hazard mitigation, best practices, emergency planning, physical security surveys, networking of experts and community policing. Students will conduct a vulnerability assessment survey within their organization and community and present a comprehensive response plan.

  • MADS6636 This course, taught by international experts, covers the following topics in a lecture/seminar format: Emergency Management, Hazardous risk analysis, social dimensions of disasters, disaster recovery and organizational continuity, the psychology of terrorism, counter-terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, bio-defense mobilization, and cyber security and forensics.

  • MADS6655 This course explores community policing--a revolutionary movement, a philosopy and an organizational strategy that expands the traditional police mandate. It draws on the fields of administration, supervision, community organization, psychology, sociology, advertising, journalism, public speaking, and problem solving. The history of policing is examined to determine how and why community policing has emerged as the predominate philosophy used by police departments today. Special attention will be given to current issues that impact law enforcement, the relationship between law enforcement and the future of community policing especially in light of global terrorism.

  • MADS6691 This course is based on research using sociology, psychology, and brain research to develop program outlines for preventing school violence that has culminated in school shootings. Columbine is used as the index because it was the single most lethal case of school shootings in the United States. In addition, shootings that preceded and followed Columbine along with Columbine are examined for commonalities, signals, and processes that led to shootings in the schools as well as programs that can be established to prevent shootings long before the violence escalates. The movement from bullying, the single most important forerunner of lethal violence, to uncontrollable rage along with lifelong effects on self-imaging and quality of life are also examined.

  • MADS6692 The human cultural array posseses certain universals, such as family, belief systems, and modes of socialization. All of these are based in the system of social rules (the norms), which make life predictable and patterned. These also become the basis of stereotypes. A close examination of various subcultures to show their commonalities with all cultures will assist school personnel in reducing adversarial encounters.

  • MADS6707 Increased incidence of violence in the schools has impacted how schools are responding to and preparing for potential issues. This course will investigate the latest school-violence trends, including fatal and non-fatal shootings, and the threat of terrorist attacks on American schools. The impacts of terrorism on school safety as well as crisis planning and current strategies for preparedness planning will be analyzed. Case studies of incidents as well as best practices in both the United States and the world will be studied.

  • MADS6714 An in-depth analysis of the causes and consequences of first responder perceived stressors is presented along with a detailed explanation of stress management techniques. The course is designed primarily for members of the emergency service community (police, fire, EMS and health care providers).