undergradly.
Major · Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting

A post-9/11 major dominated by online institutions serving working adults

Homeland Security is a relatively new CIP-coded major covering security policy, intelligence, law enforcement, disaster planning, and critical-infrastructure protection. About 1,355 degrees are awarded each year across 72 colleges, and the enrollment picture is extreme: American Public University System alone produces 362 completions (27% of the national total), and three online institutions together account for more than 40% of national output. Bachelor's completers report a five-year earnings median of $69,949 — solid, and reflecting a cohort weighted toward military, law-enforcement, and federal-civilian workers pursuing degrees while already employed.

Schools offering
72
Annual completions
1,355
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$69k

About this major

Homeland Security is a CIP-coded undergraduate major that emerged after the September 11 attacks and the 2003 creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The CIP definition covers security policy, planning and operations for protecting US territory, assets, infrastructure, institutions, and citizens from external threats, with instruction in national security policy, government relations, intelligence, law enforcement, security technology, communications and information technology, homeland security planning and operations, disaster planning, and applications to specific threat scenarios. Typical curricula blend political-science foundations with security-studies theory, intelligence analysis, emergency management, critical-infrastructure protection, cybersecurity policy, and terrorism studies.

Program scale is moderate but institutionally unusual. About 1,355 bachelor's degrees are awarded each year across 72 colleges, with online institutions dominating the top of the list. American Public University System leads at 362 completions (27% of national total), followed by the University at Albany (140), American InterContinental University System (74 — 15 associate's, 59 bachelor's), Columbia Southern University (73), the University of New Hampshire-Main Campus (66), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach (51), National University (43), Eastern Kentucky University (39), Georgia Military College (37), and Monmouth University (30). The three most online-focused institutions (APUS, American InterContinental, Columbia Southern) together produce roughly 39% of national completions. The related-majors data confirms adjacency to the broader law-enforcement concentration — Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration (20,738 annual completions) dwarfs this major, Criminal Justice and Corrections, General (1,490) and Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management (1,270) are closely adjacent, and specialized siblings include Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy (333), Critical Infrastructure Protection (309), and Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations (51).

The earnings picture is solid and worth interpreting carefully. Associate's completers report a five-year median of $62,219, and bachelor's completers $69,949 — both higher than typical for a liberal-arts-adjacent major and reflecting the mature-student population the online programs serve. The career list shows three destinations. Managers, all other (SOC 11-9199) at $136,550 with 4.5% growth is a generic bachelor's-entry catch-all that captures many Homeland-Security-related management roles. First-line supervisors of police and detectives (SOC 33-1012) at $105,980 with 2.9% growth lists 'high school diploma' as typical education, reflecting police-department promotion pathways in which the degree accelerates advancement rather than gating entry. Emergency management directors (SOC 11-9161) at $86,130 with 3.0% growth is the direct target role — running emergency-preparedness programs at municipal, state, federal, and corporate levels. Realistic first-destination jobs not captured in the career list include federal DHS component agency positions (CBP officers at GL-5/7/9, TSA TSOs, FEMA emergency management specialists, USCIS immigration officers) at $40K–$75K entry, state and municipal emergency-management and homeland-security analyst roles at $45K–$65K, and private-sector corporate security, business-continuity, and risk-management positions at $55K–$85K.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Managers, all other $137k +4.5% Bachelor's degree
First-line supervisors of police and detectives $106k +2.9% High school diploma or equivalent
Emergency management directors $86k +3.0% Bachelor's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$69k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$62k

Bachelor's

$70k

Who this major is for

Students committed to federal security, emergency management, or homeland-security-adjacent careers who understand the major's dual student population (working adults advancing in field versus traditional undergraduates entering it) are the core audience. Comfort with policy-analytical work, interest in intergovernmental coordination problems, and tolerance for large-organization bureaucratic environments all indicate strong fit. Traditional undergraduates should strongly prefer residential programs with established internship pipelines — the DHS Pathways Program, FBI Honors Internship, FEMA Corps, state homeland-security office internships, and private-sector corporate-security internships are more consequential for federal hiring than the major itself. Working professionals already in federal, military, or law-enforcement service may find online programs (APUS, Columbia Southern, American InterContinental) well-suited for schedule flexibility and credit-for-prior-learning transferability, and those populations dominate current enrollment.

Reconsider this major if the primary target is traditional law-enforcement work at municipal, county, or state police departments — Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration (20,738 annual completions) is massively larger and more directly aligned with police hiring pipelines. If the interest is specifically emergency management and disaster response without the intelligence and counterterrorism focus, Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management (1,270 completions) is the more focused sibling. If the target is intelligence-community work, competitive applicants typically major in STEM fields, critical-need foreign languages (Arabic, Mandarin, Russian, Farsi, Korean), international relations, or regional-studies programs rather than generic Homeland Security. For cybersecurity roles, the specialized Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy (333 completions) or Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance (17,632 completions in Computer Sciences) are better aligned. Finally, evaluate online-versus-residential program fit honestly based on current employment status and career-entry versus career-advancement targets: the two student populations are genuinely different, and program selection should match the student's actual situation rather than defaulting to either mode.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Homeland Security

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
American Public University System Charles Town, WV 0 362 362
University at Albany Albany, NY 0 140 140
American InterContinental University System Chandler, AZ 15 59 74
Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL 0 73 73
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH 0 66 66
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach Daytona Beach, FL 0 51 51
National University San Diego, CA 0 43 43
Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY 0 39 39
Georgia Military College Milledgeville, GA 17 20 37
Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ 0 30 30
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration

20,738 completions/yr

Criminal Justice and Corrections, General

1,490 completions/yr

Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management

1,270 completions/yr

Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy

333 completions/yr

Critical Infrastructure Protection

309 completions/yr

Homeland Security, Other

53 completions/yr

Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations

51 completions/yr

Protective Services Operations

10 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

Why is this major so dominated by online institutions, and what does it signal about who enrolls?
Three online institutions — American Public University System (362 completions), American InterContinental University System (74), and Columbia Southern University (73) — together produce roughly 39% of all Homeland Security bachelor's degrees nationally. The concentration reflects the major's primary student population: active-duty military, veterans using GI Bill benefits, federal civilian employees at DHS and component agencies, state and local law-enforcement officers, and emergency-services workers pursuing degrees for career advancement. Those populations need schedule-flexible online delivery, often with credit for prior learning from military and law-enforcement training. The practical signal for traditional-aged undergraduate applicants is that the average Homeland Security bachelor's student is older than most college-student populations, typically already employed in the field, and using the degree for promotion rather than initial career entry. Residential programs at institutions like the University of New Hampshire, Embry-Riddle, Eastern Kentucky, and Monmouth target different student populations — primarily traditional undergraduates exploring the field before entering it.
What careers does this major actually lead to?
The career list shows three destinations. Managers, all other (SOC 11-9199) at $136,550 with 4.5% growth is a generic bachelor's-entry catch-all SOC that absorbs many Homeland-Security-related management roles. First-line supervisors of police and detectives (SOC 33-1012) at $105,980 with 2.9% growth is the law-enforcement supervisor tier, reachable through police service with degree credit. Emergency management directors (SOC 11-9161) at $86,130 with 3.0% growth is the direct target role — running emergency-preparedness, disaster-response, and continuity-of-operations programs at municipal, state, federal, or corporate levels. Realistic first-job destinations not fully captured in the career list include: federal positions at DHS component agencies (CBP officers at GL-5/7/9, TSA transportation security officers, FEMA emergency management specialists, USCIS immigration officers) at $40K–$75K entry; state homeland-security office analysts at $45K–$65K; municipal and county emergency-management planners at $45K–$65K; private-sector corporate security, business continuity, and risk-management roles at $55K–$85K; and contractor positions at firms serving federal clients at $55K–$90K.
How is Homeland Security different from Criminal Justice or Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management?
The distinctions matter. Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration (CIP 43.0103, 20,738 annual completions — massively larger) is the law-enforcement-officer preparation track, aimed at municipal, state, and federal police roles. Criminal Justice and Corrections, General (1,490 completions) is the broader introductory track. Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management (CIP 43.0302, 1,270 completions) is the more narrowly focused track on emergency preparedness and disaster-response operations, typically without the intelligence and counterterrorism content this major includes. Homeland Security sits between Criminal Justice (law enforcement) and Crisis/Emergency Management (disaster response) with additional content in national security policy, intelligence, critical-infrastructure protection, and federal-government operations. For prospective students, the practical choice depends on target employer: Criminal Justice is better for municipal and state police work; Crisis/Emergency Management is better for emergency-services and FEMA-style roles; Homeland Security is better for federal-agency work at DHS components, intelligence-community support roles, and corporate critical-infrastructure protection careers.
Does this major help with federal-agency hiring at DHS, FBI, or intelligence community positions?
Meaningfully for some paths, less so for others. For DHS component agencies at the officer and specialist level — CBP, TSA, FEMA, USCIS, Coast Guard civilian — a Homeland Security degree is often preferred but rarely required, and broad majors (political science, criminal justice, emergency management, or even unrelated disciplines) are frequently competitive. Federal hiring at these levels weights the Veteran's Preference, background clearance eligibility, physical fitness, and pre-employment examinations more heavily than the specific major. For intelligence community agencies — FBI, CIA, NSA, DIA — competitive majors are typically STEM, foreign languages (particularly critical-need languages), international relations, or regional studies; a generic Homeland Security bachelor's alone is rarely sufficient for intelligence-analyst entry. The major functions best as career-advancement credentialing for those already in federal service, as preparation for state homeland-security and emergency-management offices, and as complementary training for corporate critical-infrastructure roles. Students specifically targeting intelligence community work should consider doubling up with foreign-language or STEM majors.
What should traditional-aged undergraduates think about when choosing between online and residential programs?
Two considerations dominate. First, student population — the online-dominant institutions (APUS, American InterContinental, Columbia Southern) primarily serve already-employed adults, which means fewer traditional campus-life experiences, internships, and faculty mentorship opportunities that matter for initial career entry. Residential programs at UNH, Embry-Riddle, Eastern Kentucky, Monmouth, and similar institutions offer traditional undergraduate experiences with dedicated career services, internship pipelines, and faculty who can write meaningful recommendations for federal security-clearance-eligible positions. Second, employer perception — federal hiring managers generally treat online degrees from regionally accredited institutions equivalently to residential degrees, but corporate and private-sector hiring can be less consistent. For a traditional undergraduate exploring the field before committing to a career, residential programs typically provide better preparation; for a working professional already in the field seeking advancement credentials, the online programs are often the more practical choice. Students in either track should pursue substantive internships — DHS Pathways Program, federal agency summer internships, state emergency-management office internships — as the most consequential differentiator in entry-level federal hiring.