Homeland Security Associate Degree Online
Guide to programs offering a Homeland Security Associate Degree
Imagine this: it's a Monday morning and you've been up all night scoping out an apartment. And no, you're not spying on your ex; you're tailing a known terrorist to see when he's going to meet with his partner to buy some stolen weapons that were just smuggled into the country. You follow him to an abandoned warehouse, and a few hours later you storm in with your team when the weapons show up. They both go to jail and you go home, knowing that you just helped keep America's streets a little bit safer.
Sounds pretty amazing right? Sure it does. Well, if situations like this fill you with dread then you might want to stop reading now and move on to the article about human resources. If, however, this scenario fills you with excitement then you might want to consider getting a homeland security associate degree.
The field of homeland security is relatively new. Until the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the whole idea of "homeland security" was almost nonexistent. Since then, however, homeland security has grown at an astonishing pace as we rush to secure our country and borders against future attacks. It's become a $12 trillion industry, and it's only growing faster each year. This means that if you love the idea of having a career just like Jack Bauer in "24", then homeland security is where you need to be.
When you're getting your associate degree in homeland security, you won't ever have to worry about being bored. You'll be learning about fascinating topics like the history of terrorism, the science behind weapons of mass destruction, electronic surveillance, decontamination techniques, disaster response, how to gather intelligence, the psychology of terrorists, international law, forensics, and much more.
There are also plenty of different fields you can work in. The FBI is a big employer, of course, but there is also the Secret Service, U.S. Customs, the Center for Disease Control, U.S. Border Patrol, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Food and Drug Administration, and many more. And, if you're not interested in working for the national government then there are plenty of others that are hiring homeland security professionals as well. State and local governments, police agencies, private security firms, and large corporations are also hiring homeland security professionals.
You have a lot of options when it comes to how much you can earn in this field. With an associate degree in homeland security you can expect to earn around $28,000, depending, of course, on what you're doing. If you continue onward with your education, however, your salary and job prospects will increase dramatically. You could work in the field doing hands-on detecting, or you could even get into teaching or research. In this industry, there are plenty of avenues to consider.
If you're looking for a career where you can make a real difference saving lives and keeping our country safer, then a homeland security associate degree will be right up your alley. You'll definitely never be bored in this field!
