Partnership in Progress: A Model for Development of a Homeland Security Graduate Degree Program

This article provides institutions interested in building a homeland security degree program a method by which to assess educational needs of homeland security professionals to help guide curriculum development. It describes a collaborative endeavor by two complementary graduate education providers to build an interdisciplinary graduate degree program that helps meet this growing demand for quality homeland security educational programs. First, the historical context is provided by briefly tracing the evolution of homeland security graduate education since 2001. Next, a review of the literature identifies the fundamental elements that experts and scholars have suggested should constitute a graduate homeland security curriculum. Finally, the process used to develop the Kansas State University and U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Homeland Security Graduate Degree Program is outlined. This approach is intended to serve as a useful model to ensure that new homeland security graduate degree programs fulfill the expectations of value and applicability for homeland security agencies and other stakeholders.