Earn Your Master of Professional Studies in Security Management

Students applying to the MPS in Security Management program must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Applications to the program must include the following:

• A statement of 250-500 words discussing their background beyond academic coursework, and how the program at Tulane University can assist with the achievement of their professional objectives.
• Official college transcripts from each college attended. Typically, successful applicants will have at least a “B” (3.00) average in all coursework taken.

Applicants may be conditionally admitted and allowed to take one class in their first semester, in which a B or better must be earned to be fully admitted to the program. Students who do not meet the 3.00-grade point average in their undergraduate coursework but who possess sufficient professional experience in the security studies field may be admitted provisionally into the program.

Completed applications are reviewed by the MPS Director and Admissions Committee throughout the year.

To begin the admissions process, complete the online application.

The School of Professional Advancement awards the MPS in Security Management degree following the successful completion of 11 graduate courses comprised of nine core courses, one elective, and one capstone course. No thesis is required. Graduate students seeking to enroll in more than 9 credit hours per semester require approval from the Program Director. In order to earn the MPS, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00. Students must also apply for a degree at the beginning of the semester in which the student plans to complete all required coursework. Applications for degree conferral are now online and will appear in a student's Gibson account when available.

Students in good standing may petition to transfer a maximum of nine credit hours (three courses) of graduate coursework from other colleges or universities to the MPS degree. However, only courses with grades of B or better, completed within five years of enrolling in the MPS program, may be considered for transfer credit.

Click here for listing of MPS in Security Management required courses and course descriptions.

The MPS consists of nine core graduate courses that encompass various security sector topics such as emergency and risk management, threat assessment, cyber threats and homeland security, corporate security, financial security, and more. The program concludes with a  capstone project that synthesizes the full range of knowledge, skills, and abilities students developed over the entirety of their program. Students will develop a business-based project, creating a security proposal for a business or local government sector entity.

SECM 6001 Physical and Infrastructure Protection Systems An introductory course to the systematic discipline of Physical Protection System design, implementation, and testing. The methodology presented is scalable for small, medium, and large security applications ranging from home security systems to safeguarding and securing sensitive nuclear facilities.

SECM 6002 Introduction to Emergency Management An advanced study of the important health and medical management issues involved in crises and emergencies presented for the non-medical emergency manager. The wide range of medical and health issues inherent to a crisis including biological, radiological, nuclear events and emergencies are described. Students will focus on innovative response and recovery including long term public health recovery issues methods for integrating medical, public health, and psychological processes into emergency management.

SECM 6003 Risk Management and Threat Assessment This course examines the concepts, methods, and practices associated with risk management and threat assessment from an all-hazard perspective. Students will learn how to conduct hazard and risk analysis for both the public and private sectors. This course will include identifying and profiling hazards, analyzing and assessing hazard risk developing tactics to manage risk, examining multiple risk assessment tools, and communicating risk to the public. Participants will examine critical infrastructure sectors and associated interdependencies, cascading consequences, and shared vulnerabilities. Students will perform their own risk analysis and develop recommendations for policy makers as part of this curriculum.

SECM 6004 Business Continuity With global business stretched across extended supply chains, productivity has increased, but it has come at a cost of increased vulnerability. Businesses cannot afford to be unprepared for traditional and emerging threats. Business continuity is a fast-growing area of emergency management focused on the private sector. This specialty works to ensure continuous business operations before, during, and after disasters or other normal disruptions. It is designed to provide strategies tied to national and international standards for the development of detailed business continuity plans. Students will discuss managing disruptions, maintaining continuity of critical operations, and mitigating losses that occur when interrupted. Based on the all-hazard framework, students will learn about the current threats, including political instability and cyber attacks. Regardless of the impetus for such disruptive events, students will be prepared to train employees to both mitigate and recover from such events. Students will also discuss best practices in the ongoing recovery efforts after an event.

SECM 6005 Corporate Security The intent of this course is to give students an overview of the varied objectives and duties associated with Corporate Security. The goal is to present the multiple levels, tasks and duties associated with Corporate Security as it applies to a U.S. based corporation, relative to employee safety and security as well as what is known as Executive Protection, and offering insight into the different career opportunities associated with this line of work.

SECM 6006 Financial Institution Security This course introduces the theory of providing security for financial institutions. Financial institution security refers to the various security measures for the purpose of protecting life and property, protecting the confidentiality of critical data and information and other financial assets. The course also reviews laws and regulations that guide security practices such as those promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and its Safeguards Rule amongst many other designs. This class will analyze the basics of this industry and review practical approaches to protecting them against threats such as theft, both internal and external, vandalism, data center security, cyber-crimes and fraud. Topics include the value of conducting security audits, conducting a business impact analysis, implementing security systems and interfacing with the public.

SECM 6007 Cyber Threats and Homeland Security “Cyberspace” has become a pervasive presence in modern society, and a healthy functioning cyberspace is elemental to our economy and to national security. Along with benefits, however, there exists threats and malicious actors who seek to exploit cyberspace vulnerabilities, and, in doing so, threaten critical infrastructure and threaten National Security. This course will study the nature of cyber threats, including computer and digital crimes, information warfare and cyber terrorism, and related threats to personal, organizational, economic and national security. Students will gain an understanding of the variety and nature of cyber threats including digital espionage, computer break-ins, computer hacking, malware, communications eavesdropping, forgery, disruption to information flow, electronic bombs, cyber war and the growing presence of terrorist organizations on the internet. This course will also review countermeasures and a protection methodology to cyber threats, cyber security investigations, evidence gathering, and legal challenges. Lastly, this course will review current and national policies for securing cyberspace and the impact of cyber security on privacy and civil liberties.

SECM 6008 Sport/Event Security and Response This course provides an overview of security planning, risk assessment methodologies, and emergency response considerations for sport and special events. Students will learn how to identify threats and vulnerabilities, analyze and mitigate risk, and harden events and venues through security countermeasure proposals and emergency response/recovery initiatives.

SECM 6009 Leadership, Influence, and Decision Making in Security Management Security management practitioners must use leadership and influence effectively to lead organizations and their community in planning for, preventing, and responding to emergencies. This type of leadership encompasses vision, direction, coordination, and motivation toward achieving emergency management goals. Leadership skills are necessary whether dealing with senior agency officials, emergency management partners, or the public. A lack of leadership during an emergency can result in the loss of life, property, and the public trust. This course will expose students to the major factors, theories, and strategies for leadership, influence, and decision making. The traits, skills, and behaviors of effective leaders will also be discussed.

SECM 7001 Intelligence Analysis and Critical Thinking This course is designed to give students an advanced understanding of intelligence-gathering and analysis as it relates to critical thinking; linkages to money laundering, risk management, risk assessment factors, operational concepts and strategic implications. It is a logical follow-on study that further examines the collaborative process of intelligence analysis and will provide homeland security professionals tools, framework and concepts to further develop their leadership skills by understanding how the synthesis and utilization of intelligence impacts decision making in tactical, operational and strategic settings while emphasizing the principles of holistic, all-hazards approach to preparedness.

SECM 7002 Homeland Security and Approaches to Counter-Terrorism Students will employ critical analysis to examine key policy issues and balances that must be addressed in strategic counterterrorism planning, particularly in the use of applied technology within the context of civil jurisdiction and rule of law. The course will examine terrorist threats to the homeland and how these threats can be met by the application of science and technology. Policy issues that address the balance between security and civil liberties that must be resolved to effectively counter terrorism will be discussed. These issues will be addressed from the governance perspective of a liberal democracy. Strategic planning principles that integrate capabilities of current and future applied technology and the key legal and policy issues that must be resolved in order to make effective use of information as balanced against civil liberties will be explored as well.

SECM 7900 Security Management Capstone This course synthesizes the full range of knowledge, skills, and abilities students developed over the entirety of their security management studies. Students will integrate and apply key concepts through a community based project, developing a proposal and conducting this project at a public or non-profit sector entity. At the end of the semester, the project will be presented both to the chosen organization and their class colleagues. Students will integrate critical decision making skills with a unique and local hands-on learning experience. A written report documenting all aspects of the project will be presented for faculty approval.

Information about SoPA tuition and fees may be found here.

Some courses have fees to support the technology needed for high-quality virtual and on-ground experiences.  These fees are always listed on the schedule of classes.