Secure Your Career in the Fast-Growing Field of Security Studies
It’s no secret that national and international security challenges are continuing to grow in complexity and scale. From cybercrime and biological weapons to transnational terrorism, the security threats facing nations, organizations, and individuals today are as serious as ever.
As a result, the need for qualified security professionals on the front lines in the battle against cybersecurity threats, homeland security vulnerabilities, violent crime, and data privacy breaches is rising dramatically and is likely to continue climbing well into the foreseeable future.
Join this high-stakes battle—and build a fulfilling career in the process—with UTEP's online Bachelor of Arts in Security Studies program. Let’s look at this unique degree and the various career opportunities available to graduates.
Advance Your Career Protecting Against Critical Security Threats
If you have an interest in security, risk analysis, the armed forces, cybersecurity, or intelligence, pursuing your bachelor’s in security studies can lead to a challenging but immensely rewarding career making a difference in one of the most important issues of our time.
A career in security can also be financially lucrative. The median pay for an Information Security Analyst, a common title in the industry, is $99,730 per year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Another benefit is the job security that comes with working in a high-demand, high-growth field—BLS data also projects the number of information security analyst jobs to grow by 32% from 2018–2028, which is much faster than average.
Why Earn a Security Studies Degree?
If you wish to start or accelerate a career in security, UTEP’s online Bachelor of Arts in Security Studies program can equip you with the specialized knowledge, practical skills, and educational qualifications that top employers in the government and private sector are seeking.
Common reasons why our students decide to pursue their security studies degree include to:
- Advance their current career in law enforcement, the national security enterprise, or the armed forces
- Play a key part on the security team of a corporation
- Work with national intelligence organizations
- Secure sensitive data belonging to corporations or government
What Will I Learn?
The security studies curriculum was designed to provide students with a solid grasp of modern security challenges and real-world applications. Throughout the 45 semester credit hours of security studies core coursework (out of the 120 total credit hours required to finish your bachelor’s degree), you will learn how to critically analyze and provide solutions for the security problems facing the U.S. and the rest of the world.
Studying under expert faculty with practical industry experience in various aspects of security, you’ll focus on four major areas—cyber security, homeland security, intelligence and national security, and security operations—as you build a solid foundation in history, geography, strategy, intelligence collection and analysis, threats, and other key areas. You’ll also develop the effective writing and quantitative skills necessary for successful practice.
What Can I Do with the Degree?
Upon completing UTEP’s Bachelor of Arts in Security Studies, you’ll be prepared and qualified to play a key part on the security team of a corporation, work with national intelligence, or advance within law enforcement, the national security enterprise, or the armed forces as you learn to work with sensitive government data.
Employers that hire our graduates often are government agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Security Administration (NSA), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Many other graduates secure fulfilling careers in the private and nonprofit sectors, helping organizations protect their information from attacks.
Other career paths available to UTEP security studies graduates include:
- Cybersecurity Specialist
- Risk Analyst
- Intelligence Analyst
- Defense Program Analyst
- Security Operations Manager
- Emergency Management Specialist
- Corporate Security Consultant
What’s Next
Ready to take the next step in applying to the Bachelor of Arts in Security Studies or any of the other online undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs at UTEP Connect? Get started by submitting this form to have an enrollment counselor contact you directly.