Online Bachelor of Arts in Security Studies
Program Highlights
120 credit hours | In-state tuition: $420/credit hour | Out-of-state tuition: $540/credit hour
- Convenient, fully online degree
- Faculty have practical experience in cyber security, homeland security, intelligence and national security, and/or security operations
- Strong foundational curriculum is designed to meet the needs of security and intelligence agencies and the military
A Unique Security Studies Degree
The need for highly qualified and competent security personnel is growing—this is why UTEP created its unique security studies bachelor's degree program. Students interested in working with homeland security, local law enforcement or cyber security will find security studies ideal. Many entry-level personnel in these areas, plus those in the military, also find that earning a degree in security studies could help them with career advancement.
The curriculum has been designed with security and intelligence agencies and the military in mind. A security studies bachelor's degree could help students:
- Advance within 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
- Secure sensitive data belonging to corporations or government
Note: This is not a computer science degree. Cybersecurity differs from computer science in the following ways: Computer science combines critical thinking with programming, networking and coding; on the other hand, cybersecurity deals with risk detection, analysis and prevention in information security.
Develop In-Demand Skills With Experienced Faculty
All of our faculty in the security studies program have practical experience in cyber security, homeland security, intelligence and national security, and security operations. They have designed the curriculum to meet the needs of the security and intelligence agencies and the military and will teach students a solid theoretical foundation plus critical thinking skills key for success in the industry.
Work With Government Agencies
The government is a big employer in this area. Typical government employers include:
- Central Intelligence Agency
- Defense Intelligence Agency
- Department of Defense
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of State
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
- National Security Agency
Types of security studies jobs include:
- Customs and border protection officer
- Military officer
- Cyber security specialist
- Emergency management specialist
- Intelligence collector
- Federal special agent
- Risk analyst
- Intelligence analyst
- Defense program analyst
- Corporate security consultant
- Security operations manager
The UTEP Career Center can assist graduates with a number of resources to help them pursue their career goals in the field of security studies.
Additional resources from our blog:
UTEP Edge
Our student success initiative, the UTEP Edge, develops upon students’ assets through a variety of high-impact experiences. These experiences are designed to improve student skills and give UTEP students a competitive advantage as they move forward in their lives and careers. Our goal as a campus is to provide these UTEP Edge experiences to all students, regardless of their area of study, so they will graduate with a competitive advantage over their peers. These are the Edge experiences Security Studies students will have and the Edge skills they will graduate with:
Edge Experiences
- Student Leadership
- Study Abroad/Study Away
- Capstone Experience
- Research and Scholarly Activities
Edge Skills
- Global Awareness
- Critical Thinking
- Communication
- Confidence
Course Overview
The online security studies bachelor's degree has a comprehensive curriculum that provides a broad understanding of complex security problems and the relevancy of real world applications. It is our intention to give UTEP security studies graduates a competitive edge by providing the domain knowledge and analytical skills in demand by federal and private security employers.
Students take a full complement of required courses in English, mathematics, literature, social science, science, the arts, history, economics and other core subjects that provide a broad general education foundation. Click here to see the core curriculum.
The Bachelor of Arts in Security Studies explores the foundations of security studies in all its dimensions— geographic, historical, theoretical and strategic. Effective writing and quantitative skills are also emphasized as you ready yourself for advanced coursework in the following areas:
Security Studies Courses
INSS 1301: History and Security
INSS 1302: Geography and Security
INSS 2303: Writing for Security Professionals
INSS 2304: Statistics for Security Studies
INSS 3302: Seminar in Intelligence and National Security Studies
INSS 3340: Seminar in Homeland Security
INSS 3348: Cyberspace and National Security
INSS 3349: Security Operations
INSS 4301: Intelligence Collection and Analysis
INSS 4302: Intelligence and Transnational Threats
INSS 4303: Ethics and Security
INSS 4347: Critical Infrastructure Protection