Guide to College Majors in Public Safety Management

There is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anywhere, any time.
--Calvin Coolidge

What is Public Safety Management?

As has become more and more clear in the last few years, public safety requires very careful planning and lots of coordination. This is where public safety management comes in. While many public safety and law enforcement officials walk the streets visibly keeping us safe, public safety managers work behind the scenes in order to plan and make sure that law enforcement officials, as well as the public, are as safe as they possibly can be while they do their jobs or go about their business.

A degree in public safety management prepares students for careers in a myriad of industries. Whether it is coordinating large events and making sure they are run safely or inspecting a building to make sure it is safe to occupy, careers in public safety management are meaningful and rewarding.
br /> Because public safety is such a broad field, it allows you to match your degree program to your interests in specific fields like security, event coordination, or inspection. A degree in public safety management can prepare students for management positions in large corporations, public safety organizations, or fire and police departments.

Career Training in Public Safety Management

Many working public safety professionals who wish to advance their careers go back to school for a graduate degree in public safety management. An advanced degree gives these professionals the upward mobility they need to be considered for promotion to management positions. And, with the increasing availability of online degree programs offered by accredited colleges and universities, working adults do not have to quit their jobs to go back to school.

A degree in public safety management equips students with the ability to oversee safety organizations, making sure they have a plan for anything that might arise. These public safety officials are constantly modifying and updating the plans to make sure all of the latest technologies and strategies are employed, making the plans as effective as possible.

Public safety management degrees are in demand now more than ever as the public's awareness of national security increases. The threat of terrorism has provided the industry with more funding, and more jobs for trained professionals are opening up. The more advanced an individual's education, the more likely he or she is to get a job in this increasingly competitive industry.

The skills developed in a public safety management degree program will prepare the student to run any number of public safety organizations. These skills include the ability to create a budget for the organization, to effectively manage a team of experts, to communicate effectively with those working under you, and to meet the demands of the organization's mission statement. Basically, degrees in public safety management combine the best of the fields of business management and law enforcement. With skills in law, criminal justice, business, finance, management, and communications, students will be prepared to handle whatever their organization has in store for them.

Is a Degree program in Public Safety Management right for you?

Successful public safety managers tend to be extremely organized with a high attention to detail. They also tend to have a genuine concern for the welfare of others that brings a quality of passion to their approach to the work. If you feel this way, a degree program in public safety management might be right for you.

Often, students who have obtained an associate's degree in a related field like criminal justice or law enforcement choose public safety management as a bachelor's degree. The credits from related programs are often transferable to a public safety management degree program.

Professionals in related fields might choose public safety management as a major in order to advance within the organization they work for, or to find a new, more advanced job elsewhere. These people can sometimes use their work experience as credits to put towards their degree. And these days, because many public safety management degree programs are offered online, working professionals seldom need to quit their jobs in order to further their education.

People who excel in the field of public safety management tend to have the following skills and characteristics:

Strong leadership abilities
Highly organized
Attention to detail
Ability to plan ahead
Ability to foresee problems
Troubleshooting skills
Budget management skills
Strong communication skills
Excellent computer skills
Creative problem solving abilities
Multitasking skills

Preparing to enter a degree program in public safety management

As students prepare to enter an on-campus or online college degree program in public safety management, they should consider what will be required of them during the course of their education. If you're still in high school, take classes in social studies, psychology, law, computer, Spanish, business, and math. Most liberal arts colleges and universities require four years of English, three years of math, and two years of science.

Those already working in the field of public safety should consider whether or not they are willing to quit their job or postpone their career in order to go back to school. Working professionals are increasingly enrolling in online degree programs so as not to interrupt their careers or family lives.

Students should do their homework when deciding what college degree program best suits their needs. Public safety management degree programs tend to vary substantially, as it is something of an emerging industry. Find a school that has an approach to academic curriculum and an academic philosophy that are compatible with your own.

Career Education in Public Safety Management

On-Campus and Online College Courses

Public safety management degrees, at all levels, can be obtained through accredited colleges and universities offering traditional or online programs of study. Some advanced public safety management degree programs require students to have a degree or work experience in a related field, such as:

Certificate Programs in Public Safety Management

Most certificate programs in public safety management are designed for those already working within the profession who wish to specialize or supplement their skills in order to advance in their careers. These programs may require an associate's or bachelor's degree in a related field, or a comparable amount of work experience. The programs are often highly intensive, usually taking no more than a year to complete. They do, however, require the student to come to them with a certain degree of expertise already obtained in the area of public safety. The programs are highly specialized, usually focusing on one aspect of public safety management, such as disaster preparation or terrorism prevention.

Bachelor's Degree Programs in Public Safety Management

Bachelor's degree programs in public safety management provide a broad general education while delivering the skills needed to begin a career in public safety. These degree programs cultivate business and leadership skills, as well as communication and computer skills. While most students will be prepared for an entry-level position in public safety after graduation, holding a bachelor's degree will also increase their chances of future promotion. Moreover, the salaries of many positions are determined by education and experience, so those who hold bachelor's degrees are more likely to be well-compensated for their services.

As with most college majors, much of the coursework for a bachelor's degree in public safety management consists of general education requirements. These general education requirements are important because they produce a well-rounded graduate, capable of thinking critically about a variety of subjects. General education requirements for a bachelor's degree in public safety management include:

English composition
Technical writing
Business
Public Speaking
Communications
Statistics
Computer applications
Physics, chemistry, or biology
Humanities
Social sciences

After the general education requirements are met, the curriculum becomes more focused on the public safety aspect of the degree. At this the point, the courses become more specialized, dealing with effective techniques of public safety management and with relevant business skills. This is when students learn how to become effective leaders of an organization. Courses more specific to the public safety management major include:

Advanced accounting
Motivational strategies
Cultural studies
Presentation
Public administration
Administrative law
Strategy and implementation
Behavior of organizations
Project management
Leadership
Management principles
Human resource management

Some online colleges and universities will allow working professionals to complete on-the-job projects for credit during the course of their degree programs, allowing them to advance professionally and educationally at the same time.

Master's Degrees and PhDs in Public Safety Management

Advanced degree programs in public safety management are geared towards the highly dedicated and motivated individual. They are often geared toward the working professional, offering flexible classes on nights, weekends, and online. These degree programs require prior completion of a bachelor's degree and allow students to specifically gear their studies toward their individual interests in the field.

The master's degree in public safety management prepares the student to take on a management position within police and fire departments, within the medical community, or in private law enforcement organizations. Most programs offer a balanced approach of theory and practice, and many offer internships and on-the-job training. The degree program generally consists of coursework paired with internships and other field experience. While many programs do not require a thesis to graduate, some require students to approach a real-world problem and solve it with the public safety management skills they've learned. Many public safety management students will work closely with a mentor or advisor in order to create a field of study that will best suit the student's strengths, weaknesses, and career interests. Frequent meetings with advisors are not uncommon.

Doctorate degrees in public safety management are designed for those professionals who seek the uppermost leadership positions in the industry. They generally take 3-5 years to complete (depending on whether the student already has a master's degree) and require a carefully researched dissertation or capstone project for graduation. PhD candidates are trained to analyze the big picture in public safety situations, address ethical questions, lead major organizations and produce critical research that may change the way public safety is handled.

What Can You Do with a College Degree in Public Safety Management?

Career options for aspiring security managers, fire chiefs, and anti-terrorism task force specialists

A college degree in public safety management can lead you into a variety of fields. From disaster relief to working for local fire or police departments, these careers are important and rewarding. The Department of Homeland Security is another employment option for those who wish to work on a national level.

Career Specializations

Emergency response specialists respond in a moment's notice to a variety of emergencies and public security threats. They do all manner of work, from crowd control to making sure a building is secure during an emergency. The emergencies these specialists respond to can vary from terrorist threats or attacks to natural disasters. Emergency response specialists must know how to administer emergency medical care. They must assess emergencies and make a plan in order to gain control of the situation quickly and efficiently. While doing so, they must ensure that the public is kept safe, as well as ensure the safety of their own staff.
Anti-terrorism task force coordinators attempt to stay one step ahead of terrorists, preventing attacks through the use of intelligence and security. They must know how to interrogate suspects and put together information from a variety of sources to determine if an area is under the threat of a terrorist attack. These individuals must maintain contact with airlines, public administrators, and local and state police in order to look for suspicious activity that may be related to terrorism. They must be able to gather and piece together intelligence on a local and national level in order to prevent all manners of terrorist attacks, from bombings to hijackings. These coordinators also must pay attention to their budget. Deciding how much manpower is needed and what pay scale is to be used is just one part of the financial end of being a task force coordinator. They must request and obtain funding from the federal government and elsewhere before they can do anything.
Public events security coordinators will usually either work for the police department or a local private security agency, making sure public events such as conferences, fairs, festivals, and parades are kept safe and under control. They must devise emergency plans and account for everything that might possibly go wrong. They must act quickly should a situation arise and nip it in the bud as soon as it is spotted. Even more important than controlling problems is, of course, preventing them. Deciding where to station security forces and what routes security should use to patrol are two of the main duties of security coordinators. They must be trained in emergency medical procedures as well as in the basics of law enforcement. They also must work within the budget presented to them, deciding how many people to employ, what to pay them, and what to spend on materials, such as communications equipment and weapons.
Corporate security managers must regulate the entire security force for a company, conducting interviews and hiring skilled men and women. They must plan and execute security measures, such as assigning patrols, guarding entrances, and installing security alarms and cameras. Security managers must stay abreast of the latest technologies that may help their employers stay more secure. Corporate security managers also work within a budget. If they believe more security is needed, they must first advise the company's board of directors so that more funds can be allocated to the security force of the company. They then hire more guards or install more security measures appropriately.
The fire chief must be a seasoned firefighter as well as a skilled administrator. The daily concerns of keeping firefighters safe must be balanced with the restrictions of budget and staffing. One of the most important jobs of the fire chief is ensuring that appropriate funding is available for the firefighters to do their jobs safely and effectively. They must always be on the lookout for new technology that may help the department more effectively fight fires. If they feel that the technology is appropriate and cost-effective, they must petition for funds in order to obtain it. The fire chief is also in charge of deciding which of his team gets promoted up the ranks. This means being a skillful judge of character, as well as recognizing specific achievements within the department and rewarding them.
The chief of police oversees an entire police department. The chief is in charge of making sure that the budget is sufficient and that the needs of the department are being met. This ensures that the department can properly do its job protecting the citizens of a city or town. A police chief's main duty is ensuring that her officers are as safe as possible while they protect the populace. This means keeping an eye on technological trends that may help the officers perform in a more safe and effective way. Also important is keeping an eye on crime trends in the city, in order to create plans that will counter the criminal activity.