The Associate of Science Degree in Homeland Security is designed to prepare students to meet the needs of entry-level positions in the Homeland Security career fields. The curriculum will prepare students with a foundation of the Homeland Security Enterprise and provide them with the knowledge to enter varied career fields that plan for and respond to the security of people, places, and programs. The skills developed during class will enhance the student’s ability by completing industry-recognized third-party Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) certification courses as part of each class in the core program. The Homeland Security Degree program is designed for First Responders, government officials, emergency managers, as well as the citizen interested in personal and community safety and security.
Please contact the Student Success Team for this program if you have any questions.Course | Units | Typically Offered |
1st Semester | ||
HMLD 101 - Introduction to Homeland SecurityM | 3.0 | |
HMLD 101 - Introduction to Homeland Security (3.0 units) Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts. This course provides first responders and students with foundational knowledge about homeland security. The course takes up theories about and the history of homeland and national security, and includes discussions about the policies, organizational relationships, and legal issues in an American context from federal, state, and local municipal government perspectives. | ||
HMLD 105 - Hazard Mitigation in Emergency ManagementM | 3.0 | |
HMLD 105 - Hazard Mitigation in Emergency Management (3.0 units) Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in college composition written at a college level and read college-level texts. This course is an introduction to mitigation—one of the four core phases of emergency management. The course covers the hazard planning process to assist students in mitigating or eliminating hazards from an all-hazard approach to emergency management. Students also learn about the national framework used in the public-private sector of the homeland security enterprise, including governmental agencies and regulatory and legal sources responsible for hazard mitigation. Students apply concepts learned in the course to risk assessments and in developing strategies and plans at local, state, national, and international levels. | ||
ENGL 101 - College Composition and Research (RHC GE 1b and 8a)GE | 3.5 | |
ENGL 101 - College Composition and Research (3.5 units) Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or eligibility for college composition. This composition course enables students to generate logical, coherent essays that incorporate sources necessary for academic and professional success. Students become proficient in researching, evaluating, and incorporating sources, and in learning critical reading and thinking skills through expository and persuasive reading selections before applying these skills to creating original documented essays. The writing workshop component of the course is designed to assist students with improving and refining their writing and language skills: Students complete writing workshop activities that enhance their ability to compose logical, well-supported arguments that exhibit grammatical fluency and correct citation styles. Students meet with composition instructors through individual or small group conferences that address students’ specific writing concerns. This course is designed for students who wish to fulfill the General Education requirement for Written Communication. | ||
RHC GE 7b - HumanitiesGE | 3.0† | |
Notes: Select one: | ||
Total Semester Units: | 12.5† | |
2nd Semester | ||
HMLD 102 - Introduction to Emergency ManagementM | 3.0 | |
HMLD 102 - Introduction to Emergency Management (3.0 units) Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in college composition written at a college level and read college-level texts. This course provides students with the foundational knowledge that pertains to first responded responsibilities and emergency management. Topics include policies, organizational relationships, and legal issues from United States federal, state, and local municipal government perspectives. | ||
HMLD 103 - Terrorism and Violence in SocietyM | 3.0 | |
HMLD 103 - Terrorism and Violence in Society (3.0 units) Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in college composition written at a college level and read college-level texts. This course provides students with an overview of domestic and global issues related to terrorism and violence in society. The course includes an analysis of terrorism and violent extremism as an aggressive alternative to peaceful change and traditional warfare in the modern age. From domestic and international levels of analysis, students also investigate the role economic, political, and social factors play in determining patterns of terrorist activity, homegrown terrorism, and violent extremism. | ||
Select one: FIN 101 / MATH 150 / MATH 130 / MATH 130H / PSY 190 GE | 3.0† | |
Notes: While the above course(s) are recommended, students may take any of the following courses to fulfill this requirement: FIN 101, MATH 060, MATH 073, MATH 130/H, MATH 140, MATH 150, MATH 160, MATH 170, MATH 175, MATH 180, MATH 190/H, PSY 190. FIN 101 - Introduction to Financial Planning (3.0 units) Advisory:It is advised that students be able to read college-level texts. This course provides an overview of the fundamentals of financial planning, and is designed to provide students with tools needed to achieve their personal financial goals. Students learn to make informed decisions related to spending, saving, borrowing, and investing by applying quantitative reasoning concepts. Course topics include the financial planning process, budgeting, cash flow, debt consolidation, investing, and retirement planning. MATH 150 - Survey of Mathematics (3.0 units) Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or completion of an intermediate algebra course. In this course students will learn to read and understand quantitative information, solve practical problems, and make sound decisions using numbers. Topics include consumer applications, logic, probability, statistics, algebra, and geometry. This course is for students who need a quantitative reasoning course for graduation or transfer. MATH 130 - Statistics (4.0 units) Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or completion of a pre-statistics or an intermediate algebra course. This course is designed for students majoring in business, social sciences, and life sciences. This course provides an overview of descriptive and inferential statistics. Students learn to read, interpret, and present data in a well-organized way via a study of frequency distributions, graphs, measures of central tendency and variability, correlation, and linear regression. While discussing inferential statistics, students learn to make generalizations about populations, including probability, sampling techniques, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests. MATH 130H - Statistics Honors (4.0 units) Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or completion of a pre-statistics or an intermediate algebra course and ENGL 101 This course is designed for students majoring in business, social sciences, and life sciences. This course provides an overview of descriptive and inferential statistics. Students learn to read, interpret, and present data in a well-organized way via a study of frequency distributions, graphs, measures of central tendency and variability, correlation, and linear regression. While discussing inferential statistics, students learn to make generalizations about populations, including probability, sampling techniques, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests. This course is intended for students who meet Honors Program requirements. PSY 190 - Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (4.0 units) Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or completion of a pre-statistics or an intermediate algebra course. This course provides an overview of the types of statistics that are important in the behavioral sciences. It is designed to teach students majoring in psychology, sociology, political science, and anthropology how to present and interpret experimental data. The course focuses on hypothesis testing and the statistics used to analyze assumptions, with topics including basic probability, measures of central tendency, measures of variance, sampling, and inferential statistics. | ||
RHC GE 6 - Social and Behavioral ScienceGE | 3.0 | |
Note: All honors courses have a prerequisite. Select one: | ||
ElectiveEL | 3.0 | |
Select any course that is numbered 40 or above. Please see a counselor to discuss course options. | ||
Total Semester Units: | 15.0† | |
Summer 1 | ||
RHC GE 7a - Fine ArtsGE | 3.0 | |
Note: All honors courses have a prerequisite. Select one: | ||
RHC GE 3 - Physical EducationGE | 1.0 | |
Select one: KINA or DANC activity course. | ||
ElectiveEL | 3.0 | |
Select any course that is numbered 40 or above. Please see a counselor to discuss course options. | ||
Total Semester Units: | 7.0 | |
3rd Semester | ||
HMLD 104 - Emergency Planning and ResponseM | 3.0 | |
HMLD 104 - Emergency Planning and Response (3.0 units) Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in college composition written at a college level and read college-level texts. This course is for students who want to know about emergency planning and response. The course covers this subject using the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS) as part of the National Response Framework (NRF). Students learn about national responses to all types of disasters and emergencies in the United States; and how the NRF’s flexibility is used in the public-private sector of the homeland security enterprise, including governmental agencies and regulatory and legal sources responsible for hazard mitigation. Students apply concepts learned in the course to risk assessments and in developing strategies and plans at local, state, national, and international levels. | ||
Major ElectiveM | 3.0 | |
Notes: See major advising sheet for major elective options. The following areas of specialization are available: Administration of Justice and Fire Technology. Please see a counselor to discuss course options. | ||
RHC GE 5 - Natural Science with LabGE | 4.0 | |
Note: All honors courses have a prerequisite. Select one Natural Science with Lab: | ||
RHC GE 8b - Communication/Analytical ThinkingGE | 3.0† | |
Notes: Select one: | ||
Total Semester Units: | 13.0† | |
4th Semester | ||
Major ElectiveM | 3.0 | |
Notes: See major advising sheet for major elective options. The following areas of specialization are available: Administration of Justice and Fire Technology. Please see a counselor to discuss course options. | ||
Major ElectiveM | 3.0 | |
Notes: See major advising sheet for major elective options. The following areas of specialization are available: Administration of Justice and Fire Technology. Please see a counselor to discuss course options. | ||
RHC GE 4 - American InstitutionsGE | 3.0 | |
Note: All honors courses have a prerequisite. Select one: | ||
RHC GE 3 - Physical EducationGE | 1.0 | |
Select one: KINA or DANC activity course. | ||
ElectiveEL | 3.0 | |
Select any course that is numbered 40 or above. Please see a counselor to discuss course options. | ||
Total Semester Units: | 13.0 | |
Total Units for Homeland Security AS program | 60.5† | |
AP exams and courses taken outside of Rio Hondo College may fulfill general education and/or major requirements. Please check with a counselor. |
† | Some classes may have higher units |
M | Major course; course may also meet a general education requirement |
GE | General Education course |
EL | Elective Course |
Click or tap here to open the program's advising sheet. |
Students will analyze and interpret homeland security data and theories.
Students will apply cross-disciplinary methods of analysis.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of homeland security information.
Rio Hondo College, serving the communities of El Monte, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, South El Monte, and Whittier for over 50 years.
Rio Hondo College
3600 Workman Mill Road
Whittier, CA 90601
Phone: (562) 692-0921
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