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Certificate of Achievement
Homeland Security: Planning and Administration

The Certificate of Achievement 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.

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Sample Education Plan

This sample education plan for the 2023-2024 catalog year represents one possible pathway through the program. Each university (UC, CSU, private, and others) has their own transfer requirements; please see a counselor to create an education plan that is customized to meet your needs. Additional course descriptions may be found in the College Catalog.
CourseUnitsTypically Offered
1st Semester
HMLD 101 - Introduction to Homeland SecurityM3.0
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.
Transfers to:CSU

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 ManagementM3.0
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.
Transfers to:CSU

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.

HMLD 104 - Emergency Planning and ResponseM3.0
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.
Transfers to:CSU

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.

HMLD 200 - Foundations of Critical Infrastructure ProtectionM3.0
HMLD 200 - Foundations of Critical Infrastructure Protection (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.
Transfers to:CSU

This course provides the student with an overview of the policies, strategies, and practical application of critical infrastructure security and resilience from an all-hazards perspective. Students will explore the contemporary risk environment and examine the challenges and opportunities associated with the following: public-private partnerships; information-sharing; risk analysis and prioritization; risk mitigation and management; performance measurement; incident management; and addressing future risks.

Total Semester Units:12.0 
2nd Semester
HMLD 102 - Introduction to Emergency ManagementM3.0
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.
Transfers to:CSU

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 SocietyM3.0
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.
Transfers to:UC, CSU

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.

HMLD 203 - Homeland Security: Leadership, Policy and PracticeM3.0
HMLD 203 - Homeland Security: Leadership, Policy and Practice (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.
Transfers to:CSU

This course provides the student with an in-depth overview of the issues related to the leadership, policies and practices of homeland security in America and abroad. This course provides for the critical examination of the challenges facing the nation and the homeland security enterprise through detailed investigation of selected case studies from a leadership perspective. Students will analyze significant issues of homeland security from social, political, economic and cultural perspectives facing the nation. This course adds to the Homeland Security program with an in-depth study of the policies and practices affecting homeland security.

HMLD 205 - Cybersecurity: Policy and PracticeM3.0
HMLD 205 - Cybersecurity: Policy and Practice (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.
Transfers to:CSU

This course provides the student with an overview of the domestic and global issues related to the policies and practices of cybersecurity in America. This course includes an analysis of the history of the internet, the technological advances of internet based programs and the security of the cyber domain. Students will also investigate the role economic, political and social factors play in determining how cybersecurity will play a significant role in society from a domestic and international level of analysis.

Total Semester Units:12.0 
Total Units for Homeland Security: Planning and Administration COA program 24.0 
Notes:
AP exams and courses taken outside of Rio Hondo College may fulfill general education and/or major requirements. Please check with a counselor.
Legend:
M Major course; course may also meet a general education requirement
Advising Sheet:
Click or tap here to open the program's advising sheet.

Program Learning Outcomes

About RHC

Rio Hondo College, serving the communities of El Monte, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, South El Monte, and Whittier for over 50 years.

Contact

Rio Hondo College
3600 Workman Mill Road
Whittier, CA 90601

Phone: (562) 692-0921
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