Program Codes:
HCS.AS
Associate in Science Degree
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The Homeland Security degree program was established in response to the nation's growing homeland security needs. The degree is designed for students to gain foundational knowledge and skills in order to secure borders, airports, waterways and seaports; prepare for and respond to natural and man-made disasters; provide counter-terrorism and law enforcment intelligence support, and employ the latest security technology. It can be completed in two years, with credit hours totaling 60. We offer evening and online classes and have an average professor/student ration of 1:15. This degree is designed to transfer. Students may choose to take advantage of our dual admissions agreement with New Jersey City University's National Security Studies Bachelor of Science program, which is offered on both the NJCU and MCC campus. Experiential credit may be given for veterans or law enforcement officials with extensive training in Homeland Security.
Below are required courses and recommended course groupings and sequences for program completion. Courses may have prerequisite and corequisite requirements. Check course descriptions for details.
Below are required courses and recommended course groupings and sequences for program completion. Courses may have prerequisite and corequisite requirements. Check course descriptions for details
Through a variety of writing projects requiring competence in clear, correct, and effective English, students use inferential and critical skills in the process of composing documented essays. Extensive reading materials serve as structural models and as the bases for discussion and for the writing of essays involving response, analysis, and synthesis.
RDG-011 may be taken as a co-requisite if not previously completed with a grade of "C" or better.
Examines both the substantive and procedural criminal law with a special focus on the administration of justice. Particular attention will be given to the role of the police, courts and correctional systems and how each separate entity must function with the framework of Constitutional law. Special emphasis will be on New Jersey statutory law and court rules.
This course provides an introduction to the basic concepts and principles of contemporary security and the dynamic and diverse nature of this challenging field. A focus of this course is on the relationships between national security, law enforcement and the private sector as well as the need for these groups to work in concert to mitigate or prevent security incidents.
Provides a psychological basis for the understanding of human behavior. A survey of fundamentals that are necessary for subsequent psychology courses. Topics include but are not limited to: learning, motivation, cognition, personality, abnormal behavior, development and social psychology.
Sociology is the systematic study of social behavior and human groups. This course covers basic sociological theories and methods of social research, with special attention to the following topics: culture, values and norms, socialization, social structure, deviance, stratification, social institutions and differentiation by region, race, ethnicity, gender, age and class.
Through a variety of writing projects requiring competence in clear, correct, and effective English, students use inferential and critical skills in the process of composing argument synthesis essays. Students engage in formal written argumentation based on extensive reading and analysis of complex texts. Through the research process, students will locate, analyze, and synthesize scholarly sources to advance their own informed positions on relevant issues in the composition of a formal research paper.
A grade of “C” or better in ENG-121
The organization, powers and procedures of the United States national government are presented along with such topics as the role of political parties, electorate behavior and interest groups as a continuing process of United States politics.
This course is designed to provide students an understanding of the broad array of emergency management issues. Covered are the basic characteristics, functions, and resources of an integrated system and how various emergency management services (fire personnel, police, security, healthcare providers etc.) work together in a system of resources and capabilities. Included is the integrated role of national, regional and local services in a variety of disasters.
This course defines computers and computer applications and their use in business, industry and government. Students completing this course will be computer fluent. Students will understand the capabilities and limitations of computers and know how to use them. In addition, students will understand computers and their ethical, legal and societal implications. Topics include the history of computers, hardware devices, software programs, terminology, privacy of information, ethical behavior and the influence of computers on people and society. Hands-on experience includes: using a Windows operating system, a word processor, designing and implementing spreadsheets and producing presentations. This course is recommended for anyone who will be involved with computers and the use of computer application software.
This course emphasizes problem solving with programming using the Python programming language and problem solving with applications using Microsoft Excel. In addition to problem solving skills the course presents current technologies and their impacts on society. The course is designed for students who already possess familiarity with computer applications. It is recommended for students planning to transfer to an upper division college that has a computer programming requirement in its computer literacy course.
MAT-014 or appropriate score on the College placement test
Familiarizes students with mathematical models that occur in more advanced courses and in the areas of business, science and the social sciences using exploratory data analysis and statistical methods. Topics include descriptive statistics linear regression, probability and probability distribution, confidence intervals, and an introduction to hypothesis testing.
MAT-013 or appropriate score on the College placement test
Corequiste Exemption: Proficiency at the Level of Algebra II
This course provides an overview of the United States intelligence community, Intelligence-led policing, the National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan, and the Intelligence Cycle. Topics include the intelligence process including the collection, analysis, strategy, consumers, and impacts on local, state, tribal, and federal authorities.
An introduction to the study of social problems in American society. Emphasis is given to social problems related to stratification and inequity of social groups and institutions. Students will analyze social problems from general, theoretical, and research-based point of view, as well as investigate why particular issues become defined as "problems".
This course focuses on the management and mitigation of risk in security settings. Critical incident response, risk assessment, the development of security surveys, identifying risks and offering solutions will be emphasized. These concepts will be applied to three major domains of the security industry: national, corporate, and cyber security.
A study of the basic theories, methods, and problems of ethics and morality. Students will apply ethical principles and problem solving models to examples taken from everyday life.
This course explores critical issues related to public safety administration and an understanding of the laws, programs, agencies, and institutions involved in the provision of public safety. Managers in public safety agencies and institutions deal with several challenges arising from environmental and natural disasters to the nature and operation of correctional institutions. Responsibilities of managers in these institutions include the development and administration of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery programs to address these challenges. In addition, issues related to community resilience, social, economic and political vulnerabilities, and ethical responses to risk management need to be considered and understood by public managers engaged in the provision of safety to communities. The course addresses these and other issues within the context of disaster management, homeland security, criminal justice administration, and fire/emergency management.
The nature and sources of criminal law, incidences and trends of criminology, relationship of culture and social systems to criminology, biological, psychological and sociological theories of criminology.
This course explores terrorism and homeland security as local, national and global phenomena. Students will explore, assess, and identify the origins, nature, traditions, contemporary tactics, methodologies and motivations of terrorism.
Terrorism as a political tool will be examined through a comprehensive study of international terrorism and the problems confronting the global world as it tries to formulate and implement strategies to combat terrorism. This course will focus on the definition of terrorism within its social contexts and will examine the juxtaposition of terrorists and counter-terrorists as they interact. A section of the course will deal with the psychology of terrorists; explorations of changes in terrorism across the globe will be explored with the focus on Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and other areas. Homeland security options and the future of terrorism will be examined.
This course is an introductory course in which scientific principles will be applied to the methods used to investigate and solve crimes. The course will focus on the principles and methods utilized in the traditional sciences of biology, chemistry and physics. The scientific techniques used to collect and analyze evidence will be covered.
MAT-013, MAT 013B or appropriate score on the College placement test
This course introduces crime investigation and detection including basic and practical methods, technologies, and processes. Historical, fundamental, and practical theories of crime detection and sound criminal investigations are covered through scientific and behavior-related principles.
Examines the principal methods by which United States Supreme Court Justices give meaning to Constitutional provisions in the context of individual cases. Particular attention paid to the fundamental importance of a full and coherent understanding of the principles, precedents and problems of America’s democratic system.
Graduates of the Program will be able to:
Contact Name: Timothy Hack, department chair
Contact Phone: 732.906.2590
Contact Email: HSS@middlesexcc.edu
Department Web: https://www.middlesexcc.edu/history-social-science/
Students examine both the substantive and procedural aspects of criminal law. Particular attention will be given to the functions of the courts and special emphasis will be placed on major U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Students who choose the Correction Administration degree option or certificate will learn about relevant trends with regard to correctional institutions, as well as sentencing, judicial treatment and correctional management philosophies. With the Police Science degree option, students will learn police procedures, constitutional law and community policing.
Algebra I is a prerequisite for all majors. Algebra I competency may be verified with a passing score on the College’s placement test or completion of the appropriate course. Students also need a grade of “C” or better in one year of high school laboratory science or in BIO-010 or CHM-010.
The Statewide Transfer Agreement for New Jersey ensures that students who earn an A.A. or A.S. degree at a community college will have those credits fully transferable to a New Jersey public four-year institution, will have completed half of the credits required for a basic four-year degree and will have completed all of the lower division general education requirements. In addition, articulation agreements with private institutions may provide similar transfer provisions. Students should discuss the transfer process with an advisor.
Once students complete developmental coursework (if needed), the degree can be completed in two years of full-time study. They can shorten the amount of time by taking courses in the summer and winter sessions.