Reinhardt College Adds Certificate Program in Homeland Security Management

Reinhardt College will launch a certificate program in Homeland Security Management beginning in January 2010 at the College's North Fulton Center on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta, Ga. Interested students are encouraged to request information or contact the College at 770-720-9191 or POC@reinhardt.edu.

New Program to Fill Critical Workforce Need

Peg O'Connor, associate vice president of academic affairs at Reinhardt, said the College is adding programs in homeland security because having trained personnel in these positions continues to be a top priority and a critical issue for local, county, state and federal authorities, as well as corporations.

According to Dr. Houston Polson, the executive director of the Homeland Security Defense Educational Consortium Assn. (HSDECA), of which Reinhardt is a member, "Homeland Security will be the largest government employer within the next decade with over 515,000 personnel required to facilitate in performing and meeting mission requirements."  The continued threat to the country will require personnel who are professionally trained with applied knowledge, solid skill sets and practical experience, O'Connor said.  Reinhardt's Certificate of Homeland Security Management is specifically designed to prepare qualified candidate practitioners to fulfill this critical workforce need.

O'Connor said Reinhardt faculty and staff, as they consider and build new programs, have benefited from working with consultants like Dr. Stanley Supinski, who serves as an educational advisor to HSDECA. 

Program specifics

O'Connor said those who complete the Reinhardt Homeland Security Management Certificate Program will be proficient in:

• research, development and analysis of security strategies;
• critical agency infrastructure and their interrelationships;
• team leadership and cooperative planning; and
• formulating and executing rapid responses to crisis situations.

The Reinhardt program offers broad-based knowledge and competencies with specific areas of specialization.  It is targeted to mid- and senior-level personnel from the private and public sectors.

The 12-credit program will be delivered one night a week during two eight-week sessions and include:

• Introduction to Homeland Security,
• Emergency Planning,
• Psychological and Sociological Aspects of Disaster and Terrorism and

• Homeland Security and the Private Sector.