Undergraduate Course Descriptions

This course offers the student an overview of many of the primary laws and policies, which drive the U.S. Government’s security apparatus. There is a vast array of policy covering security topics, which are promulgated throughout numerous U.S. Government agencies. Topics will include the U.S. Constitution, Executive Orders, Presidential Decision Directives, and the National Industrial Program Security Operating Manual. The student will gain an appreciation for the complexities involved in securing U.S. Government sponsored facilities, personnel and information.

This course offers the student an in-depth look into the construction and security management requirements of a wide range of United States Government sponsored facilities (domestic and overseas). This course includes coverage of a wide array of natural and man-made threats that must be considered in facility construction as well as special requirements for constructing facilities designed for the protection of classified information. Additionally, this course will cover facility security management procedures and build upon the student’s existing knowledge of basic physical security principles. The student will gain an appreciation for the wide range of facility security applications across the federal government.

Personnel Security (PERSEC) is the fundamental program in government security that provides a process for vetting and maintaining individuals’ suitability, reliability, and trustworthiness. This course offers the student an in depth exploration of the steps to gaining access to United States National Security information, facilities and Information Systems; Basic requirements for access with emphasis on the National Industrial Security Program Manual (NISPOM) PERSEC process as well as processes utilized by the Intelligence Community for Access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) and the Special Access Program (SAP) communities will be covered.

This course examines various elements and aspects of International and Domestic Terrorism. Students explore the cultural and ideological philosophies, as well as the social, economic, political, and religious conditions of select states, groups, and individuals that comprise the phenomena of terrorism. By examining the historical and contemporary aspects of terrorism students develop a working knowledge of the current Global War on Terror and are better prepared to comprehend terrorist motives and ideologies. Topics include: History and Development, Types of Terrorism, Conventional and Unconventional terrorist tactics, the Media’s impact on terrorism including the US Counterterrorism Policies. Particular attention is addressed to the Al-Qaeda terrorist network.

This course is an overview of the principles and issues in business and organizational security management. It reviews the classical management functions including the role of the Chief Security Officer and the principles of organizing the security function. It assesses the traditional management theories and concepts of planning, staffing, span of control as they are applied to the organization. Students examine the challenges embodied in various aspects of physical, personnel, and information security. Principles of loss prevention and the protection of assets are also considered. The history, legal foundations, functions, operations, processes, and tools of security management are explored to ensure the student has a broad understanding of security management and its current role in government and business operations.

This course assesses legal and ethical issues that inevitably affect security managers. It examines dimensions of security management including pertinent points of civil and criminal law, personnel law and obligations, negotiations, contract management, constitutional rights of individuals, legal compliance, liability, ethical standards and dilemmas, and decision-making.

This course explores industry standards, practices and methods of determining the adequacy of security management programs. It reviews the interplay of management structures, functions and processes as well as proper procedures for conducting physical security analyses and evaluations. The course examines the principles of operating technology-centered programs for the protection of assets.

This course focuses on the contemporary issues of security management such as substance abuse, violence, ideologies, adjudication and reconsideration reviews, security countermeasures, case management, use of examinations such as polygraphs, report writing, international commercial sales, and media relations. It also addresses the security manager’s role in personnel management, security planning, organizational communication, recruitment, retention, training and development, and management of contracts, as well as examines techniques and tools that help security managers understand bias, educate, and shift attitudes of employees towards more proactive security practices.

This course applies case studies, government reports and best practices to the practical management of the campus and school security. Topics covered include the nature of campus and school criminality, risk analysis, countermeasure development, crisis management planning, staff awareness and training, proactive protective intelligence, and critical incident recovery.

This course focuses on principles and practices that security managers can put to immediate use. The bedrock requirements of effective organization, staff selection, and daily operating procedures are emphasized over abstract concepts. Topics include guard operations, plans, policies, and procedures, workplace violence, managing change, bomb threat management, security awareness training, physical security, securing information systems, investigations, and employee screening.

Industrial espionage results in millions of dollars in lost revenue each year. This course provides a brief history of espionage and examines the World Wide Web as an enabler of espionage, the role of governments in industrial espionage, the rise of the competitive intelligence professional, tensions between openness and security, and the Economic Espionage Act of 1996.

This course is open only to Walmart or Sam's Club market asset protection managers either currently serving or those having served in the past as validated on the Career Portfolio. This course is designed to integrate theories, best practices, case studies with practical application in the areas of human relations, public speaking, security issues and administration, physical security, crime analysis, commercial safety, talent management and risk management. Competency based assessment of job learning demonstrates that students taking this course have inherent practical and applied knowledge in all of these areas. The course will provide coverage in gaps in theories and will include specific required readings. On successful completion of this course, students will be awarded transfer credit for the designed courses for their position in the subject areas above.

Executive protection is a growth industry. This course provides a thorough overview of the subject. Topics covered include basic principles, threat assessment, risk analysis, training opportunities, finding employment, organization and management of a protective services detail, working the principal, home and office security, technological considerations, vehicle security, conducting an advance, domestic and international travel, firearms selection and training, and self-defense fundamentals.

Effective physical security is based on an accurate threat assessment followed by the implementation of an overlapping system of physical and electronic safeguards designed for the specific needs of the client. Topics covered include threat assessment, the security survey, architectural design for security, physical and electronic security methodologies, security lighting, perimeter protection and the guard force, clear zones, wall materials, signage, and the importance of effective and continuous local, state, and federal governmental liaison.

An opportunity for Security Management students to pursue an independent research project or examine a specific area of Security Management under the mentorship of a single professor. Participation is at the discretion of the faculty member. This course will require a major research paper of approximately 25-30 pages; there will be no examination. Students will submit a proposal prior to the start of the project, an annotated bibliography, and a final paper at week 8, all of which will count toward the final grade. To be eligible for an independent study, students must be enrolled in a bachelors degree program, must have completed 24 hours at APUS toward their current degree program, and should have already contacted a professor and gained approval for the independent study topic. Once these conditions are met the student should contact his/her academic advisor. Once the course is open the student must complete an official online registration for the course.

The Capstone course is a senior level course designed to allow the student to review, analyze and integrate the work the student has completed toward a degree in Security Management. The student will complete an approved academic project or paper that demonstrates mastery of their program of study in a meaningful culmination of their learning and to assess their level of mastery of the stated outcomes of their degree requirements. NOTE: All required, core, and major courses must be completed prior to enrollment in this course. Student must have SENIOR standing to register.