Perspectives on Homeland Security and Defense (PHSD)
Next Course: April 15 – 26, 2013
Application period: August 06 - October 08, 2012
Admissions - 2013 Syllabus - Scholarships - Application Forms
The course is conducted in Spanish. No interpretation will be available. Fluency in Spanish is required for reading theoretical and conceptual materials and for conducting group discussions. The ability for reading theoretical and conceptual materials in English is also required since many of the readings are in this language. To assess their language skills, candidates will be interviewed telephonically prior to final selection.
» Course Director: R. Evan Ellis, PhD.
» Overview
This is a 5-week course, with a three-week on-line phase and two-week resident phase, conducted in CHDS premises in Washington DC. and in USNORTHCOM Headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The on-line learning system Blackboard and e-mail will be used during the on-line phase, it is expected that participants interact with their classmates and professors in asynchronous as well as synchronous sessions, participants are required to read an average of 80 pages per week. In the resident phase the course is conducted in a combination of individual study, discussions of the literature, conferences and panels, case study and exercises, it is expected
that the students read an average of 60 pages per day. At the end of the course each participant will receive an individual evaluation, with grade.
» Course Objectives
The course goal is to permit participants to analyze and compare the nature and the scope of different perspectives on homeland security and defense including considerations for border security, preservation of critical infrastructure, response to natural disasters, terrorism, interagency coordination, maritime and port security, nuclear plant safety, cybercrime, and continuity of operations for the government; visualizing ways to increase regional cooperation to respond to natural and man-made threats throughout the Western Hemisphere: and analyzing transnational threats in terms of threat, mitigation of risk and response.
» Candidate Profile and Requirements
Candidates must be professionally engaged in national defense/security issues positioned in organizations participating in prevention-recovery from natural disasters or counter-terrorism, coming from the following institutions/activities:
• Career officials from the ministries/secretaries of Security and Defense.
• Officials from other ministries/secretaries, from the legislative and judicial branches that interact with security and defense, including planning and control and oversight institutions.
• NGO and think-tank staffs involved in security/defense matters, educators, academic researchers, journalists and members of political parties.
• Police and active duty military officers with the Rank of Lieutenant Coronel and above;
The course is taught at the graduate level; therefore, it is required that candidates hold a university degree or equivalent practical experience. Military and police personnel must have completed a command and staff course or equivalent. Exceptions are evaluated in a case-by-case basis.
Fluency in Spanish is required for reading theoretical and conceptual materials and for conducting group discussions. The ability for reading theoretical and conceptual materials in English is also required since many of the readings are in this language.
Candidates must be able to commit to participating in the pre-course online phase as well as the on-line post-residence phase, including synchronous and asynchronous sessions with professors and classmates.
Certificates will be issued only to participants who have fulfilled all academic requirements CHDS graduates (both civilian and military) from resident courses held at CHDS since 1998 will be given priority over other candidates. A minimum of one year is required between courses.
Candidates must have access to the internet, preferably using a wide-band DSL or LAN (optimum) connection.
Blackboard Instructions