Does it matter what degree I get before pursuing a Masters in Security Studies?

[soliloquy]

Okay, all of you know that I am currently attending Charter Oak State College in New Britain, CT and expect to graduate on August 31, 2014 and apply to ECU this fall. http://www.ecu.edu/polsci/sec/MSSS-Brochure.pdf.

I am at a fork in the road with completing my concentration plan of study and wanted to seek some advice.

Okay some of this stuff you already know.

I was a linguist/interrogator in the military (MOS 97E, now MOS 35M). The technical name was Human Intelligence Collector. I studied Persian Farsi at DLIFLC. I have always had an interest in security studies and I have, at times, thought about what I could do with my knowledge of law combined with my language. I am currently poised to receive a BS: Paralegal Studies but was thinking about making a change to a BS in Individualized Studies to incorporate more political science courses, my foreign language, and some paralegal studies courses such as constitutional law, legal analysis, etc. into my degree plan (at the suggestion of my adviser). I have been a paralegal for more than 10 years which is why a BS in Paralegal Studies has been my intended path until recently.

Do you have an opinion with regard to whether a BS in Paralegal Studies or a BS in Individualized studies would be an appropriate pre-cursor to applying to ECU for a Masters in Security Studies? In the most general of terms would either degree suffice?

Thank you.

[sanantone]

As you know, I have a masters in security studies. My bachelor's degree was in social science. It was almost entirely made up of criminal justice, sociology, and psychology credits. If ECU doesn't ask for a specific degree, then you don't need a specific degree. International Security and Homeland Security are easy subjects to understand without a background.

[soliloquy]

As you know, I have a masters in security studies. My bachelor's degree was in social science. It was almost entirely made up of criminal justice, sociology, and psychology credits. If ECU doesn't ask for a specific degree, then you don't need a specific degree. International Security and Homeland Security are easy subjects to understand without a background.

Two questions.

What are you doing with that degree?

Also, were their any additional courses you had to take (poli sci courses) or bridge courses you had to take before getting to the meat of your program. I notice that Angelo has a Security Studies and Criminal Justice Department. ECU's degree seems to be overseen by the Political Science Dept. So I'm wondering if they would prefer that I have more Poli Sci courses incorporated into my degree.

[sanantone]

I didn't have to take any bridge courses, and I strongly disagree with ASU combining security studies with criminal justice instead of political science. I know at least one of my professors taught political science and security studies. None of my professors taught criminal justice or border security (which is just a rebranding of homeland security). My professors had backgrounds in public policy, history, international relations, and military studies. I think the director at the time had a background in African history. Most of the professors were also formerly in the military. I don't recall any of them having a criminal justice background.

To this day, I don't understand their reasoning for putting those two in the same department except that maybe it's because they don't have any graduate programs in political science. Still, they could have built political science graduate programs off of the security studies program, but I think they are chasing after the cash cows. Political science doesn't attract as many students as criminal justice at the graduate level. Anyway, their security studies program is very much a sub-field of international relations. It's not a homeland security-type program that melds criminal justice/physical security and emergency management. Our research methods course used a political science text, and there was a course that pretty much just focused on the three main theories in international relations. The only criticism I had from one of my professors is that I wrote more like a historian than a political strategist even though I don't have a background in history either.

I almost applied to ECU, but I was too lazy to take the GRE and their program would have been more expensive for me.


Oh, I forgot. What am I doing with the degree? I'm not really doing anything because of the sequester. Because a budget was passed for this year, I'm hoping they will start hiring intelligence analysts again. I'm hoping to learn Farsi in order to increase my chances of being hired. I did pass several tests with a few agencies before hiring came to a stop. Things should be easier with you with your language abilities and military background. Currently, I am teaching criminal justice courses at a nationally accredited college. I don't think any regionally accredited school would hire me without having a masters in criminal justice, criminology, law, or sociology. I haven't been looked at for political science positions either. That's probably because most of the openings right now are for domestically-focused political science instead of internationally-focused. There aren't many openings for homeland security teaching positions, surprisingly. While my masters degree got me higher pay, I halfway qualified for my current job because of my criminal justice work experience. Honestly, I had to refresh myself on what I learned in my undergraduate CJ courses because my masters is so unrelated.

[soliloquy]

I didn't have to take any bridge courses, and I strongly disagree with ASU combining security studies with criminal justice instead of political science. I know at least one of my professors taught political science and security studies. None of my professors taught criminal justice or border security (which is just a rebranding of homeland security). My professors had backgrounds in public policy, history, international relations, and military studies. I think the director at the time had a background in African history. Most of the professors were also formerly in the military. I don't recall any of them having a criminal justice background.

To this day, I don't understand their reasoning for putting those two in the same department except that maybe it's because they don't have any graduate programs in political science. Still, they could have built political science graduate programs off of the security studies program, but I think they are chasing after the cash cows. Political science doesn't attract as many students as criminal justice at the graduate level. Anyway, their security studies program is very much a sub-field of international relations. It's not a homeland security-type program that melds criminal justice/physical security and emergency management. Our research methods course used a political science text, and there was a course that pretty much just focused on the three main theories in international relations. The only criticism I had from one of my professors is that I wrote more like a historian than a political strategist even though I don't have a background in history either.

I almost applied to ECU, but I was too lazy to take the GRE and their program would have been more expensive for me.


Oh, I forgot. What am I doing with the degree? I'm not really doing anything because of the sequester. Because a budget was passed for this year, I'm hoping they will start hiring intelligence analysts again. I'm hoping to learn Farsi in order to increase my chances of being hired. I did pass several tests with a few agencies before hiring came to a stop. Things should be easier with you with your language abilities and military background. Currently, I am teaching criminal justice courses at a nationally accredited college. I don't think any regionally accredited school would hire me without having a masters in criminal justice, criminology, law, or sociology. I haven't been looked at for political science positions either. That's probably because most of the openings right now are for domestically-focused political science instead of internationally-focused. There aren't many openings for homeland security teaching positions, surprisingly. While my masters degree got me higher pay, I halfway qualified for my current job because of my criminal justice work experience. Honestly, I had to refresh myself on what I learned in my undergraduate CJ courses because my masters is so unrelated.

Interesting. That departmental combination did strike me as odd but I don't know enough about the various programs out there to form an opinion about that like you have. What you've stated makes a lot of sense. I couldn't find anything Department of Political Science, East Carolina University here that states a specific undergraduate program is required or even preferred. I hope I have not overlooked it. With that said, I suppose it does not matter what BS concentration I complete at this time so is it your opinion that I should just stay on the Paralegal Studies trek I have already started.

[soliloquy]

Oh, I forgot. What am I doing with the degree? I'm not really doing anything because of the sequester. Because a budget was passed for this year, I'm hoping they will start hiring intelligence analysts again. I'm hoping to learn Farsi in order to increase my chances of being hired. I did pass several tests with a few agencies before hiring came to a stop. Things should be easier with you with your language abilities and military background. Currently, I am teaching criminal justice courses at a nationally accredited college. I don't think any regionally accredited school would hire me without having a masters in criminal justice, criminology, law, or sociology. I haven't been looked at for political science positions either. That's probably because most of the openings right now are for domestically-focused political science instead of internationally-focused. There aren't many openings for homeland security teaching positions, surprisingly. While my masters degree got me higher pay, I halfway qualified for my current job because of my criminal justice work experience. Honestly, I had to refresh myself on what I learned in my undergraduate CJ courses because my masters is so unrelated.

This was a tremendous help. Thank you.

[sanantone]

You should choose whatever's fastest. If the major mattered, the individualized studies concentration would actually be worse. I doubt they will pay attention to specific courses on your transcript since there are no prerequisites. If you want to do some additional study on your own, you can always take the DSSTs on the Middle East, Western Europe, and Russia and have those added to your COSC transcript even though they would be extra credits. If you're the type of person to pay attention to international politics, you should be alright. It doesn't even look like COSC is offering many political science courses that would even be relevant to international relations.

[soliloquy]

You should choose whatever's fastest. If the major mattered, the individualized studies concentration would actually be worse. I doubt they will pay attention to specific courses on your transcript since there are no prerequisites. If you want to do some additional study on your own, you can always take the DSSTs on the Middle East, Western Europe, and Russia and have those added to your COSC transcript even though they would be extra credits. If you're the type of person to pay attention to international politics, you should be alright. It doesn't even look like COSC is offering many political science courses that would even be relevant to international relations.

Thanks.

She's suggesting POL 250 Ethics in International Relations and POL 350 International Terrorism in place of my Technology in Law (which is a pre-requisite to completing the Paralegal Studies Concentration). She's concerned about the Pol Sci components but in my opinion even if I needed some bridge courses, they are a lot cheaper at ECU than they are at COSC because I would be paying in-state tuition so I figure just take them when I have to (if I have to).

I'm going to go with what you said and stick with the PS Concentration.

I don't know how but I forgot about the sequesters and furloughs that the gov't has been having. I remember thinking/worrying about that when I was mulling this over last year.

Thanks.

I wouldn't mind securing a job with this degree at some place like Dyncorp Int. if the money was right but I know those jobs are at the whim of the US govt as well.

[sanantone]

It's easier to land a job with a contractor if you have a security clearance.

[soliloquy]

It's easier to land a job with a contractor if you have a security clearance.

True. My TS clearance is long expired. If I remember correctly, it had to be renewed ever five years.