Security and Resilience Studies
We live in a world of increasing transnational risks, systemic vulnerabilities, and environmental challenges. Our Master of Science in Security and Resilience Studies program provides skills in data analysis, leadership, and systemic thinking to help the next generation of leaders build organizations, communities, and societies that can withstand forthcoming challenges. We have seen great success in placing students in a number of security and resilience related industries. Some of our alumni are now working at CyberSheath Services International, LLC, Massachusetts Port Authority, Volpe Center, and the UnitedHealth Group.
Part-Time
Security and Resilience Studies is an emerging field of inquiry that focuses on how global, national, and subnational actors manage a range of chronic transnational challenges that can be destabilizing to societies such as terrorism, organized crime, weapons proliferation, cyber attacks, bio-terrorism, climate change and catastrophic disasters, migration, and radicalization.
This program integrates security studies with cutting-edge education to ensure that key systems promote societal resilience. Students can deepen their knowledge in fields such as cyberspace policy, counterterrorism, infrastructure protection, urban resilience, and risk management. The combination of a unique academic curriculum and experiential education—all taught by top academics and experts in the security industry—provides students with a multidisciplinary approach to addressing these important issues.
Learn more about the Master of Science in Security and Resilience Studies from the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.
More Details
Unique Features
- Students conduct a capstone research or consulting project under the supervision of a faculty adviser or an optional graduate Dialogue course that includes a 5-week international experience followed by two weeks of researching and writing a capstone project paper.
- MS program provides students with both policy and technical skills.
- Four available specializations in Security Administration, Management and Policy; Counterterrorism and Conflict Studies; Resilient Cities; and Cybersecurity Policy and Information Assurance.
- Select courses offered in online or hybrid formats.
- Low-residency option available for students outside of the Boston area.
Career Outlook
The need to devise strategies to survive disruptive events, recover quickly, and rebuild stronger clearly applies not only to local and national governments and their agencies but also to private industry. Resilience focuses on identifying risk, understanding the systems involved in that risk assessment, and the determination of how to mitigate it, as well as how to bounce back and adapt after disruption. Opportunities for graduates with resilience knowledge and skills are sought within:
- Public Safety and Public Health
- Energy/Power
- Transportation
- Communications
- Supply chain management
- Government entities, including DHS, FBI, Secret Service and branches of the military (as a private contractor)
Recent graduates of the MS in Security and Resilience Studies degree have found employment in a wide variety of opportunities, including:
- Data analyst: US Marshals Service
- Program analyst and emergency management: FEMA
- Cyber security analyst: major health insurance corporation
- Aviation security specialist: Massachusetts Port Authority
- Security consultant for private industry customers
Testimonials
Brad Belzak, Program Graduate
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Admissions Dates
Fall Term
February 1: Priority deadline
June 15: Final deadline for International applicants
August 15: Final deadline for domestic applicants
August 25: Final deadline for Special Student applicants
Spring Term
October 1: Final deadline for International applicants
December 1: Final deadline for domestic applicants
December 15: Final deadline for Special Student applicants
Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis.
Program Costs
Requirements
- Application
- Application fee – US $75.00
- Personal statement
- Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended
- English proficiency for international applicants
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official GRE General Scores
- Resumé
General Requirements
Required Core
Core Electives
Complete 6 semester hours from the following:
Note: Students may take either POLS 7346 or PPUA 7346
Research Methods
Complete 3 semester hours from the following:
Capstone Options
Choose one of the following options in consultation with faculty advisor and program director. Take either POLS 7980 or INSH 6864 and POLS 6964.
Elective Themes
Electives are organized to allow students to think thematically.
Administration, Management, and Policy
Complete 12–15 semester hours from the following:
Counterterrorism and Conflict Studies
Complete 12–15 semester hours from the following:
Cybersecurity Policy
Complete 12–15 semester hours from the following:
Resilient Cities
Complete 12–15 semester hours from the following:
Note: Students may take POLS 7346 or PPUA 7346.
Criminal Justice
Complete 12–15 semester hours from the following:
Northeastern's signature experiential learning model combines academics with professional practice to help students acquire relevant, real-world skills they can apply to their desired industry. Each program offers its own unique experiential learning opportunities, but they might include:
- Full-Time Co-op Opportunities — Students on co-op work in a paid position in their field of study for three to six months.
- In-Class Case Studies — Professors integrate case studies and exercises into the classroom to bring a real-world perspective and relevance to what they’re teaching.
- Research — Students collaborate with faculty in our more than 30 federally funded research centers, tackling some of the most pressing challenges in health, security, and sustainability.
Our Faculty
Our faculty represents a wide cross-section of professional practices and in fields ranging from finance to education to biomedical science to management to the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors, and collaborate alongside students to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.
By enrolling in Northeastern, you gain access to a network of more than 230,000 alumni and 3,000 employer partners, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and global NGOs. Our current students and faculty across strategically located regional campuses further foster that lifelong global community of learning and mentoring.
Below is a look at where our Political Science and Security alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organization.
Where They Work
- CyberSheath Services International, LLC
- Massachusetts Port Authority
- Insurance Fraud Bureau of MA
- Fragomen Worldwide
- Volpe Center
- UnitedHealth Group
What They Do
- Business Development
- Education
- Community and Social Services
- Legal
- Operations
What They're Skilled At
- Public Speaking
- Research
- Leadership
- Microsoft Office
- Management
Learn more about Northeastern Alumni on Linkedin.