Public Safety Administration Courses | 2024-2025 Graduate Catalog | SIU

This course examines the rationale for conducting research, its applications, and how it can be applied to enhance the public's protection. Students will learn the proper application of standards and codes to help improve community safety and steps that can be taken to improve first responder wellness. Prerequisite: PSM 350.

Credit Hours: 3

A review of the current problems affecting public safety with particular emphasis on resource allocation, planning, and constraints.

Credit Hours: 3

This course is for students interested in the practice and principles of Emergency Services management and the processes that contribute to the effectiveness of day-to-day operations within an emergency service organization. This course introduces the public safety professional to topics that include government structure, strategic planning, injury prevention, risk management and safety, customer service, human resources management, financial management, fleet management, career development, quality management, data collection and research, labor relations, and special operations. Restricted to PSM major or consent of program coordinator.

Credit Hours: 3

This course examines responses to natural and man-made disasters. It also looks at the unique role of the local first responder with other governmental agencies. Students will identify the common elements of a disaster response and the roles of each emergency responder and agency. Course emphasis is on the actions and procedures "at the scene" where decisions are made rather than concepts and policies applied by officials physically removed from the scene. Restricted to PSM major or consent of program coordinator.

Credit Hours: 3

Students will be trained in determining public need during an emergency event through exercise. Students will learn the impact that effective project and operational planning and management can have on the overall effectiveness of public safety organizational performance. Restricted to PSM major or consent of program coordinator.

Credit Hours: 3

This course traces the history, emergence, and growth of domestic terrorist and extremist groups within the United States. Students will assess various groups' intentions, capabilities, and activities within contexts of and ramifications on political, national security, and legal paradigms. "Domestic Terrorism and Extremist Groups" traces the roots of domestic political violence and terrorism in the United States, and will expose the student to academic works concerning contemporary domestic extremists and the terrorist threat they may pose. The course will explore how a radical nature has continued to persist in isolated pockets throughout our nation's history. Restricted to PSM major or consent of program coordinator.

Credit Hours: 3

Introduces students to the various elements involved in obtaining a promoted position in their chosen fields. Topics may include personal inventories, placement services, employment agencies, interviewing techniques, resumes, letters of application, references and employment tests.

Credit Hours: 3

This course examines tools and techniques of rational decision making in fire departments, including databases, statistics, probability, decision analysis, utility modeling, resource allocation, cost benefit analysis, and linear programming. May be taken as an independent study.

Credit Hours: 3

A comprehensive course that equips students to seek public safety grants from governmental, public, and private funding sources. This course examines the funding application and approval processes and overall grant administration.

Credit Hours: 3

Supervised readings or independent research projects in various aspects of Public Safety Management. May re-enroll for a maximum of six credits. Requires instructor approval.

Credit Hours: 1-3

This course will begin by looking at the historical evolution of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. We will analyze theories and mitigation, preparedness, and response tactics.

Credit Hours: 3

This course addresses administrative law, the type of law governing the powers, limits, and operations of government administrative agencies, and the rights of individuals in dealing with those agencies.

Credit Hours: 3

This course examines historical and contemporary theories, principles, and practices of Emergency Management, particularly the all-hazards approach and the related processes of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Using a case study approach, the course considers the evolution of Emergency Management and its practical application with government and private-sector institutions.

Credit Hours: 3

The focus of this course is on how public action takes place; what courses of action are available; and the implications, costs, and consequences of those actions. The public safety executive of the future will require a more disciplined understanding of public policy. This course will encourage a familiarity with public issues that will be useful in making administrative or policy decisions.

Credit Hours: 3

This advanced introduction to fundamentals of financial management emphasizes analysis of financial statements, organizational-departmental-divisional cash flows, taxes, the financial environment, bonds and their valuation, stocks and their valuation, and cost of capital.

Credit Hours: 3

This course includes leadership, multiple roles, decision making skills, influencing leaders, teaching leaders, storytelling, persuasion, succession planning, and evaluating.

Credit Hours: 3

Students will receive the preparation necessary to uniquely manage and make critical decisions regarding a major incident or disaster. The course focuses on specialized decision-making processes involving analytical methods and information management. Interaction with other agencies and effective coordination of roles and efforts within a structured command system enables the crisis manager to make decisions in an unstructured environment.

Credit Hours: 3

The purpose of the course is to provide a survey of the theory and practice of management in public sector organizations. Emphasis will be given to a comparison of management in the public and private sector, management functions, and the context in which the public manager must perform the functions. Students must complete pre-class, in-class, and post-class assignments.

Credit Hours: 3

This course examines the evolving nature of the Homeland Security enterprise by examining a number of contemporary topical issues and their immediate and long-term impact on Homeland Security policies and practices. Particular attention is paid to the role of the media, law, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and political entities at the federal, state, and local levels in determining and shaping Homeland Security policy/practice.

Credit Hours: 3

This course examines and defines the steps, concepts, theory, and value of comprehensive strategic planning. Students will participate in the formulation, financial development, operational management, and evaluation of currently utilized strategic plans and take part in the outline and design of a mock strategic plan.

Credit Hours: 3

This course is about labor relations and employment disputes in the public sector and the various methods for resolving labor and personnel conflicts. Collective bargaining, arbitration, mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution methods will be applied to cases and simulation exercises relevant to government employees.

Credit Hours: 3

This course is an examination of knowledge and research as they pertain to public safety. Exploration of the relationship between creative and critical thinking, analysis of scientific methodology and logic, language and interpretation and their influence on public safety organizations.

Credit Hours: 3

Under the supervision and direction of a member of the faculty, students will undertake a project involving substantive participation in managing a major simulation, exercise, or drill involving multiple agencies and institutions. Student involvement will include planning, designing, developing, conducting, and evaluating the simulation or drill. Students must complete pre-class, in-class, and post-class assignments. Requires the approval of the Lead Site Coordinator.

Credit Hours: 3

This course provides students with an examination of techniques of administration and supervision in public safety administration. Topics include the ever-changing public safety environment and trends impacting leadership competencies. Specific public safety factors that influence organizing managing of varying public safety organizations, such as career vs. paid on call or volunteer, and municipal vs. private ambulance. Focus will be given on the professional bureaucracy that is complex given regulatory issues, political factors, and the era of the informed constituent.

Credit Hours: 3

This course explores ethics and leadership as they are commonly encountered in modern public safety environment. Students will study ethics and leadership from a psychological point of view with greater attention to issues of character and social responsibility. This course considers current issues in leadership, leadership styles, digital leadership, data analytics for decision-making, and implications for instructional leaders and designers at all levels who will explore what it means and what it takes to be a leader. Prerequisite: PSM 513.

Credit Hours: 3

Specialized study for the investigation of management problems relating to the student's career objective. Studies of the management techniques as practiced in the profession. Topics may be suggested by both faculty and student. Restricted to approval of the Lead Site Coordinator of Graduate Studies for PSM.

Credit Hours: 3

For graduate students who have not finished their degree program and who are in the process of working on their thesis, research paper, or capstone project course (PSM 512). Concurrent enrollment in any other course is not permitted. Graded S/U or DEF only.

Credit Hours: 1