Public Safety

Public Safety Degrees

Public safety is a field of work that is both important and rewarding. Public safety professionals are responsible for protecting society, assessing risks, and responding to any threat to the general public that might come about. A public safety degree would qualify you to do public safety work in private, local, state, and federal agencies.

Public safety degrees incorporate many of the same courses that you would see in a criminal justice degree program, with a heavy emphasis on topics such as:

  • Emergency response
  • Crisis management
  • Disaster preparedness
  • Risk assessment and response
  • Occupational health and safety
  • Hazardous material detection and disposal
  • Public safety administration
  • Business administration
  • Leadership roles

Public safety degree coursework will also focus on the management, decision-making, and planning skills that are needed to properly respond to emergencies. Public safety degrees are available at the associate, bachelor, and master’s degree levels.

Types of Public Safety Degree Programs

An associate’s degree in public safety aims to give students a better understanding of the safety issues and challenges that society faces locally, nationally, and word-wide. This two year program also takes a look at organizational structure and government processes. Graduates of a public safety associate’s degree program would qualify for many different entry level positions in the fields of law enforcement and public safety.

A bachelor’s degree in public safety is a four year program in which students learn strategic planning methods for disaster prevention, response, and recovery. Possible job positions for graduates of a public safety bachelor’s degree program might include: security personnel, security risk manager, security guard, emergency response preparedness manager, law enforcement officer, and public safety officer or administrator, to name a few.

A master’s degree in public safety qualifies graduates for executive and management positions, but also enables them to teach or consult on public safety issues. This degree requires at least 2 additional years of study. Topics of focus might include human behavior, the corrections and judicial systems, social change and public policy, and ethical and cultural awareness. Students will also take a deeper look into the topics they studied previously at the bachelor’s degree level.

Public Safety Job Statistics

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, those working in public safety related job positions earned salaries ranging between $40,000 and $50,000.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition