SMGT 4050 Security Concepts Overview (4 Credits)

This course provides an introduction to the main principles and issues in business and organizational security management. Topics include protection of, and assessing the loss potential of, personnel, facilities, and information, and continuity of operations. The course makes extensive use of case studies and analyses, field exercises and research.

SMGT 4100 Business Function of Security (4 Credits)

This course will provide the student with an overview of security operations in a business environment. Students will be able to develop and integrate theory and principles common to the design and implementation of systems—broadly defined—for the protection of people and property in public, commercial and residential settings from loss associated with fire, casualty, disruption, and crime. Students will review the historical, theoretical, managerial, and technological bases for the fields associated with protection management: security management. Students will review security design issues and technologies applicable to structural and nonstructural environments. Students will examine alternative roles and structures for protection management in public, private, and independent sector organizations, and their relationships to law enforcement organizations.

SMGT 4150 Risk Management (4 Credits)

This course will examine the concept of enterprise risk management as it applies to the corporate security setting by analyzing and assessing multiple area of corporate and public sector risk. Students will address real-world risks through a variety of case studies.

SMGT 4200 Integrated Security Systems (4 Credits)

This course covers the integration of physical, personnel, and information security, including the use of information technology to enhance physical and personnel security. Students will learn the essential elements of system design, development of procedures, testing and maintenance of integrated security systems. This will be accomplished through case studies and practical exercises.

SMGT 4210 Critical Incident Management (4 Credits)

This course will discuss the management concepts of a critical incident, whether it is the government response to a hurricane like Katrina or a corporate response to an internal emergency. The course follows the basic accepted tenets and structures of emergency response that connect all government agencies as well as private business. This course diverges from other Critical Incident Management courses in that it not only introduces the fundamentals of critical incident management but also challenges the student to look beyond accepted protocols and develop specific alternatives for their organization.

SMGT 4220 Hazardous and Radiological Material Preparedness (4 Credits)

This course introduces the student to the hazards and dangers of Hazardous and Radiological substances. The course is designed to introduce the hazards and the techniques of planning for emergency incidents involving these substances. This course follows the accepted emergency response guidelines and principles of FEMA. Students will learn the use of software and how to develop a hazardous materials operations plan.

SMGT 4230 Mitigation for Emergency Managers (4 Credits)

This course prepares students to meet the growing demand for emergency and disaster management planning through the mitigation phase of Emergency Management. Current practices are the result of a growing recognition that all levels of government, service organizations, and the private sector must become involved in collaborative mitigation of existing hazards in order to lessen the impacts of a full range of natural and human-caused disasters and their consequences. In this course, students will analyze the key factors that shape the planning environment and process. They will apply current policies, laws, and guidance to the development of a mitigation plan for a community, organization, or business. Although the development of a completed emergency/disaster plan requires the involvement of many stakeholders and is beyond the scope of this course, the draft mitigation document students will develop will provide students with the skills needed to effectively lead a disaster planning team.

SMGT 4240 Emergency Incident Recovery (4 Credits)

Assuring resiliency for any community or organization is of equal importance to the other phases of emergency management. This course addresses the final phase of emergency management: recovery. The course will address the many planning aspects of establishing a recovery plan. Students will formulate policies to aid in returning operations and life to normal following a disaster.

SMGT 4250 Threats in Information Security (4 Credits)

This course investigates emerging protection concepts for the information age. Students identify threats to security systems, discover vulnerabilities, and suggest and design protection systems. Topics include management of information security and data processing facilities, data theft, misuses of information technologies, computer viruses, hacking, and network protection. The course also covers information technology laws, privacy issues, and information security planning.

SMGT 4300 Security Administration (4 Credits)

This course will provide the theory and practical application of the administration of the security function within a business. Students will examine and recommend strategies for managing the security staff, communicating security related information to different audiences, building and maintaining a security team, identifying business risks, developing key performance indicators including budget, and evaluating the need for security-related hardware and software. This class examines a broad range of topics from organizational design to HR issues. Students will learn that not only must they ask the right questions, but they must ask them in the way that is appropriate for the subject matter and the circumstances.

SMGT 4350 Business Assets Protection (4 Credits)

Students examine the application of security knowledge and techniques to the protection of business assets. The security planning process is examined by the study of risk analysis, security surveys, and financial planning and decision making for development of security programs and countermeasures.

SMGT 4400 Emergency Planning (4 Credits)

The process of Emergency Management contains four very distinct phases with overlapping intricacies within each of the four. Emergency Planning is the first process that must be addressed by any organization when protecting life, property, or business continuity in response to an emergency or disaster. This course addresses the Planning phase of Emergency Management through the establishment of planning teams, threat assessments, hazard identification, and implementation of an overall Emergency Operations Plan.

SMGT 4450 Legal & Ethical Issues in Security Management (4 Credits)

This course examines ethical challenges and legal issues which security professionals in business and organizational security face in our global environment. Students will examine critical issues such as ethical principles, organizational values, ethics law, how to maintain the integrity of internal investigations, ethical and legal compliance; training programs, and examine aspects of legal responsibility, accountability, and liability related to security professionals and their organizations.

SMGT 4500 Human Factors in Security (4 Credits)

This course examines the challenges security professionals face in dealing with human factors in the course of protecting people, organizations, and information in our global environment. Students will examine and discuss critical contemporary issues such as effective leadership characteristics, workplace violence, insider threat, fraud, stalking, terrorism and other relevant topics as well as how to perform a risk analysis and conduct a workplace violence assessment audit.

SMGT 4550 Workplace Investigations (4 Credits)

Too often the Security Department is called upon to conduct an independent investigation for another business unit within the organization. This can include Compliance, HR, Employee Relations, Audit, IT, and others. While many of these investigations will be allegations of misconduct against individuals, they can also be business process reviews to determine root causes of business process failures. The Security Team is often tapped for these assignments because they are not only viewed as independent, but also as the most experienced in conducting interviews, writing investigative reports, and dealing with evidence. This class examines investigative techniques, documentation, and common pitfalls.

SMGT 4701 Topics in Security Management (1-6 Credits)

The content of this course varies each time it is offered. The topics may include time-sensitive issues from the film industry, elective courses that are not scheduled regularly during the course of the year, or advanced inquiry into core-course subjects. Each time the course is offered, the specific content is announced in the quarterly course schedule. Depending on the subject matter, students may be required to have completed prerequisite courses.

SMGT 4901 Capstone Project (4 Credits)

The Capstone Project provides students the opportunity to research a topic, problem, or issue within their field of study, and work individually with a Capstone advisor. Similar in weight to a thesis, but more flexible, this final project will synthesize and apply core concepts acquired from the program. The student will select an appropriate Capstone advisor who is knowledgeable in the field of study to work closely with and whom can guide the research project. Evaluation will be focused on the quality and professionalism of applied research and writing; critical and creative thinking; problem-solving skills; knowledge of research design, method, and implementation; and contribution to the field and topic of study. Please see the Capstone Guidelines for additional details. Prerequisites: A Capstone Proposal that has been approved by both the Capstone Advisor and the Academic Director, acceptance as a degree candidate, completion of at least 40 quarter-hours (including all core courses) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

SMGT 4902 Capstone Seminar (4 Credits)

The purpose of the Capstone Seminar is to develop and apply transferable professional skills to persuade decision-makers. The course requires students to identify a Capstone subject matter, develop a premise, and argue for an applied solution. Students will conduct research to create a strong argument that supports their premise by considering purpose, need, and audience and will provide evidence that the premise can be implemented. Tasks include gathering and evaluating appropriate source information, writing a strong solution in support of the premise, and then defending the solution. Students will write a Capstone paper and prepare a presentation suitable for professional exposure through publication and/or presentation.

SMGT 4910 Research Practices and Applications (4 Credits)

This course develops competencies including principles and practices of: academic inquiry, writing, and ethics. Students will complete Institutional Review Board (IRB) training, data collection, analysis, and evaluation; and synthesize application of peer-reviewed literature. Competencies will be applied and integrated throughout the course of study and demonstrated in the culminating work of the master’s degree. Competencies are additionally developed for use in professional employment settings.

SMGT 4980 Internship (0-4 Credits)

The internship is designed to offer students a purposeful experience in a practical, industry related setting. The internship is an individualized learning experience and a training plan is created for each student in conjunction with the internship site to provide experiences related to the skills and knowledge covered in the certificate and master's programs.

SMGT 4991 Independent Study (1-8 Credits)

This is an advanced course for students wishing to pursue an independent study. The student must be accepted in a degree program, have earned a grade point average of 3.0 or better, obtained the approval of the department director, and have completed the Independent Study form and filed the form with all appropriate offices before registering for the independent study. Independent study is offered only on a for-credit basis.