Everything You Need To Know About Studying Public Safety

If you’ve always wanted a career where you get to help others, or have been inspired by the work of firefighters, police, or National Security, you may want to consider a Master’s in Public Safety.

In this post, you’ll learn what a Public Safety Master’s really teaches you and why it can help you take the next step in your career.

What does a Master’s in Public Safety entail?

Those that graduate as a Master of Public Safetywill have the knowledge and professional skillset to pursue a variety of careers in the field. You’ll then be able to combine your education with real-world experiences to transform the lives of those in your local community, or even at a national scale.

There are typically four public safety Master’s degrees you can choose from: Border strategies, National Security, Emergency Management, and Countering Crime. Each will give you plenty of insight into the sector, giving you the chance to make an informed decision about which area you’d like to work in.

Each course will also start with the basics of public safety in the modern world and public safety administration.

What can I do with a focus on Border Strategies?

Border control is a hugely relevant and highly controversial challenge in modern society. On border strategies courses, you’ll be learning a lot about current affairs and the way border security actually works. You’ll also learn all about the interconnectedness of borders and the different perspectives of immigration.

As part of the course, there will be a significant focus on government systems and infrastructure such as health care, telecommunications, transportation, and how each intertwines with the others.

Cyberattacks is yet another threat that those pursuing a career in public safety need to be aware of. So, you’ll investigate cybersecurity strategies to help improve cyber hygiene and how to protect the nation from cybersecurity threats. 

Of course, another key element of border security is immigration. These courses will give you an in-depth look into border intelligence, how policymakers create border policies, human trafficking, the drug trade, and much more.

Even if you’re not interested in a career in public safety, border security is certainly an interesting course to take, as you’ll learn so much about current affairs.

Career prospects in Border Strategies

Those who graduate with a Border Strategies Masters can often secure themselves a position as a Border Services Officer. Trainees in this role can enjoy a salary between $64,000-72,000. This salary then has the potential to grow after training, with the highest officers earning around $1125,381.

Other job titles for Border Strategy graduates include Superintendent, Duty Chief or Regional Director.

What can I do with a Countering Crime specialization?

If policing has always been of interest, specializing in countering crime may be a great choice for you. The course will cover techniques for prioritizing decisions based on data and evidence, how to cultivate positive relationships in local communities and how to really define criminal organizations.

A Countering Crime course also looks at the ethical challenges of sharing intelligence and the impact of criminal organizations on community crime and safety. Through this, you’ll be given the opportunity to compare different policing models.

Police and other agency professionals will benefit from a countering crime course, as they will learn how to better work with diverse communities and which policies and administration work best. The course will also highlight signs of discrimination – both systemic and personal – to help individuals challenge their own personal values and assumptions.

Career prospects in Countering Crime

Countering Crime is a popular specialization for EMTs, and other individuals who want to boost their chances of promotion in their current field. Other roles available for graduates are data analyst, crime analyst, or data specialist.

If you find yourself interested in policy, a policy analyst can earn anywhere from $46,000 to $81,000.

Crime Analysts will work in police stations in criminal investigations. You could end up earning as much as $100,940 a year.

Finally, data analysts in both the public and private sectors have a lucrative salary of around $75,000 to $95,000, with annual bonuses also on the cards.

Those specializing in counter crime could even go onto become consultants in relation to human trafficking and the drug trade.

Can I study Emergency Management?

Absolutely.

When taking a Master’s in Public Safety, you’ll be given the option to specialize in emergency management. During the course, you’ll learn how the different public service agencies work together to handle mass disasters and keep danger under control.

While disasters can vary significantly, there are still levels of scene control, preparedness, and prioritization of response that can work across the board. These are the sorts of things an Emergency Management course can teach.

You’ll be guided through the history of emergency management, as well as the effective policies and strategies used in the modern-day. This will include creating risk assessments, strategy development and concept planning.

Job prospects for Emergency Management

With a specialism in emergency management, you’ll have the opportunity to work in both the private and public sector. If you’ve enjoyed your time at university, you may even land a role as a Campus Safety Coordinator.

Of course, common careers for those in emergency management are firefighters and EMS workers. However, there are more senior positions available such as Senior Emergency Planning Officer, Risk Management and Patient Safety and Director of Security.

Those working in emergency management can earn an average salary of $76,789 to $109,023.

Studying National Security

Specializing in national security will give you the skills, experience, and knowledge to become an innovative leader or policymaker. You’ll gain a deep understanding of the Rule of Law, the overall justice system, and potential global threats.

While researching the Rule of Law, students will evaluate the reliability and equality of the justice system and why justice reform is so important. You’ll get the chance to address historic injustices and how reform attempted to reconciliate these issues.

Finally, you’ll take a look at globalization and terrorism, critically analyzing threats and how national security across the world has to work together.

Career prospects in National Security

National Security graduates could find themselves working in analytics and data mining or as a security screening investigator for Criminal Intelligence. You’ll also have the transferrable skills you need to work in HR, planning, and recruitment.

Analysts for Criminal Intelligence typically earn around $73,393 a year. Planning officers come in a little lower at $69,691 but could easily work their way up to $94,963 a year.