Public Safety Management

PUBLIC SAFETY MANAGEMENT - BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE: MIRAMAR

Summary

The Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Safety Management is designed for the public safety professional. The program is designed to expand understanding of the unique aspects of administration of all hazard emergency management and public safety. It equips progressive public safety professionals with the skills necessary to work with people, manage change in an organization, create innovation in organizations, address ethical/legal considerations, and manage an emergency environment utilizing communication skills to solve social and organizational problems. Specializations within the program include understanding of contemporary public safety policies for community risk reduction, modern policing, impact of criminal behavior, emergency medical services, community health and land use with an emphasis on localized needs including tribal relations, border policies and critical infrastructure protection in an emergent environment.  

This pathway combines public safety career industry-recognized certifications for Emergency Management Directors, Public Safety Managers, allied partners in public safety which include fire and emergency services, law enforcement, emergency medical services, municipalities, utility companies, transportation security management, border patrol, non-profit organizations, and other key public safety infrastructure partners.  

Current topics such as climate change, public health emergencies, and complex cross-border disasters will be examined. Throughout the program, students will have the opportunity to develop strategies that help communities build resilience and mitigate the disproportionate effects of disasters on socially and economically diverse populations. The program analyzes responsibilities to address how public safety organizations develop a response to these problems, the nature of the response, and how resources - budgets and personnel - are obtained, utilized, and evaluated in responding to challenges Emergency Management Directors, Public Safety Managers and first responders face in local communities. Students will have the opportunity to earn the education requirements for California Emergency Manager (CA-EM) through California Emergency Services Association, CA Office of Emergency Services (OES) / California Specialized Training Institute Specialist Certificate in Emergency Management, and/or Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Advanced Professional Series (APS) or contemporary management practices in Emergency Medical Services Management and Modern Policing concepts.

Learning Outcome(s): Students who complete the Public Safety Management Program will be able to:

1. Identify the roles and recognize the interactions of various emergency management and public safety providers within the context of the communities they serve. 
2. Analyze and categorize the historical, economic, psychological, ethical, legal, social, and political forces that influence human behavior and their effects on society. 
3. Integrate emergency management principles, regulations, budgeting, and research into managing disasters throughout all phases of the emergency life cycle.
4. Create plans for all-risk emergency preparedness utilizing data analysis based on local, tribal, state, territorial and federal government initiatives that reflect effective risk assessment strategies and consider socio-cultural, economic, international relations and political influences.
5. Integrate equity into all facets of disaster policy, programs, and practice with the goal of increasing cultural competence and mitigating the harmful impacts of bias on underserved groups in local communities.
6. Assess opportunities to strengthen resilience in communities that have been impacted by emergencies through understanding of whole community approach to risk reduction.
7. Design effective leadership, management, and communication strategies to meet the needs of stakeholders throughout a variety of emergency management phases. 
8. Assess the impact of critical thinking skills, written and oral communication skills, and technological competencies on the public safety realm in conjunction with the student’s career and personal philosophy. 
9. Develop a personal and professional philosophy that reflects an ethical obligation to social justice and contributes to self-growth, respect for others, and professional commitment to disaster and emergency management, community crisis and public safety needs in the 21st century.

Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Applicants must have successfully completed the program prerequisites and lower division general education requirements, each with a grade of "C" (or “P”) or better:

One of the following Public Safety recognized Associate Degrees or equivalent, satisfies the program prerequisites required for the Public Safety Management Baccalaureate Degree.

• Associate of Science: Public Safety Management
• Associate of Science: Company Officer Certification
• Associate of Science: Entry Level Firefighter
• Associate of Science: Open Water Lifeguard
• Associate of Science: Administration of Justice
• Associate of Science: Contemporary Police Technologies
• Associate of Science: Fire Prevention
• Associate of Science: Law Enforcement
• Associate of Science: Correctional Technologies
• Associate of Science: Investigations Specialization
• Associate of Science: Emergency Medical Technology and Paramedic

Lower Division General Education Requirement

Completion of one of the approved lower-division general education patterns listed in the Academic Requirements–Baccalaureate Degree section of this catalog.

The Baccalaureate Degree

The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree is intended for students interested in a high-level career in technical education.

Minimum 120 Units Required

The following is required for all California community college BS degrees:

• A combination of lower division and upper division coursework totaling a minimum of 120 semester units applicable to a baccalaureate degree.
• Completion of a minimum of 36 semester units of general education that includes lower division general education and upper division general education as outlined below.
• A minimum of 40 semester units of upper-division courses, including a minimum of nine semester units of upper-division general education.

Note: Unit requirements vary by program. See the specific program requirements section of the catalog for details on unit distribution and major requirements.

Grade Point Average (GPA) and Minimum Grade Requirements

• All courses designated as upper division major requirements must be completed with a grade of "C" or better. A 'P" (pass) grade meets this requirement.
• Completion of the requirement for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in the degree-applicable courses.

Minimum Units in Residence

• Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 12 degree applicable semester units in residence within the San Diego Community College District.
• The 12-unit in residence requirement is effective regardless of catalog year.
• Courses completed via credit for prior learning, including credit by exam, do not qualify for the 12-unit in residence requirement.

General Education

Lower Division General Education

Select one of the following lower division general education options:

• SDCCD General Education and/or District Requirements plus six additional units selected from general education Area 1B-Area 6 (1 unit lab excluded). See District Requirements and General Education Requirements (Option 1 or Option 4) of this catalog.
• California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC). See General Education Requirements in the Transfer Guide of this catalog (Option 6).
• General Education Completion through an Earned Baccalaureate Degree
  • Students who submit an official transcript showing they have earned a baccalaureate degree from an institutionally accredited institution will have satisfied the SDCCD lower division general education and district requirements upon evaluation of their transcript. (Option 5)
  • Students seeking the Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degree must complete the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) general education pattern.

Courses may fulfill multiple academic requirements, such as general education, major, and additional graduation requirements. However, one course may not be counted in more than one general education area, even if the course is approved in multiple general education areas.

Upper Division General Education

Students must successfully complete a minimum of nine semester units or 13.5 quarter units of upper division general education coursework. Upper division general education courses are integrated into each baccalaureate degree program. Courses must come from at least two disciplines outside the major field of study and at least one of these courses must emphasize written communication, oral communication, or computation skills.

Specific course requirements are detailed within each bachelor's degree program requirements.

Credit for Prior Learning

Students may receive credit for knowledge and skills acquired through the district’s procedures for awarding credit for prior learning.

Limitation on Enrollment

Enrollment in upper division courses is restricted to students admitted to a baccalaureate degree program at a California community college.

Requirements