Homeland security professionals in Missouri work with law enforcement to help protect and safeguard the state’s citizens. Homeland security careers in Missouri are varied and may fall under the umbrella of a federal agency, state agency or private industry provider. The Missouri Office of Homeland Security (OHS) is under the jurisdiction of the Missouri Department of Public Safety.
Missouri ‘s OHS has been divided into regions, labeled A through I, to better protect all areas of the state. Each region has a Regional Homeland Security Oversight Committee, supported by law enforcement, emergency management, public works, fire departments, private industry and education providers. Additionally, Missouri’s Homeland Security Regional Response System ensures coverage of homeland security emergencies at the regional level. This focuses primarily on chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological, explosives and weapons of mass destruction.
Homeland Security Education in Missouri
Education for homeland security careers usually involves obtaining a post-undergraduate certificate, which requires between 12 and 24 hours of college education at the graduate level.
Prerequisites for homeland security training in Missouri vary from school to school. Some schools require that students who are interested in studying homeland security be enrolled in a graduate program simultaneously. A minimum undergraduate GPA is usually required for admission, as is a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (usually any field is acceptable). Unless the school requires its students to be enrolled in a graduate program, GRE scores may not be required for admission to a homeland security certification program.
Courses in a homeland security training programs in Missouri may include the following topics or titles:
- Foundations of homeland security
- Homeland defense and security in practice
- Strategic planning and organizing in homeland security
- Multi-disciplinary approaches and collaboration in homeland security
Missouri ‘s Homeland Security Organizations
Once a homeland security certification or degree program in Missouri is completed, career opportunities are vast. Some graduates choose to work with state agencies, while others seek employment within the private sector. Careers that may be available to those with homeland security training in Missouri include:
- Missouri Department of Public Safety Office of Homeland Security
- Director
- Assistant director
- Cybersecurity
- Education
- Missouri Center for Education Safety – a collaboration of the Missouri Office of Homeland Security, Missouri Department of Public Safety, and the Missouri School Boards’ Association
- College careers (instructing or in homeland security on college campuses)
- Law enforcement
- Missouri State Police
- County sheriff departments
- City/county police departments
- Armed forces
- Missouri National Guard
- Military Security Officer
- Missouri National Guard
- U.S. Secret Service
- Secret Service Agent
- Emergency management/response
- 114 counties in Missouri, with emergency management department jobs such as
- Emergency coordinator
- Flood plain administrator
- 114 counties in Missouri, with emergency management department jobs such as
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration – Springfield office
- DEA Agent
- Missouri Department of Corrections Division of Probation and Parole
- Probation and Parole Officer
- Private sector companies, such as
- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) — a private company that contracts with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Defense and other federal and state agencies. Its Missouri office is in Fort Leonard Wood.
- CACI, headquartered in McLean, Virginia but with offices in the St. Louis, MO area, provides information technology for state and federal government agencies
- Serco, Inc. provides management, technology and professional services for federal government agencies like DHS