Public Safety Administration, B.A.
Program Coordinator: Kevin E. Hughes, PhD
Program Overview
The primary focus of the Bachelor of Arts in Public Safety Administration program is to meet the educational needs of adults who are presently working in various public safety environments. The primary target is the individual who has completed some college work and is interested in completing requirements for the baccalaureate degree. This course of study provides students an opportunity to explore a management career in public safety or, particularly, to advance their position in that system. It allows individuals who have completed the necessary prerequisite semester hours of college to attend class online and complete the Bachelor of Arts in Public Safety Administration degree.
Program Objectives
The Bachelor of Arts in Public Safety Administration program encourages the development of the whole person through a sequenced curriculum that integrates increasingly advanced cognitive, social, and interpersonal skills; values and ethics clarification; and spiritual and physical growth. Within the major, certain required courses form the background of skills and information the student needs to succeed. Its curriculum seeks to encourage the student to achieve the following program objectives:
- demonstrate a foundation of knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to succeed in a public safety profession or to enter into graduate school;
- demonstrate understanding of the legal and political framework under which the public safety system operates, and embrace the opportunity to seek specific advocacy measures of public safety while examining major assumptions about public safety, in general;
- become critical thinkers who can articulate—in both oral and written form—a comprehensive knowledge of public safety justice issues, particularly from a Christian perspective and framework;
- articulate relevant and critical questions concerning public safety and its implementation, and meaningfully address such issues from a variety of perspectives, including a restorative justice framework;
- demonstrate comprehension of relevant theories, best practices, and structures, and practically apply such knowledge to contemporary public safety administration issues;
- understand the ethical implications of the work of public safety professionals, and prepare to act with honesty and integrity as leaders who will become agents of positive change in the public safety system.
Admission Requirements
Applicants to the Public Safety Administration program are selected on the basis of their academic background and professional experience. Admission requirements include the following:
- submission of official transcripts of all previous college or university courses completed to date;
- completion of at least 56 transferable credit hours from a regionally-accredited institution(s) of higher learning with a grade of C- or better for each course;
- an overall GPA of 2.00 or higher (on a 4.00 scale) for all previous college or university coursework completed to date (an applicant with a GPA less than 2.00 may apply for probationary admittance);
- completion of an online application and Registration Agreement Form.
Applicants from countries and US territories in which English is not the primary language must also provide recent evidence of proficiency in English by scoring 80 or above on the Internet-based TOEFL with subscores in writing, reading, speaking and listening of at least 20; or scoring 550 or above on the written TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with subscores in writing and reading of at least 50. All tests of English proficiency must have been taken in the last two years to be considered for acceptance.
College-level courses from regionally-accredited institutions will be evaluated for transfer credit; credit is granted only if applicable grades were obtained. Equivalence of course content and transfer credit is determined by the GPS Public Safety Administration Program Coordinator.
Course Requirements
Required Courses
| ITDS-2051 | Personal Development & Research Skil | 1.0 credits |
| PSAD-3003 | Writing for PSA Professionals | 3.0 credits |
| PSAD-3013 | Intro to Public Safety Administration | 3.0 credits |
| PSAD-3033 | Public Service in Communities | 3.0 credits |
| MANG-3073 | Management & Leadership Techniques | 3.0 credits |
| PSAD-3023 | Public Safety Ethics and Law | 3.0 credits |
| BSST-3083 | Business Research Methods | 3.0 credits |
| MANG-3083 | Organizational Behavior | 3.0 credits |
| ACCT-3013 | Business Accounting | 3.0 credits |
| POLI-3033 | Public Policy | 3.0 credits |
| MANG-3123 | Managing Human Resources | 3.0 credits |
| PSAD-4003 | Emergency Response Planning & Management | 3.0 credits |
| PSAD-4013 | Risk Assessment Project | 3.0 credits |
Total 37 Hours
Graduation Requirements
The student must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours (with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00) including:
- Successful completion of the GPS General Education Core (39 hours):
- 15 credit hours in Arts and Humanities (Minimum of 3 credit hours in an English composition course with a research writing component; minimum of 3 credit hours in Bible/Theology)
- 15 credit hours in Natural and Social Sciences, and Mathematics (Minimum of 3 credit hours in Mathematics; minimum of 3 credit hours in Social Science; and minimum of 3 credit hours in Natural Science with laboratory)
- 9 credit hours in Liberal Arts electives
- Completion of at least 39 credit hours of upper division course work (3000 level or higher);
- Successful completion of the 37 credit hours of the Public Safety Administration curriculum with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50. A student who receives a grade below "C-" in any Public Safety Administration course will be required to repeat that course until a grade of C- or better is earned. All repeated coursework to replace grade of D+, D, F, W, or X is at the student's expense.