APU Course equivalents

[defscarlett]

After much deliberation, I decided that a 4 year degree from one of the Big 3 even though it would be much quicker and cheaper wasn't what was going to help me with my career as much as getting the degree that I want from APU. I am currently enrolled in the BA in Emergency & Disaster Management with an undergrad certificate in Security Management from American Public University/American Military University. I was going over finances today and looks like even with financial aid, I would still have to get about $10,000 in student loans. While this is much less than most college students, and I'm willing to do it if necessary. I figured I would ask if anyone knew of any cheaper alternatives to some of the required course work I'll need for my degree. APUS courses are $250 a credit hour, so $750 a course. The caveat is that it must be from either an RA or NA accredited school, and classes must be self paced or 8 week schedule. I cannot fit any more ACE/CLEP/ECE/DSST credit into my degree program as I am already at my 30 credit max. I know it's a long shot because many of these courses are very specialized, but you guys are amazing, so I though I would at least put it out there. Here is the link to APUS' catalog and course descriptions 2014/2015 Undergraduate Catalog

1. COLL 300 Research Analysis and Writing
   
2. EDMG 220 Emergency Planning
   
3. EDMG 230 Emergency & Disaster Incident Command
   
4. EDMG 320 Natural Disaster Management
   
5. PBHE 413 Special Operations in EMS
   
6. POLS 410 Public Policy
   
7. PSYC 431 Psychology of Disaster
   
8. SCIN 137 Intro Meterology w/lab
   
9. EDMG 420 Risk Communication
   
10. SCMT 370 Principles and Theory of Security Issues
    
11. SCMT 371 Legal & Ethical Issues in Security Management
    
12. SCMT 373 Evaluation of Security Programs
    
13. SCMT 374 Contemporary Issues in Security Management
    
14. Any other Science course w/lab
    

[sanantone]

I don't see much of a difference between APUS' Emergency and Disaster Management Program and TESC's Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness program. They both combine emergency management and homeland security. Is this more about the school's reputation in the public sector?

Granted, TESC does not have a security management program, but criminal justice is the more widely-recognized degree in that field anyway. Honestly, I put homeland security and security management in the same pile. They've made an attempt to target a certain field, but more well-established majors are still much more preferred. For example, the government asks for political science, international relations, and national security degrees way more than it asks for homeland security degrees. Corporate security jobs will almost always ask for criminal justice and business administration degrees. A rare ad might mention homeland security. Security management degrees are rarely on anyone's mind when coming up with job requirements because it's not a well-known major. Recently, I've only come across one job ad in Texas (where the OP lives just in case anyone's wondering) that mentions a security management degree. Emergency management is a different story because it doesn't really have any well-established competitors in academia.

Honestly, I don't know what the undergraduate certificate in security management will do for you. Many criminal justice programs offer security courses. Regardless of whether you're considering the Big 3 or APUS, Penn Foster offers ACE-approved criminal justice courses in security management and physical security; but, I'm assuming you already have those since you didn't ask about them. APUS should take them just based on PF's DEAC accreditation, so they won't count as ACE credits there.

[defscarlett]

I don't see much of a difference between APUS' Emergency and Disaster Management Program and TESC's Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness program. They both combine emergency management and homeland security. Is this more about the school's reputation in the public sector?

Granted, TESC does not have a security management program, but criminal justice is the more widely-recognized degree in that field anyway. Honestly, I put homeland security and security management in the same pile. They've made an attempt to target a certain field, but more well-established majors are still much more preferred. For example, the government asks for political science, international relations, and national security degrees way more than it asks for homeland security degrees. Corporate security jobs will almost always ask for criminal justice and business administration degrees. A rare ad might mention homeland security. Security management degrees are rarely on anyone's mind when coming up with job requirements because it's not a well-known major. Recently, I've only come across one job ad in Texas (where the OP lives just in case anyone's wondering) that mentions a security management degree. Emergency management is a different story because it doesn't really have any well-established competitors in academia.

Honestly, I don't know what the undergraduate certificate in security management will do for you. Many criminal justice programs offer security courses. Regardless of whether you're considering the Big 3 or APUS, Penn Foster offers ACE-approved criminal justice courses in security management and physical security; but, I'm assuming you already have those since you didn't ask about them. APUS should take them just based on PF's DEAC accreditation, so they won't count as ACE credits there.

There's several reasons I have decided to switch, one of which is the school's good reputation. I'm only 4 or 5 classes away from graduation at TESC, but all of the other courses I need need to be taken at TESC. I have tried several times and I just can't handle their courses, I've written a thread about it awhile ago, but short story, WAY too much writing and unrelated prompts to reading and other assignments, which is okay, but with all the other reading I don't have the time to research brand new topics after reading 5 chapters in a text book a week. I also found that APU was a fantastic school, and the classes that I have taken through them I've learned much more than any other college course I've taken.

The certificate is primarily just for professional development, as I just needed more graded credits for the degree, So I figured I would take courses that would assist me now. I currently am in Security Management and would like to move into Emergency Management

[sanantone]

I feel like I've mentioned this to you before, but Central Texas College and San Antonio College offer online courses in homeland security and emergency management. These could cover the lower level courses. CTC also offers environmental science with lab. Course availability varies by session.

Central Texas College

HMSY 1337 Introduction to Homeland Security 3
EMAP 1400 Principles of Basic Emergency
Management 4
LGLA 1304 Military and National Security
Legal Issues 3
HMSY 1338 Homeland Security Emergency
Communications Management 3
HMSY 1342 Understanding and Combating
Terrorism 3
EMAP 2355 Disaster Recovery
HMSY 1339 Homeland Security Emergency
Contingency Planning 3
EMAP 2300 Developing Volunteer Resources and
Decision Making
HMSY 1370 IT Security for Homeland Security
Specialists 3
EMAP 2301 Leadership and Effective
Communication
HMSY 1371 Counter Terrorism 3
HMSY 2337 Managing a Unified Incident Command 3
HMSY 1470 Final Project in Homeland Security
and Emergency Management
HMSY 2476 Internship 4
HMSY 1341 Critical Infrastructure Protection
EMAP 2302 Managing Mass Casualty and Fatality
Incidents

San Antonio College
Introduction to Homeland Security
Critical Infrastructure Protection
Understanding and Combating Terrorism
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Transportation Security