In an effort to better prepare future decision-makers to strengthen homeland defense, a college in Ohio has announced that it will offer a master's degree in security policy studies.

The News-Herald reports that the school will launch the graduate program in the fall of 2001 with the goal of educating current and future strategic analysts, intelligence specialists and emergency response managers. The college currently offers an undergraduate concentration in intelligence studies, which was established to help meet an increasing demand in the field following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The new graduate program will culminate in a real-world, strategic project that will be organized by the federal government or a private sector. The director of the security policy studies said that the program is in response to an increased demand for individuals with more sophisticated levels of readiness for entry-level homeland security jobs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the number of job opportunities in the federal government will increase by 10 percent over the next decade. There will be a growing demand for experts in information security and law enforcement, as well as technology specialists who can devise defense methods.

Individuals who are interested in this field may consider pursuing an online degree in information technology or network security.