Department of Political Science and Public Affairs

Homeland Security and Emergency Management

The SSU Homeland Security and Emergency Management Program (HSEM) is built on the existing body of knowledge in homeland security and emergency management as well as current and developing research, with an emphasis on lessening the impacts of disasters on our most vulnerable residents. The program prepares students to move into entry-level public and private sector positions in this growing field.

The HSEM program uses an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to homeland security and emergency management, preparing students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to leverage and coordinate the full range of capacity and resources to improve outcomes in a disaster - whether natural or human-caused. The program offers students’ knowledge specific to different types and causes of disaster, lessons from past disasters, and both comprehensive and hazard-specific practices that lead to effective prevention, protection, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Savannah State University expanded its footprint into Liberty County and Hinesville, GA on February 7, 2019, with its partnership with Georgia Southern University’s Liberty Campus to offer Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM). The SSU HSEM program is the first bachelor’s degree program in homeland security and/or emergency management in the state of Georgia and the first in the nation at a historically black college/university.

The program leads to the bachelor’s degree in homeland security and emergency management. Students must earn 120 hours to graduate, with 36 semester hours in major courses, with no requirement for a subject area minor. The program also offers a minor and a 15-hour certificate in HSEM.

Political Science

The Department of Political Science and Public Affairs offers the Bachelor of Science degree in political science. Students majoring in political science may elect to concentrate in pre-law, public administration, American Politics, or international (comparative) politics. The Political Science program seeks to prepare leaders for greatness in public service to Georgia and beyond, and who are able to

Demonstrate an understanding of American governmental structures, as well as comparative political systems;
Exhibit knowledge of the political science literature and have the ability to retrieve information and acquire knowledge on their own;
Communicate effectively about the impact of political science in society and the significance of the discipline in the social sciences;
Pursue graduate and professional schools;
Compete successfully for entry-level jobs in the domestic and international arenas in Georgia and beyond; and
Perform at higher levels of economic productivity, social responsibility, and moral excellence in their chosen field

Minor in Urban Studies and Planning

Minor in Urban Studies and Planning is designed to enable undergraduate students to obtain valuable skills necessary to expand their employability and opportunities for graduate study in urban planning. The minor is available within the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs but may also supplement the skills of students in other areas such as Business, Environmental Sciences, and Civil Engineering and Technology. This minor provides students with a general awareness and understanding of planning as a process for making public decisions about the allocation of resources. The minor will provide a thorough overview of the practice of planning and its role in urban politics and collective decision-making.