Curriculum Details
This area of study provides a foundation for career fields in the U.S. military services, to include Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, as well as the Reserve components to include The Air National Guard and The Army National Guard, and with the State of Texas, the Texas State Guard. While those who have career aspirations to serve in the nation’s military are the primary audience, the baccalaureate degree is open to any student who seeks to major in the discipline and pursue civilian careers in business and government.
LDRS 2301- Foundations of Leadership
This course examines leadership theories and models of those theories in varying contexts and perspectives. This examination allows students to develop a broad understanding of leadership and its complexities. Traditional and emerging theories of leadership are addressed within the
underlying framework of how they apply to individuals, groups, organizations, and society. Additionally, students will begin exploring and articulating their own thinking on leadership and how it relates to their emerging leadership philosophy.
LDRS 2302- The Elements of Leading Teams
This course examines fundamental principles of group work and develops perspectives of leadership within teams to include team and group dynamics, organization, planning, and group behavior. Strategies for organizational assessment, tools for developing people within organizations, and techniques for developing and designing programs are also examined. Through intentional group interaction, students will achieve a more complete and holistic philosophical team leadership framework. Over the course of the semester, individuals will have opportunities to practice and apply what they have learned.
LDRS 3301- Leadership and Change
This course examines the leader’s primary role in organizational change and develops skills and tools that can equip a leader to succeed in the often-turbulent organizational environment. Vision, mobilizing and empowering individuals and groups is significant for any leader effecting organizational change. The leader’s knowledge, skills, and organizational awareness are some of the necessary elements that are predictors for successful change. With that in mind, this course provides a brief introduction to existing theory and practice of leadership, tools and techniques that enable leaders to thrive, the role of organizational culture in the change process, and the nature of structure and its transformation that leads to organizational effectiveness.
LDRS 3302- Leadership and Ethics
Advanced study of important historical and contemporary ethical theories. Includes assessment and development of character and actions, application of ethical theories, their justification and relationship to society, and objective or subjective status in today’s society.
LDRS 4308- Leadership Studies Capstone
Capstone leadership course that serves as the cumulation of the Leadership and Strategic Studies program. Students use leadership theories and concepts to research leadership challenges and opportunities within the national defense system and organizations broadly. Students will employ research methods to gather and analyze data related to their research topic and write and present their findings and substantive recommendations in an appropriate forum. Prerequisite: None.
SOCI 1301- Introductory Sociology
A general introduction to the concepts and elementary methods used in the study of society. Special attention is given to social organization, social stratification, social institutions, formal organizations, small groups, and social change.
SOCI 3330- Social Science Statistics
Surveys the application of elementary forms of statistical processes, including central tendency, variation, the normal curve and Z scores, analysis of variance, regression analysis, and correlations, to social science data. The application of statistics will be made to the following areas: social work, sociology, criminal justice, political science, and gerontology. SPSS will be utilized for data analysis.
HIST 1301- United States History 1
This course is a survey of United States history from the first European contacts through the end of the Reconstruction Period. It is designed to cover the broad sweep of United States political, cultural, social, and economic history with emphasis on those periods that have helped to shape a distinctive American character. This course with HIST 1302 will fulfill the legislative requirement of two semesters of United States history.
HIST 1302- United States History 2
This course continues the survey of United States history to present times. The emphasis is on the developments that contributed to the growth of modern America. This course with HIST 1301 will fulfill the legislative requirement of two semesters of United States history.
POLS 2304- Introductory to Political Science
An introduction to the discipline of political science, with particular emphasis devoted to its development in the modern era. Topics include degree concentrations available in the program, types of political institutions, uses of political science, participation by political scientists in public affairs and public policy, an introduction to research and writing in the discipline, political theory and other discipline theories, and career options available to political science majors. Prerequisites: ENGL 1301 and sophomore standing or approval of the instructor.
CRIJ 4353- Global Cyber Security
The course presents a conceptual overview of information security and its impact on the global stage. Topics include: current trends and over all landscape in information warfare, cybercrime techniques, cyber-terrorism, and information security fundamentals. Included is an emphasis on policy implications for law enforcement at the national level.
SOCI 4302- Methods of Social Research
Principles and methods of social research, including research design, methods of observation, questionnaires, interviews, and other sources of social data; qualitative and quantitative techniques of inference; analysis and research report writing. Limited research studies and projects will be undertaken by the students. Prerequisite: Junior classification, SOCI 1301, or approval of department head.
POLS 3316- Political Science Research Methods
This course introduces students to the process of conducting research in the social sciences. Material will focus on developing research questions and extrapolating hypotheses from them, correctly and accurately reviewing prior relevant literature and how/when to cite it, applying qualitative and quantitative methods, finding sources of data and developing a case study, understanding the IRB process. Prerequisites: POLS 2304.
HIST 4301- United States and the World
A history of how world events influenced American history from 1789 to the present. The course will discuss American diplomatic and social reactions to major world occurrences. Emphasis will be on the twentieth century, particularly on the two world wars and the Cold War era. Prerequisites: 6 hours HIST and HIST 3340 (this course can also be taken concurrently), or permission of department head.
POLS 3308- International Politics
This course introduces students to concepts and theories of international politics. It covers the evolution of the contemporary nation-state system, the role of international governmental institutions, and conflict and cooperation among states. Prerequisites: POLS 2304 or Junior standing or approval of the instructor.
LEGL 4301- Constitutional Law
An introduction to the principles of American constitutionalism, specifically, the prerogatives of American political institutions. The subject is approached by close study of the documents which outline these principles, the four Organic Laws of the United States, Supreme Court cases, and political speeches. Prerequisites: GOVT 2305, HIST 1301, and HIST 1302; or approval of the instructor.
BLAW 4384- International Business Law
A study of international commercial business and the legal environment within which it operates. The study of traditional international concepts of treaties, sovereignty, public and private laws, customs laws, licensing, franchising, environmental and employment law. Special emphasis on contracts for international sale of goods (CISG), GATT and WTO Treaties, NAFTA, regional trade areas. Credit for both BLAW 4384 and BLAW 5384 will not be awarded.
POLS 3314- Comparative Politics
This course introduces students to the politics of several nations in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle east. The course focuses on the analysis of major political developments in the post- World War II era leading to the present. Topics discussed include: the legacy of the past, governing structures and processes, and contemporary political debates. Prerequisites: POLS 2304 or Junior standing or approval of the instructor.
POLS 4315- Foreign Policy
The study of America’s role in the modern world. Particular emphasis is placed on the policy makers, for example, the President, Congress, the State Department, and the Department of Defense, and on external factors such as other nations. Prerequisite: GOVT 2305 or POLS 3308 or approval of the instructor.
HIST 3317- U.S. Military History
This course covers the beginnings and growth of the American military tradition from the first English colonies through the new challenges of the 20th Century requiring changes and growth in the American military tradition. Important battles will be considered, especially those that illustrate tactical and technological developments. The primary emphasis of the class, however, will be on policy and strategic thought. Prerequisites: HIST 1301 and 1302; for History majors only, HIST 3340, which can be taken concurrently.
HIST 4300- World War II and the Holocaust
An examination of European history between the end of the First World War to the aftermath of World War II. Special attention will be devoted to the rise of Hitler in the early 1930s and the origins, process, and consequences of the Holocaust. Prerequisites: 6 hours HIST and HIST 3340 (this course can also be taken concurrently), or permission of department head.
HIST 4327- History of the British Empire
This course is designed to familiarize students with some of the major themes surrounding the rise, global growth, and fall of the British Empire. Through this course, students will develop a broader and deeper understanding of the following issues: factors for the rise of the empire; its global spread; the economics of empire; the administrative systems used in the empire; the experiences of the colonized peoples; and its eventual downfall in the 20th century. In the end, students will also be introduced to the lingering legacies of the British empire across the world. Students will be expected to develop advanced reading and analytical skills as well as a better understanding of parts of the world that were once under imperial rule. Prerequisites: 6 hours of HIST and HIST 3340 (taken previously or concurrently), or the permission of the department head.
CRIJ 3340- Homeland Security
An in-depth study of strategic, legal, policy, operational, and organizational issues associated with the defense of the U.S. homeland from foreign and domestic terrorist threats. Topics include psychology of mass movements, terrorists’ ideology, and terror, legal issues in homeland security, weapons of mass destruction, effective interfacing between local, state, and federal agencies, emergency management operations and dealing with mass casualties.
CRIJ 3341- Terrorism
This course is an in depth study of domestic and international terrorism. Major issues to be considered include history and development of terrorism, types of terrorism and terrorist groups, the role of terrorist organizations, motivations for terrorism, and the techniques of terrorism.
PHIL 4385- Philosophy Seminar
An examination of major philosophical issues and theories. May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisite: Junior classification or approval of department head.
SOCI 4313- Globalization
This course focuses on social processes and social problems as they are contained in the highly interdependent world system. Social change and development stresses historical, comparative, and critical perspectives, and addresses the problem of how and why societies and cultures around the world change and whether those changes promote justice, democracy, and development of human potential. Prerequisites: Junior standing and SOCI 1301, or department head approval.