Public Safety Administration - Bachelor of Applied Science

College of Public Safety Administration

PSA-BAS

Program Leadership Information

Sara Brown
brown.sara@spcollege.edu
(727) 341-4490

Susan Demers
Dean
demers.susan@spcollege.edu
(727) 791-2501

Program Summary

This program is offered as a Fully Online program. This program develops competencies that help students solve management problems, understand finance and budgets, fine tune strategic plans, develop and evaluate programs, enhance human resource potential, increase productivity and address internal organizational issues.

The PSA-BAS degree, along with the appropriate certifications, prepares graduates for entry-level positions in law enforcement, fire services, corrections, emergency medical services, emergency administration management, and industrial security enterprises in government and private sector agencies.

The Academic Pathway is a tool for students that lists the following items:
  • the recommended order in which to take the program courses
  • suggested course when more than one option exists
  • which semester each course is typically offered
  • if the course has a prerequisite
  • courses that may lead to a certificate (if offered in the program)
If you are starting the program this term, click here to access the recommended Academic Pathway.

If you have already started the program, click one of the following for the archived Academic Pathways. Please verify the Academic Pathway lists your correct starting semester.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. 1: Apply appropriate strategies to manage, supervise, and lead public safety administration departments and staff.
  2. 2: Accurately evaluate response methods related to rapidly changing environments and communities.
  3. 3: Summarize ethical and legal decision making processes in public safety administration using higher order critical thinking skills.
  4. 4: Analyze effective communication and problem solving practices for application to various public safety administration scenarios.

Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree Admission Guides outline criteria specific to each program including course requirements, GPA and the application process.

Graduation Requirements

Students who have not completed an AS degree in a Public Safety Related field are required to complete 24 credits total of lower division public safety courses in addition to the bachelor level classes. These courses include the pre-fixes of CCJ, CJL, CJB, CJD, CJE, CJT, DSC, EMS, and FFP.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: If you have not completed two years of the same foreign language in high school or 8 credits in college, you will need to complete 8 credits of foreign language before completing the BAS Program.

CIVIC LITERACY: As per Florida Rule 6A-10.04213, baccalaureate degree students entering a Florida College System (FCS) or State University System (SUS) institution in the 2021-2022 academic school year and thereafter must demonstrate competency through successful completion of a civic literacy course AND by achieving a passing score on the Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE).

Program Requirements

GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES
Additional General Education Courses
Credits 18
Enhanced World View Requirements
0
A. Communications
9
B. Humanities/Fine Arts
6
C. Mathematics
6
D. Natural & Physical Sciences
6-7
E. Social & Behavioral Sciences
6
F. Ethics
3
G. Computer/Information Literacy Competency (see catalog for details)
0
ADMISSIONS COURSES
60 credits in a related discipline with at least 15 General Education credits
Credits 60
MAJOR CORE COURSES
Core Requirements (Complete 27 credits)
Credits 27
MAN 3301
Public Personnel Management (Active)
3
PAD 3311
Program Planning & Evaluation (Historical)
3
PAD 3820
Foundations of Public Safety Administration (Historical)
3
PAD 3874
Community Relations Theory and Practice (Historical)
3
PAD 4046
Managing Conflict in Public Organizations (Active)
3
PAD 4204
Public Finance (Active)
3
PAD 4232
Grant Administration & Resource Development (Active)
3
PAD 4603
Administrative Law (Active)
3
PAD 4878 1
Public Safety Administration Capstone (Active)
3
1Prior to registering for Capstone course (PAD 4878) all other coursework should be completed (or enrolled in).
MAJOR ELECTIVE COURSES
Elective Courses (Select 6 credits)
Credits 6
CCJ 3075 *
Introduction to Cybercrime (Active)
3
COM 3120
Organizational Communication (Active)
3
ISM 3011
Management Information Systems (Active)
3
MAN 3240
Applied Organizational Behavior (Historical)
3
MAN 3303
Management & Leadership Practices (Active)
3
MAN 4863
Facilities and Property Management (Historical)
3
PAD 3034
Survey of Public Policy (Active)
3
PAD 4332
Strategic and Operational Planning (Historical)
3
PAD 4393
Critical Incident Management (Active)
3
*Note: Completion of CCJ 3075 will result in 3 credits being applied to the Major Core Elective requirement OR 3 credits applied to the Cybercrime (CC) subplan requirement.
SUBPLAN
Select ONE subplan from below (Complete 9 credits):
Credits 9
SUBPLAN CORE COURSES
Subplan: Criminal Justice (CJ)
Credits 0
CJC 3163
Management of Community Corrections (Historical)
3
CJC 3311
Contemporary Issues & Trends in Corrections (Active)
3
CJC 3601
Corrections Practice & Policy (Active)
3
CJE 3263
International Organized Crime (Active)
3
CJE 3341
Patrol Issues in Law Enforcement Administration (Active)
3
CJE 3361
Management of Specialized Law Enforcement Units (Active)
3
CJE 3611
Criminal Investigations Theory and Practice (Active)
3
PAD 4014
Political & Socio-Economic Impact of Gangs (Active)
3
SUBPLAN CORE COURSES
SUBPLAN: Cybercrime (CC)
Credits 0
CCJ 3075
Introduction to Cybercrime (Active)
3
CJE 3213
Digital Forensics in Public Safety (Active)
3
CJE 3214
Advanced Topics in Digital Forensics (Active)
3
CJE 3215
Mobile Device Forensics (Active)
3
SUBPLAN CORE COURSES
SUBPLAN: Emergency Management and Homeland Security (EMHS)
Credits 0
FES 3823
Planning Methodology for Hazard Mitigation (Active)
3
FES 3833
Emerging Issues in Environmental Disaster Management (Active)
3
FES 4014
Evolution of Emergency Management (Historical)
3
PAD 4393
Critical Incident Management (Active)
3
SUBPLAN CORE COURSES
SUBPLAN: Fire Science (FSE)
Credits 0
FES 3003
Political and Legal Foundations for Fire Protection (Active)
3
FES 3015
Advanced Fire Administration (Active)
3
FES 3533
Community Fire & Risk Reduction (Active)
3
FES 3780
Analytical Approaches to Public Fire Protection (Active)
3
FES 4585
Fire Prevention Organization and Management (Active)
3
FFP 3785
Chief Officer (Historical)
3
SUBPLAN CORE COURSES
SUBPLAN: Multi Cross Discipline (CD)
Credits 0
Choose 9 credits from the Subplans above
9
Total: 120