Division of Public Safety Leadership

Johns Hopkins University School of Professional Studies in Business and Education

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Curriculum

The program consists of 14 three-credit courses for a total of 42 credits.

Year One Curriculum

Year Two Curriculum

 

  • 720.604 Ethics of Belief

     

    Students explore concepts such as logic, epistemology, and ethics and how the relationship between them influences the gathering and analysis of information and subsequent decision making. They develop and enhance skills necessary to conduct basic and complex analysis, routinely and in crisis situations. Through discussion, debate, readings, and research, students seek to answer several important questions. How much data or evidence should one collect and consider before drawing a conclusion? Can one base a conclusion solely on data or does it always reflect influences such as beliefs, will, politics, history, and other factors? To what degree is an employee accountable for undesirable consequences of a thoughtful, well-researched, logical decision? What is the difference between belief and knowledge and why does this matter when drawing conclusions?

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.635 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

    Effective employees routinely take the “pulse” of their organization and know what it means. They develop a “sixth sense” about what works and does not work within their organization and the community they serve. Students assess how people in various positions influence organizational behavior and the systems – individual, group, and cultural – that contribute to the successful operation of today’s multifaceted service agencies. Through readings, case studies, and simulations, students compare organizational behaviors, such as internal communication, quality control, and marketing, to activities in their own agencies. They employ proven and innovative approaches to assessing organizations and developing ways to accomplish organizational tasks and goals. This course includes a field experience.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.713 Managing Differences

    Successful people understand differences that go beyond traditional or stereotypical diversity-related issues. They monitor, analyze, and manage differences stemming from internal hierarchy, incompatible functions and ideals, conflicting agencies and governments, and other differences. If ignored, these differences may erupt into misinterpretation, misperception, inappropriate communication, or other behavior that harms people and institutions. Students assess differences in goals, values, beliefs, motive, function, rank, religion, race, gender, and personality. They discuss factors that influence and drive both tolerance and intolerance. Students apply techniques for overcoming behaviors that block individual, community, and organizational effectiveness in diverse settings. Through readings, case studies, and group activities, students compare various strategies for providing quality service to diverse internal and external communities.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.609 Analytical Writing

    The ability to justify and present an analytical conclusion in clear, succinct prose is essential for anyone supplying policy-makers with information they need to formulate a decision. Students consider traditional and innovative methods of intelligence briefing, focusing on the difference between accuracy and truth in nonfiction writing and how facts are woven into a narrative form. Students prepare written reports and presentations on a variety of topics and, in doing so, construct narratives, project credibility, convey recommendations, and reinforce key messages. All students are screened to assess writing ability.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.745 Information and Telecommunication Systems

    Technology is a tool that drives information exchange, security, intelligence analysis, and service. It is not a human problem solver. In today’s intelligence analysis environment, technology has gone beyond a solution to become a challenge. It is no longer sufficient for analysts simply to be computer literate. They can no longer trust that an existing software package or piece of hardware is doing all that is needed. They must be diligent in questioning technology and be “hands-on” in decision-making processes on what and how it is used to solve problems and sustain and improve efficiency and the quality of information. Students scrutinize the “good, bad, and ugly” of how technology is being applied to situations and organizations. Students learn to apply technology to reporting and presenting information. This course is conducted in a computer lab.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.752 Strategic Thinking: Concept, Policy, Plan, and Practice

    Strategic thinking sets a steady course for an individual task or an entire organization. It aids in confronting change, coping with crises, planning for transitions, and envisioning alternatives and new possibilities. It sustains people, programs, and assignments through changes in administration, shifts in demand for service, and political influence. Students discuss and debate strategic decisions that shaped modern history, including the use of military power to serve political ends. They examine the development of warfare from the 19th century to the present, emphasizing strategic and theoretical concepts. Through readings and discussion, students develop their strategic thinking skills and apply them to a myriad of case studies. They apply step-by-step methods to developing and implementing a strategy for their work unit. Students apply an array of techniques to assessing, modifying, and presenting strategic plans and motivating others to participate in the strategic planning process. They also examine their role in their agency’s and/or client’s strategic plan.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.718 Terrorism: Concepts, Threats and Delivery

    Students scrutinize the changing face of terrorism and terrorist threat, from a global endeavor to garner support for a cause, to small radical cells bent on causing harm for the sake of harm. They consider terrorism as a phenomenon and examine the counterforce options and constraints used to prevent and defeat terrorists. Myths, misperceptions, and hype are distinguished from fact. Students gain the tools necessary to identify and focus on legitimate threat to guide clients to address people, time, location, and behavior - the things most critical to preventing heinous terrorist acts from occurring. Through scenarios and case studies, students exhibit leadership skills in countering terrorist activity, helping other leaders and the agencies they serve maintain perspective, and minimizing panic and alarmist reaction to terrorist threat. Students identify and apply measured responses to the information they gain on crises and potential crises.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.701 Special Issues in Intelligence Analysis

    New information affecting the intelligence community emerges everyday. Subject matter on threat, response, groups, factions, and resources is voluminous. Specific areas warrant special attention. This course provides an added dimension to the degree program. Colloquia consist of half-day and full-day programs on important topics. They include guest lectures, panel discussions, and open debate. Colloquia supplement information provided in other courses and present new subject matter. Content is designed to engage students in addressing urgent, unexpected, and timely issues that arise. In the colloquia, students have the opportunity to raise issues and apply their analytical skills to an array of topics. This course includes a field experience.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.607 Leadership Through the Classics

    Every employee assumes the role of leader, formally or informally. For some, regardless of rank or position, this is a daily role. Throughout history, the “informal leader” has been a formidable presence who has wielded as much or more influence than the “hierarchical leader.” Students seek answers to timeless questions. Are leaders made or born? Are the characteristics of effective leaders timeless? Are there lessons to be found in history to guide today’s leaders and decision-makers? Will the past repeat itself? Through classical readings from literature, review of films, discussions, and debate, students discover the themes, strengths, and weaknesses of past leaders and relate these discoveries to the issues, challenges, demands, and decisions they face in today’s increasingly complex work environment.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.710 Analysis, Data Mining and Discovery Informatics

    Access to information is greater and easier than any time in history. Knowing and thinking creatively about sources of data are essential if analysts are to find a diamond amid a vast desert of potentially valuable and extraneous information. Vast amounts of data are at the fingertips of anyone willing to spend time learning to develop the right questions and creatively searching (mining) readily available data-rich sources and environments. Students focus on the full spectrum and capability of computing and analytical sciences and technologies to analyze large volumes of data. Students consider strategies, models, and methods such as the knowledge and discovery process, identifying structural patterns in data, decision trees, clustering, classification and rule of association, and other methods of acquiring knowledge from a mass of data. Students learn to convert data to useful information and apply it to the needs of the client. This course is conducted in a computer lab.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.750 Case Studies in Intelligence Analysis

    Learning through the experience of others is one of the best tools for building and enhancing skills and thought processes. Case studies from the public and private sector provide an opportunity for students to examine how leaders apply intelligence information to functions such as planning, policy-making, resource allocation, and field operations. Through the application of principles learned in previous classes and new ones offered in this course, students critique and debate approaches to a series of cases involving intelligence analysis. Through reading and analyzing case studies and interacting with guest lecturers, students identify strategies for resolving actual situations. Students present their own experiences and examples to enhance discussion of the cases. Students gain and demonstrate critical thinking skills as they apply their experience to solving the cases presented in class.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.702 Art and Science of Decision Making

    Some of the latest research into decision making indicates that fully one half of all decision fail when one considers the criteria of whether the decision made was implemented and remained implemented for a period of at least two years. Further, and more disturbingly, the research indicates that two thirds of all decisions are made using bad or failure-prone practices, contributing to the high rate of failure. Failed decisions at both the personal and organizational level carry incalculably high costs in real dollars and in terms of lost credibility and missed opportunities. In some cases, bad decisions become fiascos and debacles. Interestingly, there are three common blunders and seven traps that account for most of the poor choices we make. This course will move beyond the research to explore the practical applications of how people actually go about the process of making smart decisions. Students will work with both case examples and with their own work-related and personal decisions as part of the work. (3 credits)

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  • 720.637 Ethics and Society

     

    The survival of a society depends on the ethical behavior of its people. Students examine historical and contemporary events that influence society’s standards – morals, laws, religion, codes of conduct, and dissent. Through readings, case studies, and discussion, students compare theories and philosophies on how to form and sustain a just society. Students apply their exploration of ethics to daily decision making. They gain an understanding of the “domino effect” of moral decision making and how their decisions influence and shape people, opinions, strategies, and operations. They relate personal decision making to core concepts such as client service, teamwork, sustaining excellence, intellectual honesty, and building trust.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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  • 720.820 Current Issues: Capstone

    As a culminating course, students discuss the major issues that recurred throughout the program and the creative solutions they developed to deal with these issues. This course draws upon the knowledge students gained in previous courses and applies it to improving the quality of their work and services provided to customers. Students develop an array of new tools, such as effective questioning, and apply them to improving the products delivered to the people they serve. Through readings, lectures, dialogue, and debate, students apply the principles of enlightened leadership to challenges they face everyday. Students develop a course of action to affect positive change in their current assignment and assess their experience in the degree program.

    Notes: This course is only available to students enrolled in Division of Public Safety Leadership programs. (3 credits)

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