Law and public service

Forensic psychology refers to the intersection of law, human behavior and thought. Professionals in this field use their expertise to assess individuals and provide psychological insights in civil and criminal matters. Your work in this field can influence law enforcement, courtroom operations and correctional facility functions.

This discipline has broad relevance for individuals working in these fields, as well as those with careers in investigations and mental health. Forensic psychologists may be responsible for determining the impact of biases on courts and conducting assessments to determine whether individuals are of sound mind.

The skills you’ll develop

This program provides an understanding of how mental health and human behavior relate to crime and the legal field. You’ll study topics such as criminal law and criminal behavior and explore the processes behind legal decision-making.

Upon graduation, you’ll be skilled in:

• Applying and understanding behavioral research.
• Bridging knowledge between the legal and mental health fields.
• Observing, measuring and analyzing human behavior.
• Utilizing research to enforce policy decisions.

Forensic psychologists must have a doctoral degree and typically complete a post-doctoral fellowship. This master’s degree in forensic psychology can prepare you for certain doctoral programs. However, other programs may require an advanced research background to earn a doctorate. If you want to pursue a doctoral degree, make sure this program is a good fit for future programs you’re considering.

Criminal psychology vs forensic psychology: The differences between the two

While the fields of criminal psychology and forensic psychology both work with law enforcement to aid in criminal investigations, their roles feature key differences. 

Professionals within the field of criminal psychology counsel and develop psychological profiles on criminals to understand motivations and diagnose mental health conditions. They may also provide expert testimony in the courtroom for criminal cases. 

Differently, forensic psychology encompasses the broad field of psychology within the criminal justice system. Forensic psychologists work with law enforcement to integrate psychology with all legal matters, including civil cases. They commonly provide evaluation on witnesses, select juries and administer mental health evaluations.  
 

The sports industry is a multibillion-dollar enterprise in the U.S. with the potential to exceed a trillion dollars globally. As the industry rapidly grows, so does a demand for professionals who understand the various challenges in this field.

This program explores topics such as antitrust and labor concerns, league and player regulations, intellectual property rights and contract negotiations. You’ll examine the forces influencing professional and amateur athletics and gain insights into sports branding, analytics and business operations.

The curriculum offers various electives, allowing you to tailor your studies to your career goals. You’ll also have the option to participate in a special project or externship related to your interests.

What is a degree emphasis? Is it the same as a concentration?

While an emphasis and concentration are similar, there are key differences.

• A concentration is a formalized selection of courses within a major requiring a minimum of 15 credit hours; at least nine must be upper division. The concentration appears on your ASU diploma and transcripts.
• An emphasis is a selected topic area defined within the major that’s typically 9–12 credit hours and doesn’t need to be officially declared.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is tasked with preparing for, preventing and responding to domestic emergencies, including terrorism and natural disasters. In this homeland security master’s degree, you’ll learn how to develop protection, mitigation and preparedness measures to minimize and prevent the impacts of natural and human-made threats and hazards.

Homeland security is one of five concentrations available as part of the Master of Arts in emergency management and homeland security program. Concentrations are typically chosen based on previous professional experience and personal interests. In this concentration, you’ll cover a variety of topics, including disaster prevention and response, management best practices and public policy.

Additional concentrations include:

• Biosecurity and threat management.
• Community resilience.
• Cybersecurity policy and management.
• Emergency management.

What you can do with a master’s in homeland security

Throughout this homeland security master’s, you’ll build important leadership skills needed to guide local or national response to potential emergencies, disasters and other societal threats before, during and after crises. Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared to take on positions across government agencies, corporations and nonprofits in a variety of fields.

Additionally, private sector firms are increasingly hiring personnel to provide internal security and intelligence analysis, both on physical and cyber-related threats. Private sector employers typically hire homeland security professionals in technology, finance, insurance and public health fields.

Do I need a degree to work for Homeland Security?

Earning a homeland security master’s degree may make you a stronger candidate when applying for management and analysis positions within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or similar agencies. A master’s degree equips you with advanced skills and knowledge to better position yourself for high-level job opportunities.

This master’s concentration incorporates a range of holistic perspectives to help you become a better collaborator, problem-solver and leader within law enforcement administration. This program encourages you to investigate the underlying causes of crime. You’ll also learn how to think through strategies to prevent and reduce crime and create strong and resilient communities.

Courses provide a solid foundation in data analysis, organizational leadership, public policy and administration. With these skills, you’ll be prepared to be a positive agent of change within police departments and law enforcement agencies.

What is law enforcement administration? Do I need a master's degree for executive roles?

Law enforcement administration organizes and ensures police departments operate according to standards and legal requirements. Administering a police department or other emergency service unit requires in-depth knowledge of the fields of law, public service and emergency management. It also requires a strong ability to understand the needs of your staff and community.

If you’re looking to lead in law enforcement administration, a law enforcement degree will help you gain the skills and experience needed to compete with other qualified candidates for the job.

In this master’s degree in public safety leadership and administration with a concentration in executive fire administration, you’ll learn to navigate fire and emergency services as a manager to reduce risk and preserve the safety of the communities your fire services division protects. You’ll also study a variety of topics, such as:

• Emergency services operations analysis.
• Fire and emergency services innovation.
• Function and impact of budgeting and finance.
• Leadership and program evaluation.

How is this master's in fire administration different from a fire science degree?

Prepare to become an agent of positive change within a fire service department. This program differs from a traditional fire science degree because of its specialization in administration and leadership. In this program, you’ll gain the skills needed to effectively organize and lead a team in a fire department, including public policy and administration, data analysis and organizational leadership. 

Will this master's degree prepare me to be a fire chief?

Upon completion of this program, you’ll be armed with the knowledge and skills needed to become a senior leader in the fire service, which includes the role of fire chief. Public safety administration leaders manage and coordinate the delivery of emergency response services. These professionals work behind the scenes to enable fire, police and other crisis response workers to provide effective, life-saving support to communities in need. 

Emergency medical services (EMS) is the practice of providing acute medical care to people outside of a hospital setting. EMS professionals, such as paramedics or EMS administrators, organize, prepare for and provide emergency health care in critical situations.

This program emphasizes the present-day objectives of emergency medical care, including mobile health care delivery and community paramedicine. Throughout this program, you’ll learn how to implement solutions and strategies to improve the patient care experience in mobile integrated health care and design emergency medical systems that better serve your community. Upon graduation, you’ll be in a position to compete for leadership employment opportunities in public, private and nonprofit EMS agencies or explore other opportunities in hospitals and behavioral and social service agencies.

Is this program similar to a master’s in paramedicine?

While this master’s degree offers courses in paramedicine through the EMS concentration, coursework also features general public safety leadership and administration teachings. For this reason, this program isn’t similar to a master’s solely focusing on paramedicine.

Who’s a good candidate for this EMS master’s degree concentration?

This online EMS master’s degree concentration is ideal for students interested in entrepreneurial and leadership roles in emergency care systems, such as administering emergency teams and organizations within mobile integrated health care.

It’s important to note that this program doesn’t offer training to become a paramedic and is designed for students who have existing experience within the field.

This program prepares you to support communities, enabling them to withstand crises, recover quickly and rebuild effectively. Courses will cover strategies to inspire change, drive impact and strengthen our urban systems. Additionally, you’ll learn to plan, manage and make quick decisions during emergencies —  key abilities for professionals in disaster resilience and response leadership positions.

Upon graduating, you’ll be prepared to:

• Anticipate and address risks, reduce vulnerabilities and improve recovery efforts.
• Lead these recovery efforts and disaster response.
• Support communities at every stage of natural and human-made emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks and acts of terrorism.

This program emphasizes protecting people, animals and plants from natural and man-made biological hazards. By integrating public health, risk management and homeland security, you’ll become prepared to address critical challenges, such as pandemics, bioterrorism and other biosecurity risks.

Courses develop your expertise in evaluating safety programs, creating plans to mitigate biological threats, managing crises and minimizing societal harm. Additionally, you’ll build leadership skills essential for guiding response and recovery efforts, enabling you to navigate high-pressure situations confidently and effectively.

This program is a concentration of ASU’s online primary Master of Arts in emergency management and homeland security degree. You’ll take a number of the same courses as the general program, but with two courses focused on biosecurity and threat management.

How biodefense and biosecurity compare

Biodefense, a subset of biosecurity, focuses on protecting human health and the environment from biological agents used as weapons. It involves developing medical countermeasures, such as vaccines and treatments, and creating strategies for detecting and responding to biological threats.

Biosecurity, on the other hand, focuses on preventing the accidental or intentional release of harmful biological agents. This includes safeguarding dangerous materials from theft or loss and ensuring their safe handling and storage through strict policies and procedures.

With rising concerns about biological weapons and infectious disease outbreaks, biodefense is rapidly growing. Increased investments from governments, research institutions and private organizations have created a strong demand for professionals in this field.

This program equips you with the skills to strategically manage hazards and build community resilience in the face of disasters. You’ll develop the expertise to lead communities through complex challenges while promoting risk reduction and capacity building.

Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared for rewarding careers within the government, nonprofit and private sectors. Roles are available in diverse fields, including public health, sustainability and traditional emergency management paths. This program is also highly relevant to the private sector, where corporations increasingly rely on professionals to oversee security operations, ensure supply chain resilience and mitigate risks.

The skills you’ll develop in this program

This interdisciplinary master’s combines broad strategic insights with practical, applied knowledge, preparing you to address the complex challenges of the 21st century. You’ll develop key skills in GIS, quantitative and policy analysis, program evaluation, decision-support technologies and more. Coursework also emphasizes governance, inter-agency coordination and cross-sector collaboration, preparing you to navigate the complexities of managing emergencies across diverse organizations.

This program is a concentration of ASU’s online primary Master of Arts in emergency management and homeland security degree. You’ll take most of the same courses as the general program, but two will focus on emergency management.