by Shane Henson — October 18, 2013—The American Public University System (APUS) and the CSO Roundtable of ASIS International, a private membership group of the senior-most security executives from the world’s largest organizations, recently announced a new online education program designed to meet the specific needs of security executives.
As Jeff Hawkins of American Military University explains the situation, the security industry is one of the largest industries lacking people with college degrees. Chief security officers (CSOs) get their positions because they know security. Once in those positions, they work with company executives who know budgets and management and planning strategies that most security officers have never dealt with at that level, he adds.
The Business Essentials for Security Executives certificate program provides security executives with skills identified by the CSO Roundtable as being gaps in the industry. The graduate program requires 18 semester hours of study, with all courses offered online through American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU).
Topics covered include chief security officer fundamentals, managerial analysis, quantitative analysis, applied decision-making, leadership, and cross-cultural management. The program could be a boon for security professionals wanting to increase their knowledge and skillset without having to commit to a four-year degree.
According to APUS, course content was developed using an in-depth needs analysis that was based on input from the organization’s membership. The analysis identified the skills required for CSOs to advance in the field. APUS then developed an academic program to provide the appropriate graduate-level education to Roundtable members and other senior security executives.
“Our partnership with AMU presented an exceptional opportunity for the CSO Roundtable and its members to contribute directly to the advancement of the security profession and to support the future growth and development of their peers,” said Rick Kelly, director of global security for Ingersoll Rand and vice president of the CSO Roundtable. “This certificate program will open vast opportunities for senior security executives worldwide to gain the business knowledge required to develop and present a defensible business case for security.”
