8 Best Online Bachelor’s in Public Safety Degree Programs

About

Canson-Neumann, often listed as Neumann University, is a private, faith-based institution with a worldview located in Tennessee.

Online, certificates, associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees are available.

Courses Offered

Neumann University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Public Security and Emergency Management.

This public safety administration pathway provides the skills to resolve real-world issues.

Unsurprisingly, a BS in public safety can be used in many positions, such as:

• Emergency Management Directors
• Border Patrol Agent
• Intelligence Analyst

Consisting of a total of 120 credit hours, the expected length to degree completion is four years.

General education courses, such as statistics and communication skills, are taken first.

Then the core courses include:

• Introduction to Public Safety
• Legal Framework of Emergency Management
• Crisis Communications
• Risk Assessment
• Disaster Recovery Logistics

Online tuition is $420 per credit hour.

The estimated cost for the online Bachelor of Science is $50,400.

Additional degree subject fees are possible.

Students are encouraged to apply for FAFSA, military discounts, and scholarships to defray education costs.

About

The University of Maryland Global Campus is based in Adelphi, Maryland.

It is the digital education division of the University of Maryland and was listed #1 online school for veterans in 2024 by the Military Times.

Worldwide, over 135 fields of study are offered online in undergraduate and graduate degrees and certifications.

An estimated 55,838 students are enrolled worldwide.

Courses Offered

The University of Maryland Global Campus offers an online 120-credit-hour Bachelor of Science in Public Safety Administration.

This comprehensive degree prepares students for a career in emergency management.

General education courses such as writing, psychology, and statistics are taken first.

For the major, core public safety administration courses include:

• Public Safety Planning
• Strategic Design Making
• Public Safety Research and Technology
• Legal and Ethical Issues
• Public Policy

A Public Safety Capstone is the last course needed to graduate.

Career services, mentors, and digital resources are available to all online students.

The in-state costs for the BS in Public Safety Administration are $324 per credit.

Financial Aid, scholarships, and grants can be applied to the overall education costs.

About

American Public University serves over 39,000 enrolled students across 232 undergraduate, graduate degrees and certificate programs worldwide, helping them to develop skills for intelligence, military analysis, and law enforcement careers.

Courses Offered

Strongly focused on public safety, APU offers a Bachelor of Arts in Emergency and Disaster Management.

This comprehensive degree stresses an all-hazards foundation, recognizing that “all disasters are local.”

Spanning 120 credit hours, all coursework is given completely online.

The first 30 hours consist of general education courses.

Major, minor, and electives are taken in the third and fourth years.

The final semester is a senior seminar and is required for graduation.

Courses are 8 to 16 weeks long and start monthly.

Depending on the concentration chosen, the bachelor’s curriculum could include:

• Psychology of Disaster
• Emergency Planning and Management
• Management of Hazardous Materials
• Emergency and Disaster Incident Command
• Social Media Applications to Disasters

Application to APU is free.

American Public University calculates undergraduate degree costs at $350 per credit hour ($250 for military).

The average total cost of a Bachelor’s degree is $42,000.

Additional program and degree-specific fees may apply.

However, books and e-books are part of the cost.

FAFSA, veterans grants, and state discounts are provided to eligible students.

About

Columbus, Ohio, has been home to Franklin University since the start of the 20th century.

Approximately 8,697 students are currently enrolled across 81 degrees.

Partnered with Urbana University, FU is a designated Center for Public Safety and Cybersecurity Education (CPSCE) by the NSA and the DHS.

Courses Offered

Franklin University offers a Bachelor of Science in Public Safety Management and Leadership with either a concentration in fire safety or law enforcement.

This comprehensive 120-credit-hour degree provides a management background for professional first responders or agency administrators.

Students start with general education courses such as math, English literature, or religion.

Coursework listed on the syllabus includes:

• Ethics and Leadership
• Interpersonal Communication
• Policing in America
• Disaster Planning and Response
• Forensic Psychology

This degree requires completion of a final Capstone seminar in public safety to graduate.

Costs for a Bachelor of Science at Franklin University are an estimated $398 per credit hour.

Applications for Financial Aid are encouraged.

Tuition discounts for active military and veterans are available.

About

The main campus of Oklahoma State University is a top-tier research institution.

It was founded on Christmas Day, 1890.

OSU Online is part of OSU’s Institute for Teaching & Learning Excellence.

It offers over 10 fully online degrees.

Currently, over 35,000 students are enrolled and degree-seeking.

Courses Offered

The 120-credit degree is a Bachelor of Professional Studies-Public Safety.

Studies have a strong concentration on community diversity.

In addition to basic education courses such as mathematics and critical thinking, the public safety pathway includes:

• Interpersonal Communication
• Health Issues in Diverse Populations (D)
• Racial and Ethnic Relations (DS)
• Mental Health in Schools and the Community
• Negotiation Skills

The cost of the online degree is $$4,621 per semester or $180 per credit hour.

Additional course and administrative fees may apply.

Professional experience is reviewed for degree credit.

Students interested in tuition assistance, FAFSA, employer scholarships, and grants should know, these are available.

At OSU, the online application is also the application for financial aid.

About

Miami Dade College, home to the Finn the Shark mascot, is a public college founded in 1959.

It has been named a Top Institution in 2025 by U.S. News & World Report and offers over 300 degree pathways.

Courses Offered

This Bachelor of Applied Science in Public Safety Management has multiple concentrations.

The skills-driven pathway helps students graduate with workforce skills to successfully navigate Public Safety careers in management within:

• FBI
• DEA
• ICE
• S. Marshals and Secret Service

In addition to basic education, studies include:

• Crime Scene Investigation
• Emergency Management
• Crime and the Media
• Organized Crime
• Intelligence Analysis
• Security Management

The estimated cost for the BAS degree is $15,586.

Some courses require additional fees.

The application for Financial Aid is open to all students, and scholarships are available for eligible students.

About

St. Petersburg College has been a part of the Tampa, Florida area since 1927.

This public college has roughly 9,000 enrolled students at the undergraduate level.

Its acceptance rate is 100%.

Courses Offered

St Petersburg College’s online Bachelor of Applied Science in Public Safety Administration is designed for public safety professionals or those students with previous education or training in the field.

The 120-hour degree is to be completed in four years and offers four concentrations:

• Fire Science
• Criminal Justice
• Emergency Management
• Multidisciplinary or Combined Pathways

In addition to basic education, examples of public safety courses include:

• Foundations of Public Safety Administration
• Community Relations Theory and Practice
• Evolution of Emergency Management
• Emerging Issues in Environmental Disaster Management
• Survey of Public Policy

Completion of a final Capstone project is also required to graduate.

The cost of the BAS degree is an estimated $111.75 per credit hour for Florida residents.

Out-of-state tuition is $386 per hour.

Some coursework incurs additional costs.

An application for financial aid can be made online with a $40 fee.

Scholarships, grants, and student work plans are also available to eligible candidates.

About

Based in Kentucky, this for-profit school has 6,085 undergraduate students.

Both online and on campus, students can choose from a wide range of programs — from culinary arts to criminal justice.

Courses Offered

Housed in the College of Criminal Justice, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Public Safety Administration is available online.

It is designed for individuals interested in:

• Courts and Corrections Systems
• Law Enforcement
• Social services
• Criminal Law
• Juvenile Justice

The 120-hour degree pathway begins with general education classes.

The justice and public safety bachelor’s degree takes three to four years to complete.

Coursework examples include:

• Principles of Conflict Management
• Introduction to Systems of Social Control
• Introduction to Law Enforcement
• Public Safety Measures
• Crime Prevention

The cost of a bachelor’s degree at Sullivan University is roughly $14,200 plus additional degree-specific fees.

Online textbooks are free.

Mentoring and tutoring are available day and night.

Financial Aid and grants are available for online students.