Effective Leadership in Modern Public Safety

3 Units
Online Fixed-Date

Course Description

The University of San Diego has leveraged the momentum of its industry-leading Master of Science in Law Enforcement & Public Safety Leadership (MS-LEPSL) to offer a specialized course in leadership for public safety professionals. This self-standing course provides a cutting-edge curriculum that repurposes the core tenets of the master's degree into a focused, impactful learning experience. 

The course is delivered in a 100% online, asynchronous format designed to accommodate the demanding schedules of public safety professionals. The curriculum is organized into seven modules, requiring a total time investment of approximately 15 to 18 hours per week. While there are no specific required class meeting times, the course is structured to ensure regular engagement and steady progress through the material, with the public safety experience among the students acting as a cornerstone for practical, real-world application of the course material. This flexible yet rigorous approach allows you to balance high-level professional development with your existing personal and professional commitments.

Course Details

Number of Units: 3.0 graduate-level extension credit(s) in semester hours

Prerequisites:

Students must complete an application and receive approval before enrolling in this course.

Eligibility:

  • Law enforcement professionals with at least one year of professional experience
  • Applicants must complete a brief, independent application specifically for this course (no university-wide admission required)

Course Options

Course Date Units Price

What You Will Learn

  • Connect the importance of leadership to the contemporary challenges of modern policing
  • Examine research and best practices from a variety of fields to develop a thorough and balanced approach to leadership in public safety
  • Adapt various organizational leadership frameworks to analyze a multifaceted agency issue
  • Leverage research and empirically proven strategies to propose evidence-driven solutions
  • Identify specific situations in which you can utilize leadership skills to enhance your effectiveness and improve outcomes
  • Build skills and develop proficiencies in leadership to improve your professional performance and effectiveness
  • Reflect on a broad range of lived experiences shared in the course to resonate the countless ways in which leadership matters in law enforcement

Instructors

Professional development courses offered by the University of San Diego’s Division of Professional & Continuing Education are taught by faculty that possess a depth and breadth of academic and real-world professional experience.

Why USD?

The Professional and Continuing Education program nurtures key partnerships on the local, national, and international level. The goal is to better serve working professionals who seek to enhance or build their careers and help achieve their highest value and potential. Contact us today to learn more.

Informative Stats and Facts

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Learning Method Information

Courses offer a convenient, yet rigorous style of learning that allows you to structure your education to suit your schedule while keeping you on pace toward achieving your educational.

Online Fixed-Date

Online fixed-date courses are delivered virtually but follow a predetermined schedule, requiring students to complete assignments, participate in discussions, and take assessments by specific deadlines—much like a traditional classroom. The key difference is that while traditional courses are conducted in person at set times and locations, online fixed-date courses allow students to engage remotely, offering more flexibility in where they learn while preserving structure and accountability through fixed timelines.  (Note: Any scheduled Zoom sessions will be outlined on the class schedule.)  These courses have fixed start and finish dates, but as an online student you will have 24/7 online access to your classroom assignments, syllabus and course resources.  Instructor feedback is shared along with the graded assignments.

How is the learning structured? Each online fixed-date course is asynchronous, meaning that you can work on your assignments anytime, although you are required to complete the assignments by specific dates. The course is designed with learning modules where all of the content is grouped into weekly assignments. Each module covers one or more topics. Within each of the learning modules, you can expect the following components:

• Module introduction that outlines what you can expect to learn in the module.

• Required readings (textbook, articles, journals, etc.) and presentations (audio and/or video).

• Assignments with due dates (which may include: written assignments, journal entries, research, blogs, etc.) based on the readings and presentations.

• Discussion forum where you answer prompts from the instructor and interact with your classmates.

• Module conclusion to review the topics and what you should have learned.

Typically, there is a final project, paper, or exam due in the last module that culminates all of the topics covered in each of the learning modules. You’ll find that the design of the learning modules has a rhythm to help you manage your time in the course.