Development Process of a Master's Degree Program in Security Management

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to increase the knowledge of the development process of a master's degree program and its curriculum in security management. The earlier literature includes little knowledge of development of higher education in security management, particularly outside of the traditional security bodies such as military and police forces or public emergency services. There is a clear need for increasing the knowledge of this area. Furthermore, development process of curricula in general requires further examination. The present empirical article responds to these evident needs. This article is an actionresearch–based case study. It draws on the development process of a master's degree program that took 22 months, starting from the initiation of the project and ending up to the point when the first students began their studies in the program. This process is described and analyzed in the article in detail. The empirical findings are illustrated in terms of a phase model of development process of a master's degree program. This article contributes to the scientific literature, first, by increasing the knowledge of the development of higher education in security management. Second, it contributes by increasing the knowledge of the phases and activities of degree program and curriculum development in general.