Ethics Studies in Graduate-Level Security Management Education Programs in the United States

Abstract

This study identified a grounded theory related to ethics studies within graduate organizational Security Management programs in the United States. The study used data analysis of program curricula, course descriptions, and program Web sites, as well as interviews of program faculty and administrators (n = 15) to explore (a) how ethics studies are incorporated into graduate organizational Security Management program curricula in the United States, (b) the role that ethics studies play in graduate organizational Security Management studies, (c) instruction and evaluation methods for ethics studies within the programs, (d) difficulties in teaching ethics, and (e) barriers to incorporating ethics into a curriculum. The research findings resulted in the creation of theoretical models depicting ethics studies in graduate Security Management programs and the role of ethics studies in the professionalization of security.