Current Term Classes - Master of Public Safety

Summer 2023

Class registration opens on March 30 for SCPS degree and certificate students (date may be subject to change).

The School of Continuing and Professional Studies may cancel, modify, or make substitutions for any published class or program, may change instructors, and may change the dates and times a class is offered. The information published here and in the catalog is subject to change.  For the most up-to-date and complete information, please use the SIS Class Search. 

PSPS 6000: Transformational Leadership in Changing Times    
Online Asynchronous | Available Jun 5-Jul 28 | Synchronous sessions Thursdays, 7pm EST; Attendance is strongly encouraged but not mandatory. Synchronous sessions will be recorded. | May 29th (Memorial Day); June 19th (Juneteenth); and, July 4th (Independence Day) are official University of Virginia holidays and no class sessions will be scheduled on those dates.
Explores public safety leadership concepts and essential approaches needed in forging lasting, collaborative relationships with the public they serve. Students will analyze complex social and security issues. While maintaining a mindset of sociocultural awareness and sensitivity, students craft solutions to those public issues by applying advanced knowledge of public safety planning, management, and response. Prereq: Admission to MPS Degree Prog. 
Bryon Gustafson & Eric Plummer | 3 GR credits | Required 

PSPS 6000: Transformational Leadership in Changing Times (Cancelled)   
| Synchronous sessions Thursdays, 7pm EST; Attendance is strongly encouraged but not mandatory. Synchronous sessions will be recorded. | May 29th (Memorial Day); June 19th (Juneteenth); and, July 4th (Independence Day) are official University of Virginia holidays and no class sessions will be scheduled on those dates.
Explores public safety leadership concepts and essential approaches needed in forging lasting, collaborative relationships with the public they serve. Students will analyze complex social and security issues. While maintaining a mindset of sociocultural awareness and sensitivity, students craft solutions to those public issues by applying advanced knowledge of public safety planning, management, and response. Prereq: Admission to MPS Degree Prog. 
Bryon Gustafson & Eric Plummer | 3 GR credits | Required 

PSPS 6005: Practical Applications of Risk Management in Public Safety Operations    
Online Asynchronous | Available Jun 5-Jul 28 | Synchronous sessions Tuesdays, 7pm EST; Attendance is strongly encouraged but not mandatory. Synchronous sessions will be recorded. | May 29th (Memorial Day); June 19th (Juneteenth); and, July 4th (Independence Day) are official University of Virginia holidays and no class sessions will be scheduled on those dates.
Students will learn a theoretical & applied process to identify risks in every job description in their respective public safety agency. From this basis of risk identification, students will gain skills & knowledge to design & update control measures to proactively prevent tragedies from occurring. Final project will be a development of an instrument to recognize, prioritize, mobilize to address identified public safety risks in community/agency.
Gordon Graham & Eric Plummer | 3 GR credits | Elective

PSPS 6010: Constitutional Framework of Public Safety    
Online Asynchronous | Available Jun 5-Jul 28 | Synchronous sessions Mondays, 7pm EST; Attendance is strongly encouraged but not mandatory. Synchronous sessions will be recorded. | May 29th (Memorial Day); June 19th (Juneteenth); and, July 4th (Independence Day) are official University of Virginia holidays and no class sessions will be scheduled on those dates.
Explores the Constitution as the ethical compass that guides the work of public safety professionals and cement a fundamental understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the subsequent 27 amendments. Students will develop a detailed understanding of both the powers and limitations that arise from the Bill of Rights, and closely examine the evolution of the rule of law that frames and guides their work. 
Carolyn Hess Johnson & Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye | 3 GR credits | Required 

PSPS 6030: Developing and Implementing Systems of Emergency Preparedness    
Online Asynchronous | Available Jun 5-Jul 28 | Synchronous sessions Thursdays, 7pm EST; Attendance is strongly encouraged but not mandatory. Synchronous sessions will be recorded. | May 29th (Memorial Day); June 19th (Juneteenth); and, July 4th (Independence Day) are official University of Virginia holidays and no class sessions will be scheduled on those dates.
Examines joint operations and incident command for complex events. Emphasis will be placed on command structure, continuity of operations, public safety response to community/public health emergencies, occupational health and safety, local systems and resources, inter-agency cooperation, and communications and technology support. Students will engage public safety response issues and apply their knowledge through scenario exercises. 
Mark Hoover & Oscar Odom | 3 GR credits | Required 

PSPS 6040: Creating and Sustaining Community Dialogue    
Online Asynchronous | Available Jun 5-Jul 28 | Optional synchronous sessions TBD | May 29th (Memorial Day); June 19th (Juneteenth); and, July 4th (Independence Day) are official University of Virginia holidays and no class sessions will be scheduled on those dates. 
Focuses on the application of communication skills and principles in the context of public safety. Students will gain understanding and practice in engaging communities around such challenging issues as inequality and power; interactions in the aftermath of tragedy; officer fear and anger; historical, political, and economic divides; implicit biases and stereotype threat; and the importance of building coalitions across boundaries. 
James McElvain & M. Jay Farr | 3 GR credits | Required 

PSPS 6040: Creating and Sustaining Community Dialogue  (Cancelled)   
Hybrid (Online Asynchronous & Charlottesville)|Class available asynchronously Jun 5-Jul 28 | In-person classes: Jul 10, 10am-5pm; Jul 11, 9am-5pm; Jul 12, 9am-5pm; Jul 13, 9am-5pm; Jul 14, 8am-12pm | May 29th (Memorial Day); June 19th (Juneteenth); and, July 4th (Independence Day) are official University of Virginia holidays and no class sessions will be scheduled on those dates.
Focuses on the application of communication skills and principles in the context of public safety. Students will gain understanding and practice in engaging communities around such challenging issues as inequality and power; interactions in the aftermath of tragedy; officer fear and anger; historical, political, and economic divides; implicit biases and stereotype threat; and the importance of building coalitions across boundaries. 
James McElvain & M. Jay Farr | 3 GR credits | Required 

PSPS 6050: Stewardship of Public Assets and Managing Human Capital    
Online Asynchronous | Available Jun 5-Jul 28 | Optional synchronous sessions TBD | May 29th (Memorial Day); June 19th (Juneteenth); and, July 4th (Independence Day) are official University of Virginia holidays and no class sessions will be scheduled on those dates. 
Students will develop a detailed understanding of the legal aspects of public employment law, and the short and long-term impact of recruiting and retaining talented employees. Emphasis will be placed on the means by which evidence-based strategies may be applied to determine the appropriate number of resources to deploy to normal and complex operations. Prereq: Admission to MPS Degree Program 
Gladis Griffith & Gregory Murphy | 3 GR credits | Required 
 

* Asynchronous online courses at SCPS can sometimes include synchronous sessions. Attendance is strongly encouraged but not mandatory. Synchronous sessions will be recorded.

* The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only. The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements.