Revised 05/2025

ADJ 250 - Global Security Concepts for Law Enforcement and National Security (3 CR.)

Course Description

Identifies and examines the interrelationship of significant global issues and events that affect local and national crime and security interests of the United States. Emphasizes the economic dimensions of international events and the transnational ripple effect they have on the security and well-being of others residing in distant localities or lands. Explores issues of cooperation and coordination of investigative and prosecutive activities in a global environment. Lecture 3 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

This course is intended for students desiring a broad understanding of the investigative and operational components of counterintelligence operations. Students intending to seek employment in federal investigative agencies, large police departments, or security departments of large corporations will have employment potential enhanced with knowledge of this course content. Likewise, students already employed in these agencies will benefit from increased job advancement possibilities. No longer can law enforcement and national security agencies assume that fortified borders and a strong military will secure this nation from criminal activities and terrorist activities. This course is designed to give the student a solid foundation of knowledge and understanding regarding transnational and global criminal activities, the interrelationship of economics and national security, and investigative activities in this interconnected world. The course stresses cooperation with foreign law enforcement partners, and investigative activities conducted in a legal and ethical manner.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

None.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

  • Identify and describe at least 20 global issues and events that can affect the security of another country.
  • Explain the relationship between national security and economic national security.
  • Describe why a democratic society must be involved in world events taking place hundreds and thousands of miles away from its borders.
  • Identify the role economic national security plays in the overall national security strategy of the United States.
  • Identify and describe at least six components of economic statecraft.
  • Explain how U.S. national character is associated with its views on immigration.
  • Explain the changing nature of U.S. national security policy based on changing world events.
  • Explain the major impact the media has on world events and one's perception of international crises.
  • Differentiate between peacekeeping efforts and nation-building efforts.
  • Describe the effect of foreign propaganda on a country's perception of events and effects on its foreign policy.
  • Explain the impact of technological advances on security and statecraft.

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Major definitions relating to terminology involving statecraft, national security, international relations, globalization, and power politics, and a brief review of the principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics
  • The role of the U.S. as the world's policeman
  • Identification of nonmilitary security issues including terrorism, narco-terrorism, eco-terrorism, global money laundering, drug cartels, international prostitution and human smuggling, internet piracy, fraud, and pornography, illegal arms sales, conflict diamonds, rebellions, landmines, nuclear weapons proliferation, illegal immigration, strategic information warfare, and genocide
  • Identification of world crises and issues affecting national and economic security to include the topics of famine, draught, starvation, AIDS, immigration, natural disasters, illiteracy, homelessness, access to energy resources, nationalism, refugees, asylum, peacekeeping efforts, and foreign aid
  • Isolationism and globalism
  • Role of NGOs in world affairs
  • Image of the United States abroad
  • Various definitions of national security

Optional Topics

  • Use of appropriate DVDs such as Blood Diamonds or Hotel Rwanda to support lecture discussions
  • Utilization of subject matter guest speakers in class