5 Jobs for People with a Masters in Public Safety
Are you in the process of choosing a Masters program and want to be sure that it provides you with the foundations you need for your dream job? With so many types of masters available, it means you’ve got several potential career options, but which is right for you? A Masters in Public Safety may not be the first one that comes to mind, but this one can launch a very exciting and rewarding career. Not only that, but public safety knowledge and experience is in demand right now, which means your odds of being able to find a job straight out of school are much higher.
Let’s take a closer look at five jobs that people can pursue with their Masters in Public Safety.
Intelligence Analyst
The very backbone of public safety is to keep people safe from threats. These may include natural disasters or they can include crime or terrorism. This is exactly why an intelligence analyst is so important to public safety. Perhaps you already have knowledge and experience in the area of public safety and may even be a public safety professional.
The MPS degree gives you a way to advance your skills so you can take on a more challenging and exciting role – such as an intelligence analyst. The public safety management degree through Wilfrid Laurier University can help you to advance your career in the industry.
As an intelligence analyst, your job will be to gather information/intelligence and evaluate and analyse it thoroughly. This information may concern national security or lower-level threats. You can work in several different organisations such as the government, police services, the armed forces, crime units and so forth.
Firefighter
When it comes to jobs that are highly respected across the board, the career of a firefighter sits high on the list, if not the top of the list. These professionals are willing to run into a burning building to save the life of the public, all while risking their own.
But there’s much more to it than just being a brave person; a firefighter is very well trained and skilled. They need to be able to quickly, safely and effectively extinguish fires no matter the location or size of the fire. They need to be knowledgeable in how to prevent fires, some will be responsible for investigating the origins of the fire, and all firefighters need to be trained as EMTs (emergency medical technicians), ready to provide emergency medical services when needed.
Most people realise that firefighters tend to be the first to arrive on the scene of an emergency, so they are that first line of defence.
Parole Officer
As a parole officer, it will be your job to manage and supervise offenders. You will likely have many offenders assigned to you as your caseload, so you need to be able to juggle your tasks exceptionally well and stay organised. Regular contact with the offenders will be necessary, and your job will likely go deeper than just contact.
Other responsibilities can include interviewing people, counselling offenders, posing questions, listening and intervening when necessary. Your goal isn’t just to supervise but to constantly be assessing the behaviour of offenders so you can gauge their potential threat or risk level to the public.
It’s a very different job than policing and many can find it to be quite satisfying since you have a direct contribution to the safety and well-being of society.
Law Enforcement Personnel
And speaking of police, your Masters in Public Safety can also help advance your career as a law enforcement personnel. In this role, your job is quite clear: you need to enforce and uphold the law to ensure that the public is kept safe and peaceful.
The description may oversimplify the job, but that is the very core of what you’ll be doing. To enforce the law, you will be preventing and detecting crimes and you will be arresting criminals. Each day can feel fresh and new, as you never know what kind of situations and challenges you will be dealing with. At the same time, this is a job that can be dangerous and extremely stressful, so it’s not for everyone.
In terms of your specific day-to-day duties, that will come down to where you work. A law enforcement officer working in a small rural area will have a very different experience than one working in a heavily populated large city. This may be something you want to factor in when you are searching for a job.
Border Service Officer
Then we have border service officers, who have played an even more important role than usual over the last year and a half thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a border service officer, you may be working at a land, rail, air or sea entry which provides you with a little variety as you choose the right career path.
The basic description of the job is to keep the public safe by making sure the people you admit into the country are admissible and are not carrying any drugs, weapons or other contraband. You will be the first line of defence in protecting the borders of your country, and that carries a lot of weight in terms of public safety.
In Canada, there are an incredible 1,200 points of entry plus there are 39 locations that are internationally located. And it’s not just the typical things you’ll be looking for (weapons and drugs); it includes any illegal goods that will directly impact people, animal, plant and food safety. Anything that may pose a threat to Canada will need to be identified and removed.
As you mull over the perfect career path for you, a Masters in Public Safety could end up being the right choice. This is especially true if you already have some experience in this industry and are now looking for a way to advance your career and challenge yourself more. A job in public safety allows you to give back and protect your community, which can be a wonderful privilege and feeling.
