Curriculum Overview

 

The graduate Certificate is composed of four (4) core online courses, which add up to a total of 12 graduate credit hours; each course carries three graduate credit units. The credit hours are completely transferable into graduate degree programs at Georgetown. All courses are required and there are no electives. The enrollment of each course will be kept to a maximum of 20-25 students in order to facilitate person-to-person online interaction between students and the faculty.

These courses have been carefully adapted for the online environment after being taught for several terms on campus as part of the standard curriculum in our MS program in Biohazardous Threat Agents & EID. In doing this, we have ensured that academic rigor and quality of instuction are preserved. Students may pursue any number of courses per semester. The specific courses are outlined below:

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MICB 515 (Dr. Leonard Rosenthal & Faculty): Microbiology of Biological Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases  [Fall]

This course will present the CDC biological threat agents (categories A-C), which can be utilized as biological weapons and will focus on their structure, pathogenicity, and treatment. This course will also cover the normal immune response both innate and acquired to infectious agents. Viral agents will include Variola (Smallpox), hemorrhagic fevers (Ebola and Lassa), as well as other emerging pathogens. Bacterial agents to be discussed include B.anthracis, Yersinia pestis (plague), Francisella tularensis (tularemia) and Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) as well as fungal agents will be reviewed.

This course is taught by multiple experts in biohazardous threat agents, and host response mechanisms. Contributing lecturers include the Certificate Program's Director and Georgetown Professor Leonard Rosenthal, PhD, as well as other faculty at the Department of Microbiology & Immunology.

MICB 519 (Dr. Jeffrey Collmann): Sociological Perspectives on Biodefense [Fall]

This course will critically examine the implications for biosurveillance of political and organizational controversies about defending against terrorism including bioterrorism. The course opens by studying the debate about terrorism as a type of asymmetrical warfare. What accounts for terrorist attacks against the United States and our allies? What is the relationship between foreign policy, law enforcement and warfare in our response to terrorism? What constraints, if any, should we apply to ourselves in responding to terrorism? For example, should the United States resume its bioweapons program if for no other reason than to understand our enemies? The course continues by examining the debate about reforming our governmental bureaucracy responsible for responding to terrorism. Why did we not recognize the emerging threat of the 9/11 attacks? What principles should we apply in reforming our intelligence and homeland defense organizations? The course concludes with close examination of sociological perspectives on designing effective organizations for responding to threats including biothreats. What should we do to improve how our existing food safety bureaucracy protects us against natural biothreats? Why should we expect, and prepare for failures even in organizations well prepared for contingencies? Can we design organizations capable of responding to novel threats and unanticipated events such as bioattacks? As a result of completing this course, students should gain an appreciation of the fundamentally political character of biosurveillance and biodefense including their technological dimensions.

MICB-517 (Dr. William Daddio): Bioterrorism [Spring]

Bio-terrorism is a graduate elective examines the use of biological and other weapons by terrorists groups to promote their aims, and the response to these acts.  The first section of the course explains terrorism in its modern form, and why the use of these weapons is more likely today.  The second part presents the major biological and other weapons thought most likely to be used.  The third section discusses techniques to uses these weapons, and the last part will discuss the techniques to prevent and reaction to theses weapons. The specific objectives for this course are:

1.    Explains terrorism in its modern form, and why the use of biological weapons is more likely today. 
2.    Presents the major biological weapons thought most likely to be used. 
3.    Discuss techniques to uses these weapons
4.    Discuss the techniques to prevent and control the effects of theses weapons. 

MICB 525 (Neal Pollard, JD): Homeland Security 2015 [Spring]

This course will examine threats to the US homeland, how they might evolve over the next ten years, and the consequent implications for science, technology and homeland security. The course will examine the motivations of non-state actors to threaten the US homeland, and how those actors might use technology and exploit vulnerabilities to attack the US. The course will also examine the role of science and technology in countering these threats and securing the homeland, and the competing policy interests that affect decision-making for investments in science and technology. The course will give students insight into the nexus of science, technology, and policy, and the underlying competing interests that must be balanced to optimize the potential of science and technology to benefit and enrich the United States while protecting it.