The online Master of Science in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security (MSCTHS) program is led by American University’s respected on-campus faculty and instructors. Our scholars are leading national voices in topic areas such as national security law, counter-terrorism, and the causes of political violence. Their expertise ensures that you will receive a quality online learning experience that offers practical, real-world knowledge reflecting the latest thinking on essential counter-terrorism and homeland security issues.
Bill Davies
Department Chair
Dr. Davies is approaching the study of the European Union legal system from a fresh perspective by critically examining the development of the constitutional practice of law in the EU from a historical perspective. Dr. Davies has traveled extensively to uncover the primary documents that will contribute to a fresh and empirically accurate narrative of the emergence of the European constitutional system and to answer the question of how the controversial consolidation of power at the European level has been received in the EU’s member states.
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Jennifer Gumbrewicz
Program Director
Jennifer Gumbrewicz is a successful attorney, experienced professor, and proven leader with a long career in legal practice, research, and communications...
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Bryan Arva
Program Director
Dr. Bryan Arva is currently the Director of the Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Master's program. Additionally, he is a Professorial Lecturer in the Department of Justice, Law, and Criminology in the School of Public Affairs at American University. Prior to coming to American University, he worked as a Researcher and Instructor at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland.
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Andrea Artero
Adjunct Professorial Lecturer
Andrea Artero is a law enforcement professional and an Adjunct Faculty member teaching the Intelligence Analysis class for the Department of Justice, Law and Criminology at the American University in Washington DC.
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Tricia Bacon
Assistant Professor
Tricia Bacon, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs. She is the author of Why Terrorist Organizations Form International Alliances published with University of Pennsylvania Press in May 2018.
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Brad Bartholomew
Professorial Lecturer
Dr. Bartholomew received his doctoral degree from the University of Maryland in 2012. His research focuses on issues related to the causes and consequences of terrorism and the impacts of state and local counterterrorism policy.
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Blake Cook
Adjunct Instructor
Blake Cook is an educator, career public servant, and federal agent focused on national security and transnational threats.
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Suat Cubukcu
Professorial Lecturer
Suat Cubukcu, Ph.D., is a Professorial Lecturer in Justice, Law, and Criminology Department at American University, specializing in the area of terrorism and methodological issues in terrorism research.
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Claire Griggs
Professorial Lecturer
Claire Griggs is a faculty member in the Department of Justice, Law and Criminology in the School of Public Affairs. Professor Griggs serves as the Director of the Politics, Policy and Law (PPL) Scholars Program.
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Kelli Andrews
Adjunct Professional Lecturer
Professor Andrews has held numerous positions within the government handling national security legal and policy issues.
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Ajay Bhatt
Adjunct Professional Lecturer
Ajay Bhatt is a senior attorney with the Human Rights Violator Law Division, part of the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center at the Department of Homeland Security. Prior to this current position, Ajay served at the U.S. Department of State, where he served with the Office of Inspector General and in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
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Charlena Edge
Adjunct Instructor
Charlena Edge is a career counterintelligence and security officer with 28 years in the Intelligence Community.
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Whitney Grespin
Adjunct Instructor
Dr. Whitney Grespin is an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology at American University. She has worked in contingency contracting, educational programming, and international development on five continents.
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John Holland-McCowan
Part-Time Instruction
John Holland-McCowan serves as an Adjunct Professor at American University and is completing his PhD in War Studies at King's College London. His doctoral dissertation analyzes the Syrian Kurds and their partnership with the U.S.-led coalition during their campaign against ISIS from 2014-2019.
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Trace Lasley
Adjunct Professorial Lecturer
Dr. Trace Lasley is a Professor of Practice in the School of Public Affairs, Department of Justice, Law, and Criminology at American University. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Kentucky.
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Dan Mori
Part-Time Instruction-Noddle
Dan completed a 29-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps. While on active duty, he served in a variety of roles, Prosecutor, Defense Counsel, Staff Judge Advocate, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and Executive Officer; finally retiring in 2012 as the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judge for Hawaii.
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Heather Morris
Part-Time Instruction
Heather Morris is an active duty (Department of the Air Force) investigative and operational psychologist. She works for the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and is stationed in Quantico, VA.
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Edwin Perry
Adjunct Professional Lecturer
Edwin Perry has been teaching graduate/law students for 14 years.
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Jason Warner
Part-Time Instruction
Dr. Jason Warner is an Adjunct Professor at American University's School of Public Affairs. In a full-time capacity, he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) where he also serves as the director of Africa research in the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC).
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Adam Wunische
Adjunct Instructor
Adam Wunische is a teacher, researcher, and analyst who is focused on military strategy, terrorism, and Afghanistan. Adam has also worked on projects that cover U.S. foreign policy, national security, military interventions and strategy, armed statebuilding operations (nation-building), and civil-military relations.
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David Malet
Assistant Professor
David Malet teaches at the School of Public Affairs at American University. Previously he served as Director of the Security Policy Studies Program at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs.
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Chardon Murray
Adjunct Instructor
Ms. Murray is a criminologist specializing in terrorism and violent extremism in the U.S., ~16 years experience. I have experience in academia, as well as working as a legislative assistant in state government. I currently teach full-time in sociology dept at CFCC, and also teach graduate-level courses in terrorism studies at UNCW in their Conflict Management and Resolution program, and in the MS Counterterrorism and Homeland Security program at American University.
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Sasha O’Connell
Professorial Lecturer
Sasha Cohen O’Connell, PhD is a Professorial Lecturer & Executive in Residence in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology, School of Public Affairs, American University where she currently teaches cyber policy at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
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Jane Palmer
Professorial Lecturer
Dr. Jane Palmer is the faculty director of the Community-Based Research Scholars program. In this role, she oversees a selective, living-learning community of first year students who learn how to conduct community-based research in collaboration with a local non-profit organization in DC.
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Richard L. Russell
Adjunct Professorial Lecturer
Richard L. Russell is Adjunct Professional Lecturer at the American University’s School of Public Affairs where he teaches a seminar on terrorism and American national security policy. Russell started his career in national security as a political-military analyst on the Middle East for the Central Intelligence Agency.
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Rhea Siers
Adjunct Instructor
Ms. Rhea Siers combines her operational, legal and policy experience from thirty years in the US Intelligence Community to bring a multifaceted approach to cybersecurity and national security issues.
View ProfileTo learn more about American University’s online Master of Science in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security taught by leaders in the field, call 855.725.7614 to speak with an admissions adviser or request more information.
