In recent years, the United States has faced a heightened threat environment marked by a growing risk from domestic violent extremists (DVEs). That’s among the conclusions of the Department of Homeland Security’s 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment, a report that highlights a convergence of factors (including political polarization, the aftermath of the 2024 election cycle, and global conflicts) intensifying the domestic terrorism landscape.
Lone actors and small groups motivated by racial, religious, or anti-government grievances—as well as conspiracy theories—remain the most likely perpetrators of attacks on U.S. soil. These threats are increasingly complicated by foreign influence operations and the use of emerging technologies like generative AI. As a result, domestic terrorism is becoming a more complex and adaptive challenge.
Virginia Commonwealth University’s Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs is preparing the next generation of homeland security professionals to meet the moment. The school’s Master of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness offers a multidisciplinary approach to studying terrorism, emergency management, and policy development. With guidance from expert faculty and engagement with real-world case studies, students learn to craft evidence-based strategies that confront today’s security challenges while safeguarding democratic institutions and civil liberties.
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Defend Communities From Domestic Terror
Understanding the Current Threat Landscape
Ideology and penetration amplify the current threat landscape of domestic extremism. Extremist narratives continue to shift rapidly, often blending racial, religious, and anti-government grievances with conspiracy theories and personal motivations. The Department of Homeland Security report notes that violent extremists increasingly rely on digital platforms to radicalize supporters and coordinate activity. Social media, encrypted messaging apps, and generative AI tools have accelerated recruitment while reducing the visibility of threat indicators, making early detection more difficult.
At the same time, the scope of domestic terrorism has expanded beyond physical violence. Extremist actors—both domestic and foreign—are targeting digital infrastructure, from election systems to public utilities, aiming to erode public trust and disrupt essential services. Technological advances have lowered the barrier to entry for cyber-enabled attacks, allowing even small groups or individuals to inflict widespread damage.
These developments demand a new kind of security expertise, one that integrates policy analysis, cybersecurity, emergency management, and intelligence. Addressing these threats requires professionals prepared to operate across disciplines and in coordination with both public and private sectors. These are skills VCU’s Master of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness program develops.
Government and Policy Strategies in 2025
Unsurprisingly, the government’s approach to domestic terrorism changes with presidential administrations. In 2021, the Biden Administration issued the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, the first comprehensive federal framework dedicated to addressing domestic terrorism. Rooted in a 100-day review conducted by national security experts, the strategy outlined four key pillars:
- Enhancing information sharing across government and with private partners
- Preventing the recruitment and mobilization of individuals to violence
- Disrupting terrorist activity through law enforcement and prosecutorial efforts
- Confronting long-term contributors to domestic extremism, such as racism and disinformation
This approach emphasized civil rights protections and community engagement as essential components of national security, with significant funding directed to state and local governments to support threat assessment, employee screening, and resilience-building programs.
In contrast, the National Security Presidential Memorandum NSPM-7 issued in 2025 reflects a more enforcement-centric strategy to counter domestic terrorism and organized political violence. This directive calls for expanded interagency coordination led by the Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs), with a focus on investigating and dismantling networks behind politically motivated violence. It directs federal agencies to pursue financial investigations, enforce laws related to radicalization and conspiracy, and consider designating specific groups as domestic terrorist organizations. The memo highlights recent attacks and frames political violence as part of coordinated campaigns intended to disrupt democratic governance.
Together, these approaches demonstrate how federal strategies evolve in response to political leadership and emerging threats. While differing in tone and emphasis—one prioritizing prevention and systemic reform, the other emphasizing deterrence and prosecution—both recognize the multifaceted nature of domestic terrorism. For professionals working at the nexus of policy, intelligence, and emergency response, understanding these shifts is critical to navigating an increasingly complex landscape of national security decision-making.
The Role of Homeland Security Professionals
Combatting domestic terrorism demands expertise across policy analysis, intelligence gathering, law enforcement coordination, emergency management, and cybersecurity. Homeland security professionals are often at the forefront of identifying threats before they materialize.
As domestic threats evolve in complexity and speed, the ability to synthesize information across domains and lead integrated responses grows increasingly essential. Professionals trained in homeland security and emergency preparedness serve as vital connectors between agencies and communities, ensuring that security strategies are ethical and effective.
Core responsibilities of homeland security professionals include:
- Identifying and assessing emerging threats, including domestic extremism and cyberattacks
- Coordinating intelligence and information sharing across federal, state, and local agencies
- Developing and implementing emergency response plans for natural and human-made disasters
- Managing crisis communications to inform and protect the public during incidents
- Ensuring cybersecurity resilience for critical infrastructure and government systems
- Conducting risk analysis and vulnerability assessments to guide policy and resource allocation
- Leading recovery and continuity efforts in the aftermath of attacks or disasters
Developing the Right Skill Set
The VCU Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (HSEP) master’s program prepares students to meet today’s challenges by equipping them with the analytical, operational, and leadership skills needed in today’s security environment. Through coursework covering terrorism and violent extremism, emergency planning, cybersecurity policy, risk assessment, and intelligence analysis, students learn to anticipate and mitigate a wide range of threats.
The curriculum emphasizes both theoretical frameworks and practical applications, enabling graduates to design prevention programs and evaluate policy effectiveness. A key component of the program is the capstone experience, where students apply their learning to a real-world problem or case, integrating knowledge across disciplines to develop actionable solutions. Whether aspiring to roles in federal agencies, state emergency operations, or private sector security, VCU HSEP students leave with a strong foundation to lead in complex, high-stakes environments.
VCU Faculty Insight and Thought Leadership
VCU’s Wilder School faculty bring a unique combination of academic scholarship and real-world experience to the classroom. Faculty members have conducted research on topics such as domestic radicalization patterns and cyber threat mitigation strategies. Many also serve as advisors or practitioners in law enforcement, intelligence, and emergency management settings. This dual expertise ensures that students are exposed to cutting-edge insights and can apply classroom concepts to real-world scenarios.
Through institutions like the VCU Center for Public Policy, students engage directly with emerging security challenges. The Wilder School’s research centers and policy labs provide hands-on opportunities to analyze live policy issues, conduct applied research, and collaborate with public safety agencies. This integration of academic rigor and practitioner-driven insight positions VCU students to become leaders in homeland security, emergency preparedness, and public policy.
David Webber: Understanding Radicalization and Extremism
David Webber, Ph.D., is a leading expert on the psychology of radicalization and de-radicalization. His research explores the underlying motivations that drive individuals toward extremist ideologies and violence. In an interview for the article What Can the Motivations of Terrorists Teach Us?, Dr. Webber identifies three key psychological variables—need, narrative, and network—that shape extremist behavior and help explain how individuals become radicalized. His broader body of work investigates escalation patterns in terrorist activity and has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Webber’s research helps students understand the human dynamics behind domestic threats and informs prevention strategies across the homeland security field.
Christopher Whyte: Cybersecurity and Information Warfare
Christopher Whyte, Ph.D., specializes in cyber conflict, information warfare, and the strategic use of emerging technologies in modern security environments. His work explores how state and non-state actors leverage digital platforms to influence, disrupt, or destabilize democratic societies. He recently engaged in a student-faculty collaboration with David Webber using machine learning to detect hate-based white supremacist language online, exemplifying how VCU students gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge tools to address real-world security threats. Dr. Whyte’s expertise provides students with a critical lens on cybersecurity policy, digital threats, and the evolving role of information in national and global security.
How VCU Prepares Graduates to Lead
At VCU, small class sizes and a collaborative learning environment foster connections among students, faculty, and professionals in the field. Students benefit from opportunities for mentorship and networking; exposure to diverse perspectives enriches the classroom experience. Graduates depart the program with interdisciplinary expertise that prepares them to navigate the complexities of modern security threats.
VCU’s faculty bring deep, real-world experience to their teaching. Most recently, the program welcomed Larry Prokop, an instructor with more than five decades of service in intelligence, national security, and criminal justice. His practitioner background strengthens the program’s emphasis on applied learning and ensures students receive instruction directly informed by federal and homeland security careers.
As James M. Leicester, emergency management coordinator and HSEP alumnus, affirms: “The range and knowledge and expertise that our faculty have—from cyber to legal to intelligence—generates students who are better-rounded professionals. That’s something that you might not get from a program with a narrower focus. The classroom discussions are richer, and the variety of the connections that they bring to students is unsurpassed.” This practitioner-led model cultivates the broad-based competencies and confidence needed to lead in today’s dynamic security environment.
Join the Next Generation of Security Leaders
The future of homeland security depends on professionals who are ready to meet an evolving array of domestic threats with skill, insight, and integrity. Whether you aspire to work in federal intelligence, emergency management, cybersecurity, or public safety policy, VCU’s Master of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness program provides the foundation to lead and make an impact. Take the next step toward your career in national security: request more information or start your application today.