The program goal is to "help prepare for, protect against, respond to, and recover from a growing array of natural and human-caused risks and threats in New York State and around the world" (in mission statement) by providing education, research and training opportunities in homeland/cybersecurity to its students.
The program is targeted for undergraduate and graduate students interested in working in fields related to homeland security and emergency preparedness.
The college offers undergraduate major and minor programs in emergency preparedness, homeland security, and cybersecurity. The major requires 39 credits and 12 in a concentration field while the minor requires 18 credits (6 classes) within the college. They also offer a graduate certificate in emergency preparedness, homeland security, and cybersecurity.
The program was funded by NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, who gave $15 million to create the college.
The program is part of the SUNY system located at the University at Albany.
News coverage mostly is focused on how its the first college of its kind to offer degrees specifically tailored to homeland security and emergency preparedness, and one article highlighted some of the first to graduate with a minor from the college.
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/education/2016/05/15/homeland-security-…
The college was created to continue New York State's position as a leader in homeland security, cybersecurity and emergency preparedness and as a response to the growing need for professionals in those fields. Advances in technology, and increased threats to terrorism and cybersecurity in the past few decades called for the formation of this college. Overall it was a strategic political and economic decision by Governor Andrew Cuomo as it would provide training in a field that's expected to grow by 650,000 employees (for cybersecurity) in the next decade*.
The program provides an undergraduate degree or graduate certificate.