Doctor of Global Security (DGS)

Professional doctorateDGSDoctor of Global Security

Overview

An online doctorate in global security requiring 58 credits plus dissertation, with professional practice courses, a residency including a foreign experience, a practicum and a dissertation. It starts each September; applicants need a related master's degree and 3-5 years of field experience.

Official program name: Doctor of Global Security (DGS)
Awarded degree: Doctor of Global Security
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Degree level: Doctoral — professional doctorate
University: American Public University System
Administering location: Charles Town, WVWhere the university or its administering campus is located. Study is online; this is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll from your state.
Subject: International Relations Homeland Security & Emergency Management
Required credits: 58 credits plus dissertation
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Duration: 3 1/2 years plus dissertation; maximum 7 years
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Start terms: Fall
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Teaching language: English (not separately stated)

Why this program is listed

Online professional doctorate with a practicum and a Year 2 residency (foreign experience or academic conference presentation).

Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026

We list online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from institutionally accredited US universities. Eligibility rules

Online format and attendance

“Online” is not one format. Delivery, campus visits, practical placements and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the university states it.

Academic delivery: Online coursework + campus visitsCoursework is online, with required visits, residencies or immersions on campus or at another set location.
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Campus visits: Campus visits: not verified
Practical placement: Practical placement required
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Class schedule: Not verified
Study intensity: Not verified

In-person and practical requirements as published

Residency Required
Year 2 residency: a foreign experience or academic conference presentation designed with the department chair, at the student's own cost.
Year 2 · Foreign experience or academic conference
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Dissertation defense Required
Dissertation proposal defense and dissertation.
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Curriculum

Practicum

Residency courses include DOCT723 Residency: Foreign Experience.
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Prior degree: RequiredMaster's degree in a closely related discipline with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3 — Minimum master's GPA of 3.0.
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Work experience: Required3-5 years of work experience in global security or a closely related field.
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required3 letters — Three references.
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Application fee: Required$100 — $100 non-refundable application fee.
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Tests

Entrance and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadline
April 1, 2027 · for September 2027
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Upcoming

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
Doctoral program cost per credit	$863	per creditEstimated tuition$50,054 = 58 credits × $863 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Estimated tuition (58 credits, excluding dissertation credits)	$50,054	entire programSource: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Other published fees

Doctoral application fee (non-refundable): $100 entire programMandatory
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Scholarships and financial aid

Awards published by the university for this program or for online students at this level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; financial aid availability does not make a program “fully funded”. Scholarships & funding guide

Preferred Military Rate Tuition discount
$250 per credit hour (undergraduate and master's-level courses)
Eligibility: U.S. active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, Reservists, and military families
How to apply: Applied automatically
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Veteran Grant Tuition discount
10% (undergraduate) / 15% (master's-level) off standard tuition
Eligibility: Veterans and family members
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Opportunity Grant Tuition discount
10% off undergraduate or master's-level tuition
Eligibility: Prospective and current APU students
How to apply: Applied automatically
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Everyday Heroes Grant Tuition discount
20% grant
Eligibility: First responders (law enforcement, firefighters, EMS) and their family members
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Institution-wide awards are listed because they cover online students at this level; eligibility conditions apply.

Accreditation, authorization and licensure

Three separate questions: is the university accredited, can it enroll students from your state online, and does the program meet licensure requirements where you live?

Institutional accreditation

Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

No programmatic accreditation verified for this program. Institutional accreditation does not imply it.

State authorization

The System is authorized by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and other appropriate agencies in the states where it has campuses. Official pageSource: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026

International applicants

International applicants are accepted; because study is online, APU does not issue I-20 or DS-2019 forms for F-1 or J-1 visas.Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 10, 2026.

DAPIP — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
apu.apus.edu/aboutus/consumer-information/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
apu.apus.edu/online-doctoral-programs/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
apu.apus.edu/online-doctoral-programs/doctoral-of-global-security/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
apu.apus.edu/tuition-and-financing/tuition-and-fees/ — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 10, 2026

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Key facts

Online format
Online coursework + campus visits
In-person requirements
Practical placement required
Subject
International Relations · Homeland Security & Emergency Management
Length
3 1/2 years plus dissertation; maximum 7 years · 58 credits plus dissertation
Tuition
$863 per creditDoctoral program cost per credit
Next deadline
April 1, 2027 (September 2027)
Administering location
Charles Town, WV

Check state authorization for your state before applying. Details

Official program page

Also at American Public University System

Online Universities is independent and not affiliated with American Public University System. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the university.