This case study explored the impressions a homeland security course had on the emergency service student. The setting for the study was a state-sponsored university in the western United States. The 17 participants were declared, undergraduate emergency services majors that underwent a 7.5-week distance learning homeland security course. Grounded theory was used to analyze and develop themes from student reflections from the class. The findings of the study suggested that the most important impressions students took from the class were about global awareness, an understanding of the vulnerabilities of terrorism to the nation and the importance of a homeland security education. This study’s findings add to the existing body of knowledge associated with homeland security academia, suggesting that reflective thinking and journaling are well-suited for homeland security education where many of the learners are practitioners and non-traditional students.