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Fire and Emergency Management Administration, Ph.D. - Online

Why study fire and emergency management administration online through osu.

Online learning through the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) provides a flexible alternative to traditional on-campus courses as a convenient way to earn your degree whenever your career or other life commitments prevent you from taking classes on campus in a traditional setting.

Regular semester classes are taught live using Zoom one night per week/per class.  

Courses taught online are of identical quality and instruction as those taught in traditional classrooms. CEAT Online Learning and the FEMP faculty are here to help our students succeed! 

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The PhD program in Fire and Emergency Management Administration is a 60 credit hour blended program consisting of 15 hours of core courses, 12 hours of research tools, 18 hours of electives, and 15 hours of dissertation.  An additional nine hours of courses are required in either a fire service administration track or an emergency management administration track.  

Degree Requirements

• Public policy
• Strategic administration 
• Organizational management
• Human dimensions of disaster
• Counter terrorism

Learning Outcomes

• Graduates are able to conduct research and critically analyze problems in the fire and emergency management fields.
• Graduates can demonstrate effective written communication skills.
• Graduates can demonstrate mastery of substantive theories in and knowledge of fire and emergency management administration and of its application to practical problems and issues in the field.

Academic Common Market

Depending on where you live, you may qualify for in-state tuition through the Academic Common Market.

The PhD in Fire and Emergency Management Administration program is a specialized degree designed to provide an educational foundation for those who are currently serving or aspire to serve as managers or administrators in the fire service, emergency management, emergency medical services, law enforcement, or homeland security in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors.  This program prepares individuals for academic careers and careers in research.  Admission requirements are listed below.

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Oklahoma State University offers an affordable single rate for graduate students in online degree and certificate programs. Cost details for in-state, online graduate students Cost details for out-of-state online graduate students

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Fire and Emergency Management Administration, PhD

Doctorate in fire and emergency management administration.

The PhD program in Fire and Emergency Management Administration is a 60 credit hour blended program.

Degree Requirements

• Common Core Courses (15 hours)
• Research Methods (12 hours)
• Electives hours in Fire, Service and Emergency, and Management Administration (18 hours)
• Dissertation Research (15 hours)

Affordable Academic Common Market

The Academic Common Market is an affordable way to attend college and pursue a degree that is not offered in your home state for the in-state tuition rate.

Research and Faculty

One of the unique benefits of our program is the interaction with students from across the country and internationally. Courses from this program have been offered in Turkey, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Meet our Departmental Faculty

• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• Scores from the GRE taken within the past 5 years
• Professional experience in a fire or emergency services related fields is preferred, but not required
• Academic experience in a fire or emergency services related field is preferred
• Minimum TOEFL score of 79 (internet) and 550 (paper) is required for international students
• Current resume
• Three letters of recommendation
• A 1-2 page essay addressing applicant's previous professional and academic experience
• Copy of applicants thesis or other written example of applicant's research abilities
• Copies of any published materials authored by applicant

Cost & Assistance

OSU and the Stillwater community in general are especially affordable places for graduate students. Oklahoma State University's estimation of a graduate student's annual costs is $18,820 for Oklahoma residents, $29,150 for out-of-state students, and $34,588 for international students.

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• Fire Science Online Fire Science Degrees and Programs

ONLINE FIRE SCIENCE DEGREES AND PROGRAMS

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Getting Started: Associate Degree in Fire Science

The most popular degrees in fire science occur at the associate level. Two-year programs in fire science introduce students to the basics of emergency services, including fire personnel, first-response medical (EMTs and paramedics), police officers and federal agencies involved in emergencies and disasters. Coursework then progresses into fire behavior, building construction, protection systems, prevention techniques and strategy and tactics. Most fire science associate degrees run between 60 and 90 credits, with one-half to two-thirds of credits in the fire science major.

Some associate degree programs allow students to dive a bit deeper into a subset of fire science. For instance, students interested in the chemistry behind fires may opt for specialization in fire investigation. This can lead to classes such as Introduction to Chemistry, Chemical Concepts and Advanced Fire Investigation. For students with an eye on a leadership position, advisors may recommend courses in leadership, psychology and interpersonal communication.

The A.S. in Fire Science Online: How (and Why) It Works

Associate-level programs in fire science may have less hands-on components than bachelor’s degree programs. Reason being, many two-year degrees have a similar goal: to prepare graduates for fire service examinations. Aspiring firefighters, for example, generally have three exams to pass before they can join a firehouse: a written exam, a physical exam and a psychological exam. The written test covers mathematics, human relations, problem solving, memory, reasoning and other knowledge, skills and attributes. These elements all can be learned and honed online – similar to any distance learning program – via live video lectures, Skype chats with peers, virtual office hours with instructors and other technologies and techniques.

In some cases, however, students may need to spend a short amount of time at a campus or training facility to complete certain tasks. For the aforementioned student interested in fire investigation, the class in Chemical Concepts likely requires lab work to be conducted in-person. This means the online program is officially a “hybrid”, with a majority of work finished online, but with occasional visits to campus for face-to-face activities.

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Moving up: the fire science bachelor’s degree.

Although the associate degree might suffice for many aspiring firefighters or fire investigators, some may seek more advanced study. Earning a bachelor’s degree in fire science – on campus or online — can further knowledge in the field and, depending on specialization, prepare graduates for supervisory careers such as fire chief or fire marshal. In addition to basic fire and emergency services coursework, bachelor’s degrees can include engineering, environmental science, HAZMAT, OSHA regulations and more. The exact courses taken depend on the college and the program, many of which have specific tracks based on geography and instructor availability. For example, western states may have more robust wildland firefighting programs, and East Coast urban centers more sophisticated anti-terrorism and emergency management opportunities.

The Fire Science Bachelor’s Online

Online bachelor’s degrees in fire science work almost the same way as online associate programs do. However, four-year programs can (and often do) require students to visit campus for a week or two at the beginning of each semester. The University of Cincinnati’s Open Learning Fire Service Program, for example, is primarily online-based, but includes a one-week residency each July. Students complete necessary hands-on training requirements and get a taste of living and working with peers in the profession.

Online bachelor’s programs in fire science can also be taken in tandem with fire academy training. The University of Cincinnati’s four-year program, for example, touts its value as a tool for promotional opportunities with the department, promotion through transfer, and for moving on to related careers outside of the department, e.g. fire insurance or industrial safety.

RECOMMENDED SCHOOLS

Fire science program accreditation.

No matter which type of program a student considers, accreditation is important. It signifies continued quality and peer review by a qualified, unbiased agency. Most community colleges and four-year universities carry regional accreditation from one of six Department of Education-approved agencies. Each agency examines a school’s curricula, faculty, resources, leadership and infrastructure, among other things. It’s the ultimate stamp of approval, and covers an institution’s individual programs, as well.

Some programs, however, including business, nursing, engineering, and, yes, fire science, seek additional accreditation by specialized agencies. For fire science, the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Programs serves as the primary agency. The International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) may also endorse various fire science certification programs.

TOP SCHOOLS WITH ONLINE FIRE SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAMS

For many students interested in studying Fire Science, flexibility is key. The following popular colleges offer online programs for students for an array of Fire Science specialties like technology, administration, and management. Congratulations to the Top 19 Schools for making the list!

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Safety Sciences, PhD

Become a Leader in the Field of Safety Sciences

You’re a professional working in the sciences, and you’re looking to advance your skills without interrupting your career. The Safety Sciences PhD program at IUP will prepare you to become a leader in the field, developing safer workplaces and protecting employees, property, and the environment.

Through hybrid learning that combines part-time distance education with a summer workshop program, you can earn this applied research science degree without taking a break from work.

The 54-credit program, including the dissertation, can be completed in three to eight years, with 24 credits through distance education courses, 18 credits of summer workshop courses, and 12 credit hours of dissertation. See more about the  Classes and Requirements .

A Degree That Leads to a Future of Options

IUP’s Safety Sciences PhD program prepares you for a higher level of professional performance. You’ll learn how to anticipate, recognize, evaluate, control, and prevent safety, health, and environmental hazards in work environments. You’ll also be ready to teach safety sciences at academic institutions and conduct independent research.

You’ll be learning alongside a diverse group of fellow students—our PhD student population is composed of 20 percent minorities and 50 percent women. Some students enter the program to advance their careers. Some want to gain qualifications for academic instruction. Others pursue the degree to change the direction of their career or to plan for a second career after retirement.

How You’ll Learn

A new student group is admitted into the program every odd-numbered year and remains together as a cohort to complete the program. In the fall and spring, you’ll attend evening classes online, and in the summer, you'll gather on campus with your cohort for a two-week workshop.

Imagine Your Future

When you envision the pinnacle of your career, what do you see? Depending on where you are in your safety and environmental health career path, an IUP Safety Sciences PhD can open doors to managerial and director positions, and even C-suite roles in the public or private sector.

If your goal is to educate the next generation of safety science professionals, this degree will prepare you to enter academia as a full-time, tenure-track or part-time adjunct professor.

Graduates of the PhD in Safety Sciences program have gone on to excel in their careers in positions such as:

• Assistant professors
• Corporate managers
• Superintendents

A Credential for Problem-Solvers

To function and compete in today’s business dynamic, organizations are looking for professionals with a higher level of safety science knowledge, skills, and abilities. Most private sector companies are required to adhere to OSHA regulations that protect workers across the United States. Many companies have unique safety programs in place to reduce their company-specific hazards and risks to acceptable levels.

Additionally, workplaces are being developed with increasingly sophisticated and complex designs and functions, and the coronavirus pandemic has underscored the importance of workplace safety professionals who can control exposures in these environments.

A PhD credential in the field demonstrates that you have the expertise to rise to the challenge.

Career Opportunities in Safety Sciences

The safety sciences field employs approximately 132,400  individuals, with opportunities projected to increase through 2031, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics . The job outlook as a whole is positive, with an average annual occupational growth rate of 5 percent.

In a field with a wide variety of positions and skill sets, safety science professionals have the freedom to work almost anywhere in the world. You’ll use new technologies to make a difference in the health and welfare of workers.

New Challenges for More Advanced Professionals

New technologies, techniques, and materials are creating new health and safety challenges in the workplace. Organizations are under greater pressure to identify hazardous conditions and prevent workplace injury or harm. Additionally, reputation management and a desire to uphold good corporate citizenship are driving employment growth in safety sciences.

It’s your time: seasoned professionals like you will have room to advance as more than half of occupational safety and health professionals are approaching retirement age.

Safety sciences professionals who earn a doctoral degree are poised for a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Median Annual Salary

Safety professionals holding a PhD

Classes and Requirements

Upon graduation, you’ll be able to:

• Anticipate, recognize, evaluate, control, and prevent safety, health, and environmental hazards in the work environment.
• Conduct independent research.
• Teach safety sciences at academic institutions.

The program can be completed in three to eight years. A minimum of 54 semester hours of credits is required, including:

• 24 credits (eight courses) earned through distance education courses online (six credits each fall and spring term for two consecutive years).
• 18 credits (six courses) in six one-week summer workshop courses on the IUP campus (six credits over a two-week period in the summer semester for three consecutive years).
• 12 hours of dissertation supervision.

To earn your degree, you must satisfactorily complete a comprehensive written examination, an oral defense of your dissertation proposal, a dissertation , and an oral defense of your dissertation.

The total minimum time to complete the degree is approximately three years; the average time to complete the degree is approximately five years.

Full Academic Catalog Listing

The course catalog is the official reference for all our degree and course offerings. Check it out for a full listing of the classes available and requirements for this degree.

Student Demographics

The field of safety sciences is predominantly male at present; approximately 80 percent of jobs in the field are held by men. However, the demographic of the student population in IUP’s Safety Sciences PhD program reflects a changing picture.

More than 75 percent of the current program cohort includes women, minorities, and international students ranging in age from 26 to 60.

Almost all our students currently work in the safety, health, and environmental field, and approximately half work for employers that are paying for their education. Most students reported that they see themselves eventually moving into academia to teach full- or part-time. A very limited number of our students are currently working in academia.

Program Outcomes

In this program, you’ll develop sophisticated research, analytical, and problem-solving skills that will position you for safety science leadership careers in industry, government, and academia. As a graduate, you will be prepared to:

• Apply appropriate quantitative and qualitative research methods to solve safety, health, and environmental problems.
• Conduct independent research in the safety, health, and environmental field.
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of safety, health, and environmental management techniques.
• Effectively develop, implement, and evaluate a safety education curriculum.

Strengths of the PhD in Safety Sciences Program

As a doctoral student in the safety sciences at IUP, you’ll enter a program that can take you to the top of your field, without interrupting your career. This is the only hybrid safety science program in the nation, allowing you to pursue your degree on a part-time basis.

Our PhD program is also one of few in the general field that is not affiliated with an engineering school, public health school, or business school. While our program includes courses in these disciplines, the curriculum is intentionally balanced to appeal to a broad student base and reflect the reality of safety science as a generalized field that spans almost every industry and workplace type.

A Practical Education with Purpose

IUP’s program attracts working professionals because it’s structured as an applied research science degree. Unlike programs that focus on theory, our PhD in Safety Sciences equips you with knowledge that is immediately applicable in the workplace.

Some students leverage their dissertations to resolve specific workplace problems, increasing their visibility and potential for career advancement and creating value for employers who may be funding their education.

During the on-campus, two-week summer experience, you’ll build lifelong friendships and professional bonds with professors and fellow students in your cohort. Many students bring years of field knowledge to campus, further enhancing the quality of the program.

Recent PhD Graduate Awards

We take great pride in our graduates who continue to distinguish themselves in the field of safety science. Recent graduates have gained outstanding field recognition with awards that include:

• American Society of Safety Professionals Professional Safety Article of the Year
• Industrial Hygiene Officer of the Year
• Rising Star of Safety, awarded by the National Safety Council
• Safety Professional of the Year, awarded by ASSP Region VI
• Uniformed Services University’s F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine Dean’s Impact Award

Program Graduate Survey Results

The Department of Safety Sciences at IUP is committed to continuous improvement of our education programs, with the goal of providing a learning experience that meets the expectations of students and aligns with current industry demands.

As part of that effort, our faculty solicit input to gain insight into students’ experience in the Safety Sciences PhD program. In the survey results, students noted the quality of program professors. They describe professors as:

• Accessible to students
• Adaptable to different learning styles
• Attentive to students’ concerns
• Committed to providing valuable feedback
• Dedicated to helping students learn and grow
• Motivated to help students succeed
• Passionate about teaching
• Supportive with dissertation assistance
• Top notch in their field, with private sector experience

Comments about the program and curriculum design include praise for:

• A beneficial combination of distance and live classroom learning
• Coursework that introduces complex issues and safety, health, and environmental (SHE) problem-solving methods
• Dissertations that use specific safety and environmental health examples
• Exposure to critical thinking, reasoning, and detailed analysis of problems and solutions
• Intensive academic writing requirements that are indispensable for scholarly research and writing
• Preparing students to become future educators, with an emphasis on pedagogy and teaching
• Program flexibility and professors who accommodate the schedules of working professionals
• Statistics and research courses that are appropriate for the safety sciences field
• A transformational dissertation process that motivates further interest in research
• A well-rounded and field-relevant curriculum that enhances and builds on students’ technical abilities

Selection and Type of PhD Dissertations

Choosing a topic for your dissertation must be a carefully considered process. This is a crucial component of your doctoral studies that takes months to complete, and it requires deep immersion into the subject matter.

Based on feedback from program graduates and current students, the selection of dissertation topics is founded on five primary considerations:

• A newly discovered topic of interest drawn from a PhD class or lesson
• Corporate interest, particularly if the student’s employer is funding tuition
• Faculty interest
• Personal interest
• Urgency, based on the availability to certain data or information to the student and limited time or resources to complete a dissertation

Most dissertations in the field of safety science are mixed method studies, a combination of quantitative and qualitative research. These dissertations are founded on survey results, physical experiments, and epidemiological studies. To date, graduates of IUP’s PhD in Safety Sciences program have most frequently conducted surveys for their dissertation, followed by physical experiments, and then epidemiological studies.

PhD Dissertation Titles

• Rodriguez-Franco, Oscar. 2021. “Contributing Factors to Serious Injuries and Fatalities in Electrical Occupations Due to Contact with Electricity.”
• Mullins-Jaime, Charmane. 2021. “Assessing the Effects of a Communication Intervention on Climate Change Action Motivation Using a Health and Safety Risk Management Framework.”
• Schoolcraft, Steven G. 2021. “Factors Influencing the Perceived Social Theories Associated with Motivating Safety Performance in a Global Organization.”
• Reed, Patricia A. 2021. “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Chemical Exposure Training in Improving Employee Risk Perception with a Case Study in a Bleach Processing Plant Filling Department.”
• Pugh, Cynthia T. 2020. “Characterization of Occupational Exposures to Engineered Nanomaterials in an Electronic Recycling Facility.”
• Hunter, Pamela A. 2020. “An Evaluation of the Efficacy of Workplace Violence Prevention Programs in Reducing Workplace Violence Injuries to Registered Nurses in Connecticut.”
• Diehl, Francene S. 2020. “An Evaluation of Social Marketing Delivery Modes Aimed at Teen Smartphone Use While Driving: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior.”
• Mulroy, John M. 2020. “An Investigation of Occupational Safety and Health Management Attributes on High-Hazard Small Enterprise Safety Outcomes for Use in Modifying OSHA Consultation's Safety and Health Assessment Worksheet (Revised Form 33).”
• Armstrong, George. 2020. “Assessing Manufacturing Employee Perceptions of Supervisor Occupational Health and Safety Competencies and Potential for Occupational Health and Safety Training Facilitation.”

Steps to Complete Your Dissertation in Safety Sciences

Completing your dissertation: standard process.

• Complete your program coursework.
• Formulate an idea for your dissertation topic or experimental approach.
• Form a dissertation committee with approval from the program coordinator.
• Discuss your topic with your dissertation committee members.
• Take the comprehensive/candidacy exam (similar to writing the first three chapters of your dissertation).
• Present an oral defense of your dissertation proposal.
• Complete and submit your research topic approval form (RTAF), generate institutional review board (IRB) documentation, and receive approval from the graduate school.
• After you receive a written receipt of research topic approval from the School of Graduate Studies and Research, begin writing your dissertation. You may not begin dissertation research activity—other than preliminary steps such as background research, an IRB or IACUC (research animal care and use) approved pilot study, or a three-chapter writing/review)—until you have received notice of approval from the School of Graduate Studies and Research.
• Conduct formal research.
• Write your dissertation.
• Present an oral defense of your dissertation.

Completing Your Dissertation: Alternate, Expedited Process

• Complete program courses any time before graduation.

Safety Leadership Hub

IUP’s Safety Leadership Hub is founded on five pillars: Research, Education, Training, Consultation, and Partnerships. Hosted by the Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering, it represents the university’s holistic approach to being a regional leader in safety, health, and environmental sciences.

Through our vision to be the premier institution for education and research and the program of choice for industry partnerships in the global safety, health, and environmental profession, the IUP Safety Leadership Hub will serve as a portal to explore our education programs, current research, collaboration opportunities, consultation services, and training.

How Many Safety Professionals Hold Doctoral Degrees?

Each year, the Board of Certified Safety Professionals conducts a safety field salary survey in collaboration with the National Safety Council to learn what type of academic degrees safety professionals earn and the median compensation by degree.

The yearly report generated from data gathered in this survey includes an expansive variety of demographic information. Review the most recent full report (pdf).

Percent of Safety Professionals Who Hold Various Educational Degrees

• Associate’s degree: 6%
• Bachelor’s degree: 45%
• Doctoral degree: 2%
• High school diploma/GED: 3%
• Master’s degree: 32%
• Some college but not a degree: 9%
• Vocational/trade school diploma or certificate: 2%

Annual Median Safety Professional Compensation by Educational Degree

• Doctoral degree: $118.5K
• Master’s degree: $105K
• Bachelor’s degree: $93K

About Our Faculty

The  Safety Sciences faculty members  bring to the classroom their professional experience in industries such as insurance, consulting, manufacturing, healthcare, construction, government, and others.  All faculty are certified safety professionals and/or certified industrial hygienists, and many hold multiple certifications.

• Our professors are active in safety sciences research, publishing, and service to the profession.
• Their focus is on the student. All graduate students have an advisor who mentors them throughout their graduate program.
• Safety Sciences hosts an annual departmental career fair.  An average of 75 companies attend the career fair, and it's here that you can find co-ops, internships and full-time employment.

Student Opportunities

Iup chapter of american society of safety professionals.

The Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering has had a student section of the American Society of Safety Professionals for more than 20 years and has won the Outstanding ASSP Student Section five times. All students are encouraged to participate, and about 100 students currently are involved.

Rho Sigma Kappa

The Alpha Chapter of Rho Sigma Kappa was inaugurated at IUP in 1993. This honor society recognizes exemplary performance in the safety sciences. Graduate student membership is based on nomination by program faculty and requires completion of at least 15 credits in the major and meeting minimum grade point averages, as well as other evidence of superior performance. Typically, only 5 to 10 percent of Safety Sciences students qualify for membership in Rho Sigma Kappa.

Safety Sciences Career Fair

Our career fair is widely recognized as one of the crown jewels of the Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering Department. With our outstanding national reputation, we attract some of the largest employers in many industries who are seeking to hire personnel with safety expertise. We host the Safety Sciences Career Fair in October each year at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex. All students are invited.

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The doctoral program in disaster science and management approaches disasters and emergencies from an interdisciplinary point of view. The program emphasizes theories, research methodologies, and policies related to emergency preparedness, mitigation, management, and response.

Many of our doctoral students engage in projects and research with the world-renowned Disaster Research Center .

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Click the image to view/download the full program brochure pdf.

The program requires 42 credits of graduate-level coursework beyond the masters degree including:

• 6 credits of quantitative and qualitative methods classes
• 3 credits of seminar (DISA 680)
• 9 credits of dissertation

Ph.D. students complete a Ph.D. qualifier exam and defend their dissertation proposal.

Students are expected to choose a thematic area such as one of the following:

• Organizations, management, and leadership focus on management and leadership in all phases of a disaster. Includes knowledge of institutional structures and tools to support decision making.
• Built and natural environment, and society focus on the interfaces among the three infrastructures (built, natural and social) with an emphasis on the opportunities to control, influence, accommodate, and understand changes and needs during and after catastrophic events.
• Vulnerability and resilience focus on how systems are impacted by and respond to catastrophic events. Includes how systems can be modified or adapted to reduce vulnerability and improve resilience.
• Policy and planning focus on response to disasters including continuity of operations.
• Simulation and modeling focus on decision support tools and the modeling of impacts to support disaster planning, mitigation, response, and recovery.
• Health systems leadership: public health disaster planning and response focus on the role of health professionals and systems in planning for and responding to disasters.

Helpful links:

• Ph.D. program curriculum
• Electives available to graduate students studying Disaster Science & Management
• Career options available after graduation​

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Experience real classes for real credits before making a decision. If at any point during this 3-week introductory period you decide online learning is not right for you, you can opt out with no tuition cost or other financial obligation to Purdue Global.

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Purdue Global is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The HLC ( HLCommission.org ) is an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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Modern Fire Professionals Don’t Just Fight Fires

The fire field has evolved dramatically to offer diverse and challenging career opportunities that cater to a variety of interests. Whether you want to be involved in fire prevention, fire response, fire investigation or fire systems design, those that earn a degree will have a competitive edge and the skills needed for a successful future.

EKU’s fire programs are among the most revered in the nation, boasting a curriculum and level of faculty expertise that can be found at only a handful of colleges and universities.

Fire Science Degree & Certificate Options

• Bachelor of Science in Fire Protection Administration
• Bachelor of Science in Fire Protection & Safety Engineering Technology
• Bachelor of Science in Fire, Arson & Explosion Investigation
• Undergraduate Certificate in Industrial Fire Protection

About Our University

Learn More About EKU’s Fire Science Program

EKU has been a leader in online education for more than 15 years, providing more than 100 online degree and certificate options.

A regionally-accredited, brick-and-mortar university, EKU is ranked among the nation’s best colleges and has been educating students for more than a century. EKU has received numerous honors, including being named one of the best online colleges in the nation and one of the most veteran-friendly campuses.

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Our students receive online tutoring and career services at no charge. EKU provides convenient assistance with a wide range of both subject specific, and general tutoring needs.

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You’ve worked hard for your credits. EKU Online helps you put them to work towards your degree with a generous credit transfer policy for hours earned at other universities.

Advancing your career doesn’t have to break the bank. EKU Online offers a range of scholarships designed to address the financial needs of our students.

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EKU provides dedicated support to military students, including discounted tuition.

Learn More About EKU's Online Fire Science Programs

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Colonel Catch Up: EKU Online Graduate David Ralston, Fire Protection & Safety Engineering Technology

Fire Protection & Safety Engineering Technology at EKU

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Doctor - Fire Science

Distance degree programs for adults & professionals., bircham international university - adult degree programs online., doctor ph.d. degree - life & earth sciences, fire science via distance learning.

Fire science strictly defines fire, its classifications, and processes. This Doctor Ph.D. Degree classifies fires and fuels into categories and groups, respectively, and clearly outlines their definitions. Understanding fires is learning the best ways to prevent and fight them. In this program, accurate methods are developed to predict when and where fires are most likely to occur and how to react in each case.

Academic Supervisor : Amador Martínez Benitez More information about this academic supervisor at Bircham University Human Network. More info...

The Doctor Ph.D. Degree online via distance learning offers students the highest level of specialization a discipline can offer. More info...

* 45 to 72 academic credits above a Master's program. * Average Duration: 24 months. * Program Structure: 70% textbooks + 30% Thesis. * Admission is open for adults over 27 years of age. * Master's degree or international equivalent (5 years of study) is required for admission.

Fees include all: Program of study, textbooks, study guide, evaluation and assessment, diploma, and transcript. Cost per BIU earned postgraduate credit: 130 Euros (170 US$) Cost per transferred credit from previous education and/or professional experience if required: 20 Euros (25 US$)

45 ... 72 Academic credits Tuition Fee :Min. 5.850 Euros (7.650 US$) ... Max. 9.360 Euros (12.240 US$).

"An investment in education always pays the best interest." Benjamin Franklin.

Payment plans are available upon request up to 36 monthly installments. More info...

Faculty of Life & Earth Sciences via distance learning

• Doctor Ph.D. Degree

45 ... 72 Academic credits required for this distance learning degree program.

Composition:.

+ 21 Academic credits - Fire Science Online + Other additional subjects + 18 Academic credits - Research methodology and final project or thesis.

+ 21 Academic credits: Fire Science Online

BIU Earned Credits Credits earned through the completion of academic work at Bircham International University (Reports, Projects and Thesis).

1 BIU Earned Credit = 1 USA Semester Credit (15 hours of learning) = 2 ECTS Credits (30 hours of study). Courses list (each subject accounts for 3 academic credits): You may study any subject as an independent online continuing education course. More info...

Postgraduate level continuing education course. Previous knowledge in this field of study is required.

601FIR - Fire Prevention 602FIR - Fire Protection Systems 603FIR - Fire Hydraulics 604FIR - Fire & Arson Investigation 605FIR - Firefighters & Fire Departments 606FIR - Fire Science 607FIR - Fire Fighting Strategy More info...

Bibliography: Fire Science via distance learning The corresponding textbooks are included in the fees. Once the fee has been paid, the books may take between two to five weeks to reach your address. Bircham International University offices may inform you at any time of the status of your books. If the book is in English, the required report must be written in English unless you have requested to write it in other language and have gained Bircham International University authorization. More info... Click here to access the recommended bibliography.

+ Additional courses may be selected from other modules in the Faculty of Life & Earth Sciences from Bircham International University if required. This selection must be approved by the Distance Learning University Education Board. For example: Security & Emergency Management .

Research work resources and network - Doctor - Fire Science:

AFE - Association for Fire Ecology AHEPP - Association of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Professionals ASFP - Association for Specialist Fire Protection CFPA - Confederation of Fire Protection Association Europe CTIF - International Association of Fire and Rescue Service EENA - European Emergency Number Association FEUFOA - Federation of the European Union Fire Officer Associations FPA - Fire Protection Association IAEM - International Association of Emergency Managers IAFC - International Association of Fire Chiefs IAFSS - International Association for Fire Safety Science IAWF - International Association of Wildland Fire IFE - Institution of Fire Engineers IFSM - Institute of Fire Safety Managers More info...

Joining the proper association is the best way to become an updated professional. Bircham International University graduates may join many professional associations. Membership requirements for each association may vary depending on the degree program, specialization and graduate resume en each occasion. BIU can not guarantee membership in all instances. BIU does not intermediate in these procedures. Bircham International University provides a list of available memberships and professional references from each faculty where some BIU graduates may belong. Contact directly the ones you select. More info...

+ 18 Academic credits (Research methodology and final project or thesis. More info... ).

Admission requirements: Doctor - Fire Science

Bircham International University distance learning degree admission requirements differ depending upon the Faculty and the major of study. There is no discrimination with respect to race, color, sex, beliefs and/or religion. A minimum of 30% of the total number of credits required by any adult degree program syllabus has to be transferred from previous education and/or validated from professional experience in order to gain admission. A maximum of 20% of the total number of credits required by the distance learning degree program can be transferred from professional and life experience. More info...

Click to Download... Application for Admission

Learning outcomes: Doctor - Fire Science

The following learning outcomes are compatible with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for lifelong learning and continuing education. The EQF directives facilitate acceptance of this course credits by many higher education institution. These learning outcomes are achieved after completion of this course with a passing grade. Better grades will demonstrate higher analysis, evaluation and critical thinking skills. More info...

EQF LEVEL 6. Advanced knowledge and critical understanding. Outcome resulting from course content assessment and its applicability to problem solving. The student's ability to combine the different parts of the text and to form a new coherent and harmonic final report will determine the critical understanding of the subject and an advanced knowledge of Fire Science. The student written report style, content, and structure play an important role in the assessment and applicability of the knowledge about Fire Science to different Life & Earth Sciences decision making scenarios and problem-solving. More info...

EQF LEVEL 7. Advanced knowledge and critical thinking. Outcome resulting from written critical thinking and its applicability to problem solving. The student will contrast and evaluate the learned material with his/her own knowledge and experience to express an opinion about Fire Science, to consider the practical application of the key concepts, and to argue the conclusions along the written report. Personal judgments and opinion should be based on sound criteria and must be clearly discussed. More info...

BIU adapts each Distance Learning Higher Education degree program to the needs of each student. More info...

Fire Science Online

Recognition - Distance degree programs - More info... Accreditation - Distance Learning University - More info... Degree Legalization - Graduate Services - More info... Acceptance of these Distance Learning Higher Education academic credits is always the prerogative of the receiving institution or employer. Recognition criteria differ depending on each educational institution, or company policy, or country legal framework.

Courses calendar

FIRE courses are also open to students from other doctoral programs who should directly contact Camille Gaulon ([email protected]).

Priority is given to FIRE students when spots are limited.

First year is made of activities which create and strengthen our interdisciplinary community. Our PhD students also attend (at least) one of the three courses we offer in oral communication, depending on their needs and interests.

The Community, Interdisciplinary Reflections and Projects (CIRP) workshop intends to assemble free spirited students and researchers from broad scientific backgrounds to conceive creative research projects. This workshop provides the primary basis for collegiality and communication through dialogue and brainstorming on open questions in interdisciplinary research project. It is set in Domaine de Chalès (2h away from Paris) and is a joint activity between 1st year FIRE students and AIRE M2 students.

Aims of the workshop:

• To be able to focus on an important scientific question and to define the means to approach it from different disciplines
• To be able to zoom out (have a broader view) and zoom in (be precise and define the key experiments)
• To think and express your ideas more clearly.
• To gain confidence in your ideas.
• To be able to discuss, reject or accept ideas.
• To learn to take constructive scientific criticisms.
• To learn how to write a research proposal.
• To discuss scientific questions thoroughly.
• To learn to interact with people from different backgrounds.

Approximative dates: Early September

The Interdisciplinary Thursday seminars provide an overview on a wide scope of interdisciplinary research in life sciences and education. They promote discussions and scientific exchange among the fellows and senior scientists and develop an interdisciplinary scientific community.

Each session consists of 3 short talks (~15 minutes) by first year FIRE students introducing their research question and experimental/theoretical strategy followed by a discussion. Drinks and snacks will be provided.

The IT seminars take place in the Learning Center Extension (ground floor) at CRI building (8 rue Charles V 75004 Paris), from 18:00-19:30.

Approximative dates: Thursday evening every two weeks from October to April

This course is intended to train students to improve the critical reading of interdisciplinary research papers and to introduce them to the different aspects of the peer review process.

Students will be exercised on their ability to capture rapidly the content of a paper, including conceptual framework and technical aspects. Several aspects of the methodology to perform this task efficiently as well as retaining the content of papers will be discussed with the instructors. Emphasis will be put on analyzing methodological aspects and the writing of method sections, with illustrations and comparisons between different articles. Examples of seminal work involving methodological breakthrough will be presented and discussed. FInally, scientific misconduct leading to ethical issues will be exemplified and analyzed.

The course will also exercise and lead students through all critical steps of the peer review process, the tasks of Editors and board, the writing of appropriate reviews and will include some aspects of paper submission (ex: the writing of a cover letter). Examples will be given of crosstalk between reviewers and authors with the support of available transparent reviewing process provided by particular journals.

Teachers: Benoît Sorre and Saskia van der Vies

Approximative dates: March

You will have to give a scientific presentation? Don't panic. There are many things you can do to prepare a talk you will be proud of (or, at the very least, one you won’t be ashamed of), but most of them take time to master. So how about you start working on your presentation before you actually need to give one? This course will help you find the best way to communicate your science... to anyone and everyone.

Teacher: Eugenia Covernton

Approximative dates: October / November

You would like to do some science communication but you don’t know where to start? You always wanted to share your research to different audiences but you’re not sure how to proceed? This workshop is made for you! In 2 days we will be covering what kind of science communication exists and the basis of science communication, for any type of audience. You’ll learn about Twitter and most importantly, you’ll train to present your research to different types of audiences: general public but also journalists, funders, policy makers, etc.

Teacher: Elodie Chabrol

During the 2nd year of PhD, interactions between FIRE students and AIRE M2 students are happening through the joint organization of Thematic Workshops conferences. PhD students also improve their scientifical writing skills.

Has your writing been infected by the Scientific Writing Style virus? Has it lost clarity, conciseness, interest, fluidity? Has it lost readers, become so abstract or unclear that even experts struggle with it? Come and learn how to see the signs of infection. Diagnose what makes your writing ineffective. And become a better writer, one that readers find imminently readable, one that readers enjoy and learn from.

Teacher: Justin Lebrun

Approximative dates: One session in November, another one in April

The Thematic workshops give FIRE and AIRE M2 students an opportunity to conceive and organize a workshop to showcase their research and interests in an interdisciplinary and open setting. The workshops aim to create a setting for discussion and exchange amongst PhD students, Masters students, and the scientific community at large.

FIRE PhD students and AIRE M2 students work together to create the thematic workshops week at the CRI. The students decide on themes and then have the opportunity to organize each component of the thematic workshop, including format, guest speakers, scheduling, advertising, etc. A budget is available for invitations of external scientists to participate in the workshop and interact with the students.

Approximative dates: February

We strongly encourage our PhD students to follow at least one module related to the post-thesis journey during their last year of PhD.

The goal of this training is to support young researchers in the active development of their career plan and prepare them for the fundamentals of job search, in particular in academia in France. Special attention will be paid to the postdoctorate. The workshop will present the keys to selecting and successfully carrying out a postdoc and help to answer common questions of PhDs interested in applying for postdocs.

• Being aware of the importance of career planning and how to devise a career plan
• Getting familiar with the French academic job market, requirements for entry positions and useful resources
• Integrate the postdoc into your career plan and prepare differents steps of your postdoctoral stay abroad (before, during, after)

Teacher: Melike Riollet, ABG Intelli'agence

Approximative dates: May

The FIRE doctoral school is supporting the association PhDooc for its MOOC "Doctorat et Poursuite de Carrière - PhD and Career Development". Our students who registered and fulfil the requirements will receive an official certificate of completion.

More information Enroll here .

This workshops offers students a space to discuss the challenging and stressful aspects of the PhD and to provide support to their peers who are also facing similar issues. Students will gain more control over their negative emotions and improve their resilience in the PhD program.

Doing a PhD is a stimulating, but also a challenging and stressful experience, as pointed out in the growing body of literature on doctoral education. Many stress factors affect PhD students: elaboration of a research project, integration in a research lab and into various networks, relationships with the supervisor(s) and with peers, growing competition, quest for funding, the doctoral writing, solitude, lack of self-confidence, precariousness, uncertain future, etc.

It is perfectly normal to face obstacles during the “doctoral journey” and there seems to be an increasing awareness among academics of the need for a specific support during this long adventure. Various institutional initiatives flourish around the world and intervention programmes at schools and universities have shown their efficiency. The SPARK Resilience program, which aims to help people gain more control over their negative emotions and improve their resilience skills, has been adapted to address the specific needs of doctoral students in this series of workshops.

During the small group discussion sessions students will collaborate to improve engagement at work, self-motivation, personal growth and well-being; as well as develop techniques to reduce anxiety, unpleasant/negative emotions and depression.

Teacher: Pascale Haag

Approximative dates: November / December

“Chance favours the prepared mind.” Louis Pasteur, Lecture, University of Lille (7 December 1854)

What is the philosophy of science? How does it relate to research, in theory and practice? What is it good for? Why should I care? Will my research profit from knowing about it, or is it (as Richard Feynman quipped) as useful to scientists as ornithology is to birds?

This course will make you a better researcher by making you a better philosopher!

Join us for five half-days of collective exploration into the nature of reality, perspectival knowledge, and the process of open inquiry.

Teacher: Johannes Jaeger

Approximative dates: January

What are the specificities of the scientific approach to investigate the world? And of the artistic ones? How both differ or, on the contrary, look alike? More important, how both approaches could combine? That is, how the practice of the arts can enrich scientific research?

Teacher: Aurélien Peilloux

To be confirmed

The goal of this course is to equip the students with relevant and actionable tool to increase their efficiency in the context of research. We will cover a wide range of topics, including priority setting, organisation, how to conduct an efficient state of the art, how to develop and stick to habits, how to overcome the mid-PhD depression or how to enhance its research capabilities with networking and collaborations.

Teacher: Aurélien Baelde

Approximative dates: December / January

Each morning you’ll receive an e-mail with an assortment of written content and audio recordings. Each lesson takes ten minutes to complete and includes a story with dialogues, questions, ‘mini-lessons’ and revisions.

After clicking the ‘send’ button, you’ll receive your e-mail corrections with your score of the day, explanations on why you got each question right or wrong, transcripts of the audio recordings, the vocabulary you wanted to learn more about, etc.

The next lessons will be customized according to your previous answers, your expectations and your needs.

As biology is becoming more and more quantitative, today’s scientists end up with a huge amount of numbers to describe their experiments / their empirical observations. Traditional approaches, based on p-values and hypothesis testing, are very often pushed beyond their capabilities in these cases. In this 3 days workshop, we will cover the basics of machine learning (ML), namely how to extract information from datasets that could not be analyzed with the naked eye or manually. The aim is to share both the underlying mathematics (in a gentle way !) as well as provide a practical use of the methods, through dedicated softwares.

Students are more than welcome to come with their own datasets and/or share the ML methods they could have been already using. In that sense, the proposed schedule is only an outline and many of its parts could be covered by one or more willing participant. In the same spirit, if a specific method is of interest for a good number of people, it can be added in the program.

Teacher: Yann Le Cunff, [email protected]

Qualitative research is being paid more attention to and is becoming more valuable because of its relevance. In fact a large part of research questions can only be assessed using qualitative research methods. In light of this evolution it is important to develop qualitative research projects in an appropriate scientific way in order to increase the reliability and transferability of the results. Hence, in this module, you will explore qualitative research by recognizing its characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, and importance across different fields.

Teachers: Hilde Bastiaens, Sibyl Anthierens

Language: English unless all the participants are French speakers.

Location: Courses are held at the Centre de Recherches Interdisciplinaires (CRI), 10 rue Charles V, 75004 Paris. An identity document is required to enter the building.

If you have any questions, please send an email to the scientific coordinator, Camille Gaulon, at [email protected] .

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Master of science in fire protection engineering.

What is fire protection engineering? "It's an interdisciplinary field that has arisen from the challenges of new fire hazards," says Associate Professor Jing Li. “Our unique program offers training in engineering as well as in various areas of fire and safety protection through the Henry C. Lee College.

Engineer the defeat of a destructive force of nature

Fire’s mindless fury destroys lives, homes, businesses, the environment, and even history when it ravages irreplaceable items such as records and artifacts. Another force of nature, water, is its downfall, but there’s a more studied method of attack — the application of scientific and engineering principles that prevent, suppress, or mitigate fire. That’s where Fire Protection Engineers come in.

Our M.S. in Fire Protection Engineering program immerses you in the scientific application of chemistry, physics, and principles of civil and mechanical engineering to prevent and suppress fires. It also will give you an extensive understanding of fire science and fire dynamics — how fires get started and the ways they behave and spread. By understanding the behavior of fire, you can analyze potential risks and design solutions that will prevent a blaze from igniting in the first place.

Because saving lives is paramount, you will learn about the human dynamics that come into play as well — how people behave in fire events and how to keep smoke and heat at a survivable level while firefighters carry out evacuations.

At the end of the program, you will be qualified to work as a Fire Protection Engineer, a critical member of a multi-disciplinary team of other engineers. You also will be the go-to person for architects, building owners, and developers during the planning and designing stages, helping to determine what materials and fire protection systems to use. After a major fire event, you will be the investigator/analyst who determines what went wrong and why — and how to help ensure it doesn’t happen again.

The program also helps prepare you to take the Fundamental of Engineering Exam ( FE exam) to earn your engineering-in-training ( EIT) license — a prerequisite for becoming a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) . If you further qualify as a P.E., the breadth of your career opportunities and your earning power will increase dramatically.

Outsmart “smart” buildings

The Internet of Things streamlined and simplified operations for buildings. All the systems that make a building function — heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, security, fire safety systems, and more — can be digitally connected and controlled. For fire protection engineers the IoT can assist them through early detection and transmitting other critical information — or it can collapse into an epic failure. Think cyber attacks. Add such combustion-prone items as lithium-ion batteries to the mix, along with the plethora of new building codes and safety regulations, and you now have fire safety professionals facing their biggest challenges in history.

Our program’s emphasis on designing, analyzing, and modeling fire protection systems and performing risk analysis for rapidly evolving situations such as smart buildings, manufacturing plants, data centers, laboratories, and energy storage facilities will equip you with the skills to stay one step ahead of the technology that makes buildings hum with efficiency while presenting a potential perfect storm of safety failures.

Learn Fire Protection Engineering the hardcore way. Practice it.

There’s no substitute for rigorous, first-hand experience. Practice is the ultimate teacher, so it’s embedded into the program.

We specifically designed the courses to be experiential and collaborative. For example, you will learn to conduct real fire phenomenon measurements, such as temperature, flame height, smoke density, plume velocity, flame spread, and heat release rate.

A research project, internship, or thesis is the pinnacle of the program and will prepare you to be the leader that employers are looking for, whether your career leads you to the industry or academia.

What makes you a perfect fit for this program

This is a STEM program, and we designed it with three types of graduates in mind:

• those who earned an engineering bachelor’s degree from a college of engineering
• those who earned their bachelor’s degree in fire protection engineering from the Henry C. Lee College
• those with strong math, physics and chemistry skills who earned their bachelor’s in a field such as forensic science or physics

Envision Your Future

According to a 2019 survey by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the average full-time fire protection engineering salary is $118,800. Here are some other positions, with their salaries.

Senior Fire Research Engineer*

Fire Protection Engineer (entry-level)**

Fire Sprinkler Designer/Engineer*

*SFPE **Glassdoor.com

This course presents a detailed analysis of the factors and physical processes that govern the growth and spread of fire and its products within a structure. Includes a review and an evaluation of national, state, and local fire loss data leading to the development of fire prevention strategies.

Students will examine the basic organic chemistry, combustion, and explosive properties of flammable materials. They will investigate the chemical principles underlying fires and explosions and the chemical properties of various synthetic materials and the products of their combustion. Fire retardant materials and chemicals used in fire extinguishment will be explored as well.

This course introduces students to different experimental measurement techniques to quantitatively understand the analytical methods to address problems of basic fire phenomena. Topics include the understanding and measurements of temperature, flame, CO/CO2, oxygen consumption calorimetry, heat flux, limiting oxygen index, optical thermometry, and ignition parameters.

Designed for students with basic to intermediate level CAD software experience, this course will take their skill to the next level. Drawing exercises are used extensively to demonstrate the use of advanced drawing tools and to provide hands-on experience in topic-specific drawings. Topics include 2D and 3D drawing, perspective and axonometric views, rendering, natural and artificial lighting, dynamic blocks, layouts and viewports, title blocks, plot styles, layout grids, and fixing problematic drawing files.

This course covers the application of systems analysis, probability, engineering economy, and risk management techniques to the problem of fire. The basic principles of fire growth and spread in a building are also studied. Timelines will be established from the time of ignition to that of extinguishing. Students will also explore various methods of modifying the timeline.

This course introduces students to computer-based fire modeling — zone modeling and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) by conducting a series of case studies with documentation of input data, validation, and verification tests. Fire scene reconstruction will be emphasized. Basic programming knowledge is recommended but not required.

The University of New Haven offers a wide variety of in-depth courses that create a transformational educational experience for our students. To view the complete list of courses you'll take while pursuing a Masters of Science in Fire Protection Engineering, check out the Academic Catalog:

Fire Protection Engineering, M.S.

Learn from professors who are dedicated to your success.

Our faculty are leaders and innovators in their fields, bringing both deep professional experience and academic rigor to the classroom.

Get an inside look at what differentiates the University of New Haven and how your experiences as a student will prepare you for success.

STEM Designated

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Nationally recognized center for career development.

All University of New Haven students have access to the many resources available through the University’s Career Development Center , which has been named one of the best in the nation by The Princeton Review .

From career assessments, networking, and job shadowing to on-campus interviews and salary negotiation, the Career Development Center provides the skills and connections to identify a meaningful career and an opportunity to pursue your passion.

Various Dates

• Graduate Visit Opportunities

An advanced degree from the University of New Haven will help you take your career to the next level. Each program offers convenient scheduling, personalized attention, and state-of-the-art facilities. View Application Requirements

The University of New Haven Graduate School is an excellent value with reasonable tuition. Of course, you will still have bills to pay and the Financial Aid office can help. Learn More

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• Fire and Explosion Investigation Master of Science
• Fire Science, B.S. - University of New Haven
• Fire Protection Engineering, B.S. - University...

Master's in Fire Protection Engineering Online

As a leader in fire science for more than 40 years, WPI gives fire protection engineers the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience to help make the world a safer place. The master’s in fire protection engineering online program is a part-time, flexible program that allows you to explore advanced topics in fire protection and safety and customize a program around your professional expertise and your career and lifestyle goals. Students will work with a faculty advisor to develop a customized and relevant plan of study. A thesis is not required for the fire protection engineering degree online.

WPI also offers an online graduate certificate in Fire Protection Engineering.  Our fire protection certificate introduces engineers to innovation and research as it relates to the fire science field. Prefer to study on-campus? Our on-campus graduate certificate in fire protection engineering offer the same rigorous course content that enables students to learn about fire dynamics and computational modeling.

This program is also available on campus

Fire Protection Engineering Info Session

View our on-demand webinar to be introduced to WPI's online graduate programs in Fire Protection Engineering. Get an overview of program logistics, what online learning looks like, the application process, and more!

Graduate Studies Series

Team members from Graduate & Professional Studies host quick and convenient webinars designed to highlight popular topics when starting grad school. Take a deep dive into specific areas of interest such as how to secure funding, how to ace your application, an overview of student services, and more!

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Admissions Guidelines for Master’s in Fire Protection Engineering Online

Applicants to the master’s in fire protection engineering online must have a  bachelor of science  in engineering, engineering technology, or the physical sciences.  Applicants must have already taken courses in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and calculus through differential equations.  Those with degrees in engineering technology or the physical sciences may be required to take selected  undergraduate courses  to round out their backgrounds.

For specific application requirements, visit  our admissions for online programs  page.

If you do not have a bachelor's degree, please view our list of  undergraduate programs .

• W. Lee Watkins
• Fire Protection Engineer
• InSynergy Engineering based out of Honolulu, Hawaii
• Alexandar A. Popov
• Project Engineer
• Building Materials and Systems, UL LL

10 courses, 30 credit hours. You will work with a faculty advisor to develop a customized and relevant plan of study selected from the courses below. To complete credit hours for the online fire protection engineering degree, courses must be taken in the following areas: 

• ​ FP 521 . Fire Dynamics
• FP 553 . Fire Protection Systems
• FP 570 . Building Fire Safety I
• ​FP 573 . Industrial Fire Protection
• FP 571 . Performance-Based Design
• Elective courses (6 courses required, 18 credit hours)

With your advisor’s approval, you may take up to 3 elective courses (9 elective credits) from other WPI graduate departments, either on campus or online.

Thesis option: Currently, WPI’s online graduate programs do not offer a thesis option, as theses cannot be completed online. 

The following 3-credit Fire Protection Engineering courses are offered online:” FP 520. Fire Modeling FP 521. Fire Dynamics FP 553. Fire Protection Systems FP 554. Advanced Fire Suppression  FP 555. Detection, Alarm and Smoke Control FP 570. Building Fire Safety I FP 571. Performance-Based Design FP 572. Failure Analysis FP 573. Industrial Fire Protection FP 575. Explosion Protection FP 580. People in Fires FP 580. Complex Decision Making FP 580. Combustion FP 580. Forensic Techniques

Software used in the online fire protection engineering degree program: Decision Tools Suite of programs, Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), NIST – Fire on the Web, CONTAM, PyroSim​, EVACMOD.net, CFAST, Pathfinder, AutoSPRINK​, AFSS Fire Research Engine

To find the next offering of online Fire Protection Engineering courses, visit the Registrar’s site .

To view a course description, visit the Graduate Catalog.

Subject to change based on availability.  

WPI's MS in Fire Protection Engineering Degree On-Campus

If you’re interested in contributing to making the world a safer place by enforcing necessary fire safety principles, earning a fire protection engineering degree is the path for you. Maybe you prefer to interact and learn in-person? Our  on-campus master’s in fire protection engineering  provides students the flexibility to learn part-time or full-time in the classroom and hands-on in the fire science lab. 

Explore WPI’s Graduate Certificates in FPE

If you’re interested in sharpening your skills in the fire protection engineering, a graduate certificate may be for you. Our fire protection engineering graduate certificate  can help bridge the next steps to gain the training and expertise to advance your career in fire protection engineering.

Earn a PhD in Fire Protection

Learn how to make advances in fire science alongside our expert faculty with our  PhD in fire protection . This program will explore fire safety, detection, analysis, and more. Be on the forefront of groundbreaking fire research here at WPI.

See all the events and webinars that the Graduate Studies team are hosting and attending.

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Albert Simeoni, Fire Protection Engineering Department Head, Receives Prestigious International Research Award

Simeoni is being honored for “his eminent achievement in the advancement of the science and technology by connecting wildland fire science and fire safety science to better address wildland fire threats as a component of fire protection engineering practice.

What Can You Do With a Fire Protection Engineering Master’s?

Fire protection engineering graduates are in high-demand and find career opportunities across a range of industries and organizations, including fire protection equipment manufacturers, government, insurance, research laboratories, professional societies, fire departments, municipalities, and more. 

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PhD—Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science

A Holistic View of Nursing Science

The UW School of Nursing Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science (PhD) program faculty are global leaders in nursing science. Students from all over the world create a community of scholars and learn from expert researchers. Our expert nursing scientists provide mentorship tailored to student needs using technology-driven instruction.

The UW PhD program is ideal for students with diverse backgrounds who want to become premier leaders in nursing research.

We maintain a holistic view of nursing science and our faculty’s scholarship represents a broad array of research projects and innovative methodologies. Some examples include:

• Symptom science
• Laboratory sciences
• Health promotion and disease management across the lifespan
• Policy analysis and advancement of cost-effective health care systems
• Health equity
• Innovative methodologies

Hear from #HuskyNurse Sarah McKiddy and her experience with the PhD program.

A Community of Scholars

We welcome applicants with a baccalaureate degree in any field. We encourage post-baccalaureate students, as well as most master’s and DNP students who are ready to begin intensive study of nursing science, to apply.

UW PhD students have a wide range of academic backgrounds, including:

• Public health
• Complementary and alternative medicine
• Healthcare systems and policy
• Music therapy

Our PhD program is highly individualized to create independent thinkers with demonstrated ability to articulate, investigate, and report on original research that substantially contributes to health care knowledge.

The flexible program reflects the enormous scope and impact of the latest nursing research and policymaking. Although the PhD curriculum can be completed in three years of full-time study, individual student program lengths are expected to vary.

Once offered admission as a PhD student, you are matched with a faculty adviser. Your adviser provides guidance and helps answer questions until you select a supervisory committee chair (between years one and three). Your chair then serves in an advisory capacity and as the supervisor for your dissertation.

View the PhD Sample Curriculum Grid PhD Required and Elective Courses

• Optional: Statistics Concentration

The first year of the full-time PhD program and the first two years of part-time focus on required core courses emphasizing nursing philosophy, conceptual frameworks, theory, and research methodologies.

In addition, students complete their statistics sequence and may take selected electives or engage in research or teaching practicum. Students complete the preliminary exam at the end of the first year of full-time study and the end of two years of part-time study.

Students who enter the PhD program with a BSN can earn an MS in Nursing Science during the program following successful completion of the first year of the PhD program and the preliminary examination.

After the first year of full-time study and the first two years of part-time study, courses and other scholarly activities are determined by you and your supervisory committee to comprise your individual program of study. The supervisory chair is a School of Nursing graduate faculty member whose research approach, interest, or research methods align with your proposed dissertation project.

You and your chair complete the supervisory committee by selecting faculty members from the School of Nursing, the UW at large, and other appropriate experts outside the University. This committee approves your program of study and guides you through the general examinations, dissertation research, and final defense.

The Nursing Science Statistics Area of Concentration requires a minimum of 14 credits of advanced statistical methods coursework above and beyond the 10 credits of statistics required for the PhD degree. Of these, two credits are fulfilled by the CSSS Seminar, and a minimum of 12 credits are fulfilled by at least four advanced statistics courses, three of which must come from the list of CSSS courses approved for the concentration.

All courses taken as part of the statistics concentration must be graded.

However, a 500-level course that is graded credit/no credit may be considered for inclusion in your Area of Concentration proposal if:

• In the course, you submit an individual project (i.e., not a group project); and
• Major course assignments are submitted to your Supervisory Committee for review

CSSS seminar: minimum two credits

A minimum of two quarters in CS&SS is required. The most up-to-date course descriptions for statistics course options can be found on the CSSS website .

Approved CSSS advanced statistics course options

The most up-to-date course descriptions for statistics course options can be found on the CSSS website .

Variation in area of concentration coursework

One advanced methodological course in nursing, political science, psychology, public health, sociology, statistics, economics, educational psychology, social welfare, and other related fields may be considered as part of the Nursing Science Statistics Area of Concentration four course requirements if it contributes to the overall coherence of the student’s program of study and is consistent with the student’s research goals.

This course would be in addition to the ten credits of statistics courses required for the PhD in nursing.

Admissions Requirements

• An in-process or earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in any discipline
• A minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0, or a 3.0 GPA for the last  60 semester/90 quarter graded college/university credits
• Meet the  Essential Behaviors for PhD Students
• International applicants   who plan on taking clinical nursing courses  must have an active, unrestricted U.S. RN license  at the time of application
• If your native language is not English,  proof of proficiency in English  (reading, writing, and comprehension)

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• Online Associate Degree Fire Science

Online Associate's Degree in Fire Science

Additional academy training and education not provided by Purdue Global may be required for firefighting or emergency management jobs.

Admissions Requirements

• Ways to Save on Tuition
• Career Outcomes

Associate’s in Fire Science Overview

It’s time for your comeback. Earn your associate’s degree online and move your fire sciences career forward. Achieve a degree you can be proud of — and that employers will respect.

• Build foundational skills in firefighter safety, building codes, fire prevention, code inspection, and firefighting strategy and tactics.
• Explore the technical and legal aspects of arson, the technologies used in firefighting, and the psychological effects of fire dynamics.
• Learn from professors who are experienced fire science professionals, bringing real-world knowledge to the classroom.
• Gain valuable on-the-job experience through an optional internship.

Real, Proven Student Outcomes

We offer high-quality education that you can trust. Each term, we assess fire science and emergency management students on their mastery of course outcomes, which measure the skills, knowledge, abilities, and behaviors employers expect. View a summary of these assessments .

For information on prior learning credits, student success rates and survey results, and the number of graduates for the program, view this document .

Get Halfway to Your Bachelor's

Not only are you earning a valuable credential to make an immediate impact on your career, but this program also lays the groundwork for your next degree. Transfer your associate’s degree into one of our fire science bachelor’s degrees, covering half of the program’s requirements.

Review College Scorecard data for this program .

See Notes and Conditions below for important information.

FESHE Recognized and IFSAC Accredited

Purdue Global is recognized by the U.S. Fire Administration as an official Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) institution, and this degree program closely follows the FESHE curriculum model. In addition, this degree program is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC).

Military Transfer Credit

Servicemembers and veterans, get the recognition you deserve and earn your degree faster with our PME2Degree ® program. Use our Military Transfer Credit Estimator to see how much of your occupational and military training counts as college credit.

• Estimate Your Military Credit

Purdue Global Is Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission

The HLC ( HLCommission.org ) is an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Calculate Your Time and Cost

Estimate how much your prior learning credits can reduce your tuition and time to graduation.

What Courses Will I Take?

In the first course, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your degree plan with a faculty member to align your degree path with your career outcomes. Additional coursework addresses general literacy outcomes along with:

• Analytical approaches to fire protection and investigation
• Disaster and fire defense planning
• Hazardous materials management
• The role of the fire service within the community

Sample Courses

• Fire Behavior and Combustion
• Building Construction for Fire Protection
• Fire Protection Systems
• Principles of Emergency Services Strategy and Tactics
• Fire Prevention Tactics

Program Requirements

1 semester credit hour = 1.5 quarter credit hours

3-Week Trial

Not sure if Purdue Global is right for you? Try an undergraduate program for an introductory 3-week trial period.

There’s no financial obligation and no cost to apply.  That’s the Purdue Global Commitment.

Students who choose to continue at Purdue Global will be billed for the full first term's tuition, including the 3-week trial. See Notes and Conditions below .

You must be a high school graduate or possess a General Educational Development (GED) certificate or other equivalency diploma. You are also encouraged to complete orientation before you start classes.

Refer to the University Catalog or speak to an Advisor to learn more.

Upcoming Start Dates

We offer multiple start dates to give you flexibility in your education, life, and work schedules.

Earn Credit Toward Your Degree

We offer several options to help you earn your online fire science associate’s degree faster:

• Articulation agreements  with fire academies and fire service associations help you receive credit for previously completed courses and professional learning.
• If you earned your certifications through an organization that is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) or the Pro Board, including the U.S. Department of Defense Firefighter Certification System, you may be eligible to receive credit toward your associate’s degree.
• Courses completed through the National Fire Academy may also be eligible for credit.

Alliances to Help You Save on Tuition

We partner with specific organizations, such as the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), to provide members, staff, and immediate family members a significant tuition reduction on our fire science degree programs.

Ways to Save on Time and Tuition

Purdue Global works with students to find ways to reduce costs and make education more accessible. Contact us to learn about opportunities to save on your educational costs.

Earn credit for prior coursework completed at eligible institutions, including community colleges.

You could earn undergraduate credit for your life and professional career experiences.

Learn about federal financial aid programs available for many of our degree programs.

Learn about federal and state grants and loan programs that may be available.

Employees of Purdue Global partner organizations may be eligible for special tuition reductions.

Undergraduate tuition savings for military include a 55% reduction per credit for current servicemembers and 38% per credit for veterans.

Earn credit for your military training. The average Purdue Global military student is awarded 54% of the credits needed for an associate's and 45% of the credits needed for a bachelor's.

View the total cost of attendance for your program.

Graduates of the associate's degree program can pursue roles in fire and emergency services organizations and emergency preparedness agencies.

Average Salary

In Your State

General labor market and salary data are provided by Lightcast and may not represent the outcomes experienced by Purdue Global graduates in these programs. Purdue Global graduates in these programs may earn salaries substantially different or less than the amounts listed above. Salary and employment outcomes vary by geographic area, previous work experience, education, and opportunities for employment that are outside of Purdue Global's control.

Purdue Global does not guarantee employment placement, salary level, or career advancement.

Get to Know Our Faculty

Purdue Global faculty members are real-world practitioners who bring knowledge gained through the powerful combination of higher learning and industry experience.

Faculty members who have advanced degrees

Faculty members who hold a doctorate

Faculty publications in 2022–2023

Professional development hours logged by faculty in 2022–2023

Statistics include all Purdue Global faculty members and are not school- or program-specific calculations. Source: Purdue Global Office of Reporting and Analysis, July 2023. 2022–2023 academic year.

Download the Program Brochure

Download our brochure to learn more about the Online Associate of Applied Science in Fire Science and the benefits of earning your degree at Purdue Global. Prepare yourself for success with a associate’s degree in fire science.

Your Path to Success Begins Here

Connect with an Advisor to explore program requirements, curriculum, credit for prior learning process, and financial aid options.

* Estimated Graduation Date and Average Completion: Estimated graduation date is based on the assumption that you will enroll in time to begin classes on the next upcoming start date, will remain enrolled for each consecutive term, and will maintain satisfactory academic standing in each term to progress toward completion of your program. Completion time is based on a full-time schedule. Programs will take longer for part-time students to complete.

Credit for Prior Learning: Purdue Global does not guarantee transferability of credit from any of these sources. See the University Catalog for the Prior Learning policy.

Firefighting or EMS Jobs: Additional academy training and education may be required for firefighting or emergency management jobs.

Future Programs: The University cannot guarantee that students will be granted admission to any future programs. Speak to an Advisor about transfer credit opportunities and see the University Catalog for the Prior Learning policy .

Internship: The student is responsible for identifying and obtaining approval for an appropriate internship in his or her location.

Three-Week Trial: Students who inform Purdue Global they do not wish to pursue the program during the 3-week trial will not be charged. Students who choose to continue at Purdue Global will be billed for the full first term's tuition, including the 3-week trial, and will need to meet other specific requirements. Classes will be applied toward a degree if satisfactorily completed and students select to continue their studies at Purdue Global. No credits are earned if the student withdraws during the introductory period (3 weeks for new qualifying undergraduate students), which begins day one of the first term. Graduate programs and BS in Professional Flight not included. Additional terms may apply to international and non-U.S. citizen students. For further information, see the University Catalog .

Tuition Reduction: Contact an Admissions Advisor for details. Tuition reduction may not be combined with Purdue Global tuition reductions or ExcelTrack ® pricing.

PhD Programme in Data Science

Admission requirements.

Applicants seeking admission to the PhD programme should satisfy the following minimum entrance requirements.

be a current MPhil student in the University who is seeking transfer to a PhD programme; or hold a higher research degree (or equivalent qualification) from a recognised university; or hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent qualification) from a recognised university; or hold a Bachelor’s degree with first-class honours (or equivalent qualification) from a recognised university.

English Proficiency Requirements

Applicants from an institution where the language of teaching is not English should satisfy the minimum English proficiency requirements as follows:

• a minimum TOEFL total score of 550 (paper-based test) or 79 (Internet-based test); or 59 (revised Paper-delivered test); or
• a minimum overall band score of 6.5 in IELTS; or
• other test scores that may be regarded as equivalent to TOEFL 550 (paper-based test) or 79 (Internet-based test); or 59 (revised Paper-delivered test).

College English Test (CET) is  NOT  accepted as an equivalent English proficiency test for Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS).  For applicants with strong academic and research potential who have only taken CET-6 with a minimum score of 490, special consideration may be made on a case-by-case basis during normal round admission. 

Applications for the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) programme are not considered.

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (2024/25)

The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme , established by the Research Grants Council (RGC) of the HKSAR government, aims to recruit the brightest students in the world to pursue their PhD studies in Hong Kong. 300 PhD Fellowships will be awarded in the 2024/25 academic year. While academic excellence is the primary consideration, applicants should demonstrate research ability/potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities. The result of the HKPFS 2024/25 will be announced in April/May 2024 by RGC.

The Fellowship awardee will receive:

• an annual stipend of HK$331,200 (~US$42,460).
• conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$13,800 (~US$1,760) per year for a maximum of three years.
• Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies Entrance Scholarships around HK$89,496 (~US $11,473) which covers student's full-time tuition fees and on-campus hostel accommodation expenses in the 1st year of research studies.

For Fellowship awardees who are admitted to a 4-year PhD programme, CityU will provide a monthly studentship at the same level as the RGC Fellowship for their fourth year of study.

Click here to download leaflet

How to Apply

1.  Getting Started Select area of interest, contact  potential supervisor  and seek consent Observe application deadlines

2.  Prepare Take required tests before application deadline Prepare supporting documents (example: transcript, research proposal) Academic referee reports

3.  Apply Apply Now   (You are required to list all post-secondary institutions you have attended.)

• Submit initial application as early as possible to ensure that you have sufficient time to submit application to CityU.
• Applications which are not selected for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme will be considered as normal applications.

Application Timeline

Supporting Documents

Remarks: Hard copies of the documents are required for further verification only if you are given an offer. Documents which are not in English should be accompanied by a formally translated version in English.

Selection Criteria

While the academic excellence is of prime consideration, the Review Panels will take into account, but not limited to, the following yardsticks for the selection of candidates:

• Academic excellence;
• Research ability and potential;
• Cultural diversity;
• Communication and interpersonal skills;
• Leadership abilities and societal responsibility;
• Institutional support.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to admission interview (either face-to-face or via online means e.g. Zoom, Skype, etc.).

Programme Structure

1) Coursework Plan To be eligible to be awarded an MPhil/PhD degree, students are required to complete the following coursework requirements and to submit a thesis. MPhil: 7 credit units (including at least 2 credit units of research methodology and ethics course at postgraduate level); --> PhD: 20 credit units (including at least 9 credit units of core courses and at least 2 credit units of research methodology and ethics course at postgraduate level) And 1 credit unit compulsory course: Teaching Students: First Steps (SG8001). Individual students with insufficient English proficiency may be required to take a 1 credit unit course English as Medium for Instruction (SG8002) before they are allowed to enrol in SG8001. The credit unit earned from SG8001 will not be counted towards the minimum coursework requirement. And Training on Research Integrity (CITI Programme) .

Please refer to the programme requirements for PhD in Data Science at http://www.cityu.edu.hk/catalogue/pg/202324/programme/DS_P.htm. https://www.cityu.edu.hk/catalogue/pg/202223/programme/DS_M.htm . --> 2) Credit Transfer and Exemption Students who possess postgraduate qualifications of relevance to their research studies may apply for credit transfer or coursework exemption. At least half the coursework (4 credit units for MPhil and 7 for PhD) should be taken at CityU or other local institutions recognised under the Cross-institutional Course Enrolment Scheme. Credit transfer/coursework exemption should be limited to a maximum of 3 credit units for MPhil and 7 for PhD. Recommendations on credit transfer/coursework exemption require the approval of the School Dean.

3) Cross-departmental Course Registration Students who wish to take courses offered by Departments/Schools outside their host School should obtain approval from the offering Department/School before submitting the Form SGS16A/SGS16B to their host School for endorsement and approval. A list of approved courses and the syllabi are available for reference on the  Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies (SGS)  website.

Scholarship and Funding

Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies Entrance Scholarships  (Applicable to government-funded students only)

CityU offers Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies Entrance Scholarships to encourage outstanding international students to undertake MPhil or PhD studies at the University with a view to promoting academic exchange and enhancing the international mix of the University’s student population.

The Scholarship covers students’ tuition fees and on-campus hostel accommodation expenses in their first year of their research studies (equivalent to approximately HK$89,496 (~US$11,474)). If granted a Scholarship, the above-mentioned expenses will be off-set by the award.

Tuition Waiver for Local Research Postgraduate (RPg) Students

The University Grants Committee (UGC) has introduced a ‘Tuition Waiver Scheme’ (‘The Scheme’) for all local students enrolled in full-time UGC-funded Research Postgraduate (RPg) programmes in local institutions, to cover their tuition fees with effect from the academic year 2018-19 (i.e. from July 1, 2018).

This Scheme provides non-means-tested funding to all current and new local students from all disciplines of study enrolled in full-time UGC-funded RPg programmes. Eligible students do not need to apply for the Scheme.

For more information of Tuition Waiver Scheme for Local Research Postgraduate Students, please refer to  http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/tws.html

For the full list of scholarships and financial aid, please visit  https://www.cityu.edu.hk/pg/research-degree-programmes/scholarships-financial-aid-and-fees .

Tuition/Continuation Fees

(normally adjusted in September every year)

Potential Supervisors: Potential applicants are encouraged to contact a  potential supervisor  prior to submitting an application to our University, though it is not compulsory.

Research Degree Coordinator: Professor Qi WU

General Enquiries: Tel: 3442 7887 Email:  [email protected]