Fire and Emergency Services Administration Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Fire and Emergency Services Administration

Requirements

A total of 120 credits is required for graduation. Of these 120 credits, a total of 42 upper-division credits (300 to 400 level) is required with a minimum of 30 upper-division credits earned at Colorado State University. Thirty-one general education credits of All University Core Curriculum (AUCC) are also needed to complete this degree. The number of courses needed for completion will depend on the number of transfer credits awarded.

CSU's composition requirement should be met in your first semester after admission.

Curriculum

You must take the nine core FESA courses for a total of 25 credits. The remainder of the credits needed for graduation can be satisfied with transfer coursework and electives in accordance with the credit totals described in the program requirements and departmental and university policies. You are encouraged to design a program of study choosing electives that complement your professional interest areas and career status. Non-admitted students may enroll for courses or complete the entire Fire and Emergency Services Certificate prior to formal admittance.

The FESA program recognizes the importance of lifelong experiential learning. Elective seminar (FESA 492) and independent study (FESA 495) opportunities are provided to allow you to apply professional experience to learning activities. This is not direct credit for experience. The seminars require you to produce academic quality products and engage in discussion with faculty and peers on the impact of professional experience on personal learning related to the FESA core curriculum. The independent study allows you to study a FESA topic in depth that may be based on your professional experience.

You are not required to complete courses during the summer semester for this program. Throughout the program, you are allowed to repeat courses if necessary. You can view what semesters each course is offered by clicking on the specific course link below.

Core courses

• FESA 331 – Structure Influence on Tactics and Strategy (3 cr.)
• FESA 333 – Proposals/Reports in Fire Service Management (3 cr.)
• FESA 334 – Orientation to Experiential Learning (1 cr.)
• FESA 336 – Fire Emergency Services Management (3 cr.)
• FESA 337 – Policy and Public Administration (3 cr.)
• FESA 338 – Essentials of Emergency Management (3 cr.)
• FESA 432 – Fire and Emergency Services Budgeting (3 cr.)
• FESA 433 – Fire and Emergency: Human Resources (3 cr.)
• FESA 467 – Integrated Management Simulation (3 cr.)

Recommended electives

• ECON 320 – Economics of Public Finance (3 cr.)
• FESA 310 – Fire Service Leadership (3 cr.)
• FESA 330 – Industrial Processes and Fire Protection (3 cr.)
• FESA 335 – Trends in Fire Science Technologies (3 cr.)
• FESA 339 – Incident Command Systems (3 cr.)
• FESA 431 – Emergency Medical Service Management (3 cr.)
• FESA 434 – Training Program Management (3 cr.)
• FESA 435 – Volunteer/Combination Organization Management (3 cr.)
• FESA 436 – Fire Protection Through Model Building Codes (3 cr.)
• FESA 437 – Fire and Emergency: Legal Considerations (3 cr.)
• FESA 438 – Prevention Program Management (3 cr.)
• FESA 492 – Seminar (1-3 cr.)
• FESA 495 – Independent Study (var. cr.)
• JTC 350 – Public Relations (3 cr.)
• POLS 437 – International Security (3 cr.)
• SPCM 420 – Political Communication (3 cr.)

The Learning Experience

The Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Services Administration will prepare you for managerial positions. Coursework builds upon your technical training and provides you with knowledge in emergency services management, personnel administration, finance, and program development and evaluation. Prior experience in fire and emergency services is strongly recommended.

This online degree completion program permits you to take the required courses in the order that best suits your needs. You have the flexibility to get the degree you want without a strict timeline or schedule of completing the curriculum. While the degree can be completed in two years, most students in this degree program require three to four years, taking an average of two courses per semester. Although this degree offers flexibility, it still requires the same amount of work and time as an on-campus program. It is recommended to spend nine to twelve hours per week on a three-credit course. This will vary depending on your learning and studying style.

Your interaction with faculty and fellow students depends on the specific course, but the online courses do provide you with online office hours and email contact as well as discussion board postings.

This self-paced online program allows you to earn your degree while maintaining your busy work and family schedules. Is online learning right for you?

What Next?

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