Program Overview

Overview of the Fire and Emergency Services Administration Major

The fire and emergency services have a long and proud history of serving their communities with a wide variety of fire protection, prevention, emergency medical, and public education services. The fire and emergency services administrators of the future need advanced administration, management, and leadership skills to address the ever-evolving nature of emergency services. The major prepares students for managerial and officer positions in emergency and fire service organizations.

Program Description

The major is a degree completion program for students to gain advanced knowledge of emergency service related subjects. The coursework builds upon technical skills and experiences earned in First Responder associate degree programs and on-the-job training. Students will explore key administrative and management areas such as emergency operations, public service budgeting, human resources, prevention, and incident command. The major is focused on the administration and management of First Responder organizations.

Learning Objectives

Students will demonstrate their ability to:

1. Effectively integrate academic knowledge into fire and emergency services administrative and managerial roles within current and future employment situations.
2. Collaborate with peers to solve fire and emergency services organizational problems. Effective collaboration includes the ability to organize and synthesize ideas, develop a persuasive argument, interact with individuals and groups, and use applicable presentation aids.
3. Apply their knowledge, skills, and competencies in the fire and emergency services field to fire and emergency services organizations. Examples include knowledge of proposal and report writing, trends in emergency management and incident command systems, and comprehension of public service administration practices.
4. Interact with professional First Responders nationally and internationally.

Potential Occupations

Students in the Fire and Emergency Services Administration major should have work experience in the fire and emergency services field. Typical students are employed as career or volunteer firefighters, wildland firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, inspectors, or trainers. Graduates can expect positions as fire chiefs, company officers, public administrators, fire marshals, or educators.

Program Requirements

• Students must complete an additional 60 credits including All-University Core Curriculum (AUCC) Categories 1-3.
• The program is designed to be completed in four years, with the following breakdown:
  • Freshman: 30 credits transferred from another institution
  • Sophomore: 30 credits transferred from another institution
  • Junior: 30 credits, including:
    • FESA 310: Fire Service Leadership
    • FESA 331: Structure Influence on Tactics and Strategy
    • FESA 333: Proposals/Reports in Fire Service Management
    • FESA 334: Orientation to Experiential Learning
    • FESA 335: Trends in Fire Science Technologies
    • FESA 336: Fire Emergency Services Administration
    • FESA 338: Essentials of Emergency Management
    • Electives: 11 credits
  • Senior: 30 credits, including:
    • Select 6 credits from the following:
      • FESA 330: Industrial Processes and Fire Protection
      • FESA 337: Policy and Public Administration
      • FESA 339: Incident Command Systems
      • FESA 431: Emergency Medical Services Management
      • FESA 434: Training Program Management
      • FESA 435: Volunteer/Combination Organization Management
      • FESA 436: Fire Protection Through Model Building Codes
      • FESA 438: Prevention Program Management
    • FESA 432: Fire and Emergency Services Budgeting
    • FESA 433: Fire and Emergency: Human Resources
    • FESA 437: Fire and Emergency: Legal Considerations
    • FESA 467: Integrated Management Simulation
    • Electives: 12 credits
• The program total is 120 credits, with at least 42 credits being upper-division (300- to 400-level).