Fire Engineering Schools

Fire fighters can take fire engineering courses to broaden their career options.

Fire fighters often receive on-the-job training and receive promotions based on seniority. However, many find that a four-year fire engineering degree (also called fire protection or fire safety engineering) is necessary for career advancement to battalion chief and beyond. Fire fighters earned a median annual salary of $44,260 in 2008; by contrast, battalion chiefs earned $66,851, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Graduates of an associate's or bachelor's degree program in fire safety engineering qualify to take the National Fire Academy certification examination.

Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University has a fire protection and safety engineering technology program that leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering technology. Students receive preparation for a career in loss control from fire, physical accidents and environmental exposure. The math- and science-heavy, pre-professional curriculum of the freshman and sophomore years exposes students to fire protection and safety concepts and prepares them for upperclassman course work. The school has active student chapters of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), Fire Protection Society and the Association of Fire Investigators. Students will complete the program with the knowledge of how to systematically solve problems, anticipate, recognize and evaluate hazards, and keep records of investigations. The program prepares graduates for a variety of career avenues in fire protection, industrial safety and hygiene, and municipal and fire services.

Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078
405-744-5000
fpst.okstate.edu

University of Maryland

The A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in fire protection engineering. Undergraduate courses include chemistry, physics, statistics, dynamics, fire protection and assessment. Classes in the graduate curriculum include building safety, fire modeling, law, human response to fire and smoke detection. Students can apply for scholarships, awarded through the school's Fire Education and Research (FIRE) Center membership organization. The school lists employment and internship opportunities for graduates and students on the department's web page. The student Society of Fire Protection Engineers meets once monthly and coordinates activities throughout the year. Students may join the national National Fire Protection Engineering Honor Fraternity.

University of Maryland
Department of Fire Protection Engineering
3106 J.M. Patterson Building
College Park, MD 20742-3031
301-405-3992
fpe.umd.edu

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute offers a five-year bachelor's/master's degree combination, a 30-semester-hour master's and a 60-semester-hour Ph.D. program in fire protection engineering. Students graduate from the five-year program with a bachelor's degree in a traditional engineering focus like chemical, civil, electrical or mechanical engineering and a master's degree in fire protection engineering. The fire protection engineering curriculum includes topics such as explosions, fire modeling, behavior, investigation and analysis. According to the school, students save on tuition costs and class time by amassing credits that count towards both degrees. Students can customize the master's degree curriculum for a research or professional focus. The Ph.D. program includes 30 hours in dissertation research.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Department of Fire Protection Engineering
100 Institute Rd.
Worcester, MA 01609-2280
508-831-5593
wpi.edu

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fire Fighters
• Oklahoma State University: Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology
• University of Maryland: Department of Fire Protection Engineering
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Fire Protection Engineering