Going For A Bachelor’s Degree In Fire Science
Overview: The Bachelor’s Degree
A Bachelor’s degree generally requires 120 total credits taken over the course of four years. It is important to keep in mind that some students are able to earn their Bachelor’s degree in a shorter amount of time, while others may take longer. It is recommended to stay around 15 credits per semester to be able to successfully retain all the information you’re learning. A variety of courses must be taken, ranging from courses pertaining to your major, minor, general education, and elective courses. This is so that students come out with a main speciality, their major, and well-rounded in other fields including the arts, humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences.
Many students will often take their general education courses or earn an associate’s degree at a two-year institution then transfer to a four-year college. This can be a time saver in some cases, as well as a money saver as two-year colleges are generally cheaper. Earning your Bachelor’s degree in fire science will come in very handy in your long term career goals as they will bolster your professional offerings and show you are serious about your pursuits.
Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Science
There are many Bachelor’s degree options in fire science, that demonstrate that you can carry out a specific role within the fire and emergency services field. Majors can be specific to Fire Science, Fire Engineering, Fire Administration, Fire Inspection, Paramedic Care, Fire and Arson Investigation, Fire Protection Engineering, and Fire and Emergency Management, to name a few.
When does a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Science Make Sense?
Obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in fire science is of great use to those wanting to demonstrate they have a deeper understanding and expertise in a specialized field. Also, promotions and advancement within a fire department generally require a Bachelor’s degree or higher. It also helps in adding legitimacy to your professional credentials, and will only further distinguish you from others in your department.
There are several roles that may require a Bachelor’s degree, including Fire Inspectors, Fire Educators, Fire Prevention Specialists, Fire Station Chiefs, and Fire Loss Insurance Professionals. If you are thinking of taking on any of these roles in the future, then getting your Bachelor’s degree would be extremely beneficial.
Fire Science Bachelor’s Degree: Coursework Breakdown
Over the four-year course of obtaining a Bachelor’s degree, you’ll take a variety of courses to satisfy the requirements in general education, liberal arts, sciences, elective classes in the fire and emergency services, and of course, classes pertaining to your major studies in fire science specialties. Below is a listing of courses you can expect to take in order to earn your Bachelor’s degree:
- Public Speaking
- Learn how to effectively communicate in the working world, deliver presentations, and overcome stage fright.
- American Politics
- Learn the basics of American Politics from the checks and balances, political party system, and the historical foundation that shaped politics as we know it today.
- International and Homeland Security
- This course will go over military and security doctrine as well as applications of force in emergency situations across the globe.
- Human Resource Management for Fire and Emergency Services
- Discover and understand the best leadership styles in regards to recruitment, development, and promotion issues that leaders will face within their organizations.
- Investigation and Analysis
- There are many methods, principles, and legal aspects when conducting an arson investigation. This course will go over the key ones to know.
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Make use of statistical and mathematical models to reach a resolution in real world problems.
- Incident Command Systems
- You’ll go over the best methods for coordinating and commanding emergency operations in wildland fire, structural failure, high-rise, highway, HAZMAT, and multi-casualty situations.
- Building Construction and Fire Prevention
- Students will gain an in-depth understanding of structural design, building occupancy types, and building materials for fire prevention and firefighter safety.
Online Learning: Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Science
Colleges across the nation have recognized that they must offer quality online programs to stay competitive in the educational market. With students needing more flexibility in order to balance their work life and family life with their educational pursuits, an online program is often the only feasible option. Thankfully, online education has reached unprecedented levels of quality as of late, and are only getting better as colleges work hard to improve their online offerings. Pursuing your Bachelor’s degree in fire science through an online college has become a very accommodating option.
With an online program for a fire science degree, a student can obtain a quality education while in the field. Not having to meet on-campus allows those with full-time jobs to have the flexibility to complete their classes while sticking to their preset work schedule. Students can learn at their own pace as well, so if a student is having trouble with a certain topic they can spend more time on it till they fully understand it. If a student lives in a more rural area then web-based learning is a huge help, not having to commute for hours to get to an on-campus course. Earning a Bachelor’s degree has never been easier, as students can just log in from home to view lectures, training videos, class resources, and much more. Not to mention, all of this is available through all hours of the day and night!
For those who would want to take some courses on-campus, but still have a bit of the flexibility of online courses, can opt to take a hybrid course program. A hybrid program offers both online and hands-on learning. This is a great option for those who learn best by in-person interactions and can discuss what they’re learning with the professor and other students. The online portion allows the students to not have to commit to coming on-campus as frequently as they would need to if all the lectures and discussions were solely on-campus. Therefore a student is only obligated to come to campus every so often, rather than having to change their daily schedule around to fit in a full program only taught on-campus rather than online. Additionally, students in a hybrid program will tend to meet in a training facility to practice equipment training, emergency medical procedures, and much more that could not be properly taught than an online only program.
The Importance of Accreditation
Attending an accredited school is of utmost importance for several reasons. Firstly, it ensures that you’re getting the most bang for the buck in terms of quality education. Accredited schools are reviewed in-depth by independent agencies to ensure that institutions, degree programs, and class materials are meeting quality standards and remain up-to-date. Employers are more inclined to recognize the efforts and accomplishments of a student who obtained their fire science education from an accredited college.
Students who continue their education to further their career goals will also want to consider the possibility of transferring colleges. In the event you have to move or decide to go to a different college for whatever reason, then it is important to know that accredited colleges will only accept credits from other accredited colleges. Students at a non-accredited college cannot transfer their credits to an accredited college, and would have to retake all those courses again. That would not only be a loss of money, but more importantly, a loss of time.