Department of Government and History

Fire Science Program Updates

• Fire Science Program Updates

We would like to take a minute to update you on our progress toward making the Fire Science Program easier to understand and navigate. It does not matter whether you are visiting this web page for the first time or have been one of our students for some time, we have been told that some changes needed to be made.

First

First of all, the Fire Service Management concentration has been changed to reflect an emphasis on Fire Service. The two courses in upper-division psychology and the one course in upper division sociology have been replaced by courses developed to stress Fire Service. As you look at the curriculum plan you will see FSCN 360, FSCN 408, and FSCN 440 in the course list for the management concentration. We are in the process of getting similar changes approved for the Fire Investigation concentration. These changes allow us to present a curriculum plan that is easier to understand and to meet at the community college level.

Second

Second, all students must meet FSU’s Mathematics requirement. The changes addressed above have also allowed us to make changes in the math coursework so that you have options in meeting the mathematics requirements. We now give you three mathematics courses from which you must choose two (2) in order to meet the Mathematics requirement. You must still complete six (6) credit hours of mathematics, but hopefully with less stress.

Important

It is extremely important that you complete all mathematics and any other core curriculum requirements before taking your last Fire Science class at FSU. Not doing so will delay your graduation. It takes time at the end of a semester whether you are enrolled at FSU or a North Carolina Community College to get an original transcript sent to another institution. Potential graduates who took their last course at FSU at the same time they were completing a course at a community college have had to wait over a month before the community college transcript was received in the Registrar’s office and verified for the courses that were to be transferred in.

Certifications

Fire science students in both concentrations will be able to meet requirements in the core curriculum and the Fire Protection Technology area through the use of certain of their certifications. This will be applied on a case-by-case basis because certification usage requires special approval, but students hoping to utilize certifications should gather their continuing education transcripts and copies of their certifications, and submit those to the program director for evaluation. Finally, we encourage students who have attended the National Fire Academy (NFA) in Emmitsburg, MD, and/or have taken NFA Outreach courses, to also order and submit an Official Transcript from the National Fire Academy to the program director for evaluation. If you have a copy of the course descriptions for courses you have completed through NFA, these would be very helpful too.

Equivalency is not automatic

Though similar to the NFA’s Degrees at a Distance Program (DDP) the FSU Fire Science program is not a DDP school. Enrolling students should be advised that although our courses are academically accredited through the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS) they must be thoroughly evaluated by DDP schools before they will be accepted; equivalency is not automatic. Please refer questions about this to the director.