The Associate of Science (AS) in Fire Science is designed to meet the needs of students who plan on pursuing a Bachelor's or higher degree at a university. Fire departments and private agencies are increasingly expecting candidates for administrator and supervisor positions to have higher levels of education. Fire Science coursework is developed using model curriculum from the United States Fire Administration's Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education initiative. Students will study relevant topics including building construction, firefighting strategies and tactics, fire prevention, and fire protection systems.
For more information, please visit the program website.
Graduation Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 90 credit hours with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. All courses in the program must be completed with a ‘C’ or better. Twenty-four (24) credits must be completed at Southwestern before the AS in Fire Science degree is awarded.
Complete the graduation application process one term prior to the term of completion (e.g., spring term graduates must apply during winter term).
Pre-Program Courses
Students are required to take the following courses prior to the program courses, depending on students' college placement information. See advisor for details:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CIS90 | Computer Basics (or demonstrate proficiency) | 2 |
| MTH95 | Intermediate Algebra | 4 |
| WR90 | Paragraph Fundamentals (or placement in higher writing course) | 3-4 |
| or WR90R | Academic Literacy | |
Program Guide
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| FS100 | Principles of Emergency Services | 3 |
| MTH105 | Math in Society 1 | 4 |
| WR121 or WR121H |
English Composition or English Composition w/Honors |
3 |
| Arts and Letters Course 2 | 3 | |
| Health/Physical Education Course 2 | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| FS120 | Building Const Related to Fire Svc | 3 |
| MTH243 | Intro to Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| WR122 or WR122H |
English Composition 3 or English Composition w/Honors |
3 |
| Arts and Letters Course 2 | 3 | |
| Social Science Course 2 | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| FS125 | Principles of Fire and Emergency S | 4 |
| Arts and Letters Course 2 | 3 | |
| Social Science Course 2 | 3 | |
| Speech Course 2 | 3 | |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| FS200 | Strategy and Tactics | 3 |
| FS205 | Fire Prevention | 3 |
| Arts and Letters Course 2 | 3 | |
| Science, Math, or Computer Science Course 2 | 4 | |
| Social Science Course 2 | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| FS215 | Legal Aspects of Emergency Services | 3 |
| Arts and Letters Course 2 | 3 | |
| Science, Math, or Computer Science Course 2 | 4 | |
| Social Science Course 2 | 3 | |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| FS220 | Fire Protection Systems | 3 |
| FS225 | Prin of Fire & Emerg Service Admin | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Science, Math, or Computer Science Course 2 | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 90 | |
| 1 | MTH105 Math in Society or higher. |
| 2 | Select any course from appropriate Associate of Science General Education Requirements category. |
| 3 | WR227 Report Writing may be substituted for WR122 English Composition. |
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program the student will be able to:
- Apply critical-thinking and decision-making skills relevant to fire service scenarios.
- Apply core fire science knowledge to prevention, training, operational, and administrative situations relevant to the fire service.
- Demonstrate effective verbal and nonverbal communication in emergency and nonemergency situations including, but not limited to: communicating on the fireground, drafting administrative documents, handling disciplinary issues, completing incident reports, and conducting public education.
- Complete general education requirements in preparation to transfer to a four-year degree program.