Open Learning Fire Service Program - Continued

The Open Learning Fire Service program is available through eight participating regional institutions in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration National Fire Academy. The region served by the UC College of Applied Science includes Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsi , and Manitoba, Ontario and Toronto, Canada .

Fire service credit courses are taken in a distance-learning on-line format. Written assignments and projects provide a continual indication of progress and form the basis of an ongoing relationship between professor and student. Telephone consultations and on-line interactive techniques such as “Blackboard” are often used to supplement the learning process.

The open learning method adds a high degree of flexibility and convenience to your education, allowing you to schedule academic and professional development around duty assignments.

Students may receive college credit by developing a portfolio assessment for prior learning experiences, state training and military training.

Optional Residency Workshop programs are available where students may accelerate their degree programs by completing an entire course in five days.

Associate of Applied Science Degree

The Open Learning Associate of Applied Science program in Fire Science Technology is intended as basic study in the fire sciences for firefighters, fire protection specialists, and others in related fields such as construction engineering and insurance investigating.

The program is also designed as a prerequisite for the Open Learning Bachelor of Science program in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology which allows fire service personnel to earn credit toward a bachelor's degree while upgrading professional skills. The open learning method allows you to schedule academic and professional development efforts around duty assignments. For a description of this degree that includes courses and background click here.

Bachelor of Science Degree

The open learning bachelor of science in Fire & Safety Engineering Technology builds on the associate degree and continues to enable fire service personnel to earn credit toward a bachelor's degree while upgrading professional skills.

Fire service credit courses are taken in a distance-learning format. Written assignments and projects provide a continual indication of progress and form the basis of an ongoing relationship between professor and student. Telephone consultations and personal visits are often used to supplement the learning process.

We strive to be as flexible as possible in allowing you to fulfill curriculum requirements either by mixing open learning and a traditional manner of study or completely by open learning. To this end, most requirements have been defined in terms of general categories. Credits for fulfillment of these categories, with the exception of the open learning fire service courses, may be earned either at a local accredited institution or through another distance learning institution.

Supplemental credit is available for self-designed student projects or for Contemporary Issues in the Fire Service through which you can analyze videos produced by "Working Fire." For a description of this degree that includes courses click here.

Certificate

Non-degree seeking students may pursue a certificate program. A certificate of completion, co-signed by the National Fire Academy and the University of Cincinnati, is awarded for successful completion of six (6) fire science courses. These may be applied later toward a degree.