Best Online Fire Science Degree Completion Programs for 2027

Columbia Southern's BS in Fire Administration appears on the U.S. Fire Administration's FESHE list, and its curriculum follows the FESHE model with fire administration, community risk reduction and tactical fireground considerations. Because up to 90 of the 120 credits can transfer, an associate degree plus academy and officer credit can leave a short stretch of upper-level work. Courses are open around the clock with 11 start dates a year, which suits rotating shifts. A Wildland Fire concentration version of the degree is available for readers aiming at wildland management.

Before you apply: Undergraduate tuition is $278 per credit hour, and the university states the program is not designed to meet the requirements for a specific professional license or certification, so it adds to your Fire Officer or IFSAC credentials rather than replacing them.

Waldorf shows exactly where your credentials land: Firefighter I and II count toward Principles of Fire and Emergency Services and Introduction to Fire Prevention, Fire Officer I toward Principles of Management, and National Fire Academy courses may also earn credit. Up to 75 percent of the degree can transfer, and the BS in Fire Science Administration is FESHE recognized. Classes run eight weeks online with no set meeting times. The BAS version sets aside 60 of its 120 credits for electives, a roomy fit if your technical training produced many credits.

Before you apply: Online undergraduate tuition is $340 per credit hour in the 2025-2026 catalog, and both the BS and BAS require MTH 2000 Managerial Mathematics.

Purdue Global's online BS in Fire and Emergency Management is accredited by IFSAC, and the university is a recognized FESHE institution. Certificates from IFSAC or Pro Board accredited organizations may earn credit, as may National Fire Academy courses, and graduates are academically eligible to request an IFSAC degree completion certificate. The degree runs 34 courses with an optional internship and an optional business foundations concentration. Members of the International Association of Fire Fighters, and their families, can receive a tuition reduction through the university's partnership.

Before you apply: The degree is measured in 180 quarter credits (a semester credit hour equals 1.5 quarter credits), and tuition is listed at $371 per credit.

Eastern Oregon delivers its Fire Services Administration degree fully online and follows both the FESHE model curriculum and NFPA 1021 for fire officer qualifications. The optional Wildland track adds 24 credits designed to meet Interagency Fire Program Management GS-401 Fire Management Specialist standards, and NWCG-compliant FFT2 or FFT1 certification can earn transfer credit. You pick a BA with foreign language credits or a BS with science credits. Current and former chief officers teach, which keeps the coursework close to the firehouse.

Before you apply: The degree totals 180 quarter credit hours at $338 per credit hour, and core lower-division courses run once a year while upper-division courses run at least twice, so sequence your plan early.

Fire chiefs developed UW Oshkosh's Bachelor of Applied Studies for people who already hold a related associate degree. If you do not, you can apply with Firefighter 1 and 2 or EMT credentials, three years of career, paid-on-call or volunteer service and two letters of recommendation. Most courses run in accelerated 7-week online sessions with no required meeting times, and full-time students with 60 or more transferable credits can finish in about two years. Choose the Fire Services Management emphasis to move up in rank or Emergency Management for public-sector planning roles.

Before you apply: Tuition is $422 per credit across 120 credits, and you choose between the two emphases within the major, so decide which rank or role you want before your first term.

American Public University's BS in Fire Science Management is accredited by IFSAC and meets the academic requirements of the U.S. Fire Administration's Executive Fire Officer Program, a useful credential for chief-officer plans. The 120 credits include a 69-hour major in fire dynamics, structure and system design, administration and finance, and fire law, and up to 90 credits can transfer. Courses start monthly and run 8 to 16 weeks, the application and transfer evaluation carry no fee, and textbooks and e-books are free.

Before you apply: Tuition is $360 per credit, or $250 with the Preferred Military Rate, and the university reserves the right to accept or deny credits under its transfer policy.

Colorado State's degree is taught by experienced fire service practitioners and centers on an 11-course, 37-credit core: fire service leadership, budgeting, human resources, legal considerations and an Integrated Management Simulation. Two or more years of fire or EMS experience is strongly preferred, or a two-year degree in Fire Science Technology, along with some previous college credit. The diploma matches the one on-campus students receive and does not mention online study. Nine minors, including business administration, let you shape the electives toward the chief role.

Before you apply: Tuition is $490 per credit and 30 upper-division credits must be completed at Colorado State. Application dates are fixed at June 1 for fall, November 1 for spring and May 1 for summer.

LSU Online built this degree as a 2+2: with an AAS or AS in a related field you complete the final 60 credit hours. Fire and emergency leadership sits beside incident command, hazard risk reduction and an embedded Disaster Science and Management minor that meets the education requirement for IAEM's Certified Emergency Manager and Associate Emergency Manager credentials. Courses run in seven-week terms, and the university's calculator shows about 1 year, 8 months at two courses per term. It suits an officer who also wants emergency management options.

Before you apply: Admission needs a 2.5 GPA on transferable work with C or better in college English and math, and the core includes construction management courses, so compare the course list with your own goals. Tuition is $465 per credit hour.

UF Online's Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Services lets you specialize in Fire Management, a 21-credit core with Command and Control at Catastrophic Fire-Rescue Incidents, Management of Fire Prevention Programs and Applications of Fire Research. The 60 upper-division credits also include seven shared courses and six electives such as Fire Investigation and Analysis and Multi-Agency Incident Command. UF is clear that the degree prepares you academically to manage fire, EMS or emergency management agencies and does not certify you as a firefighter.

Before you apply: The Fire Management specialization admits only upper-division transfer applicants, typically with an associate degree from a Florida state college or another regionally accredited institution. Out-of-state students pay $352.62 per credit hour including fees.

UNC Charlotte designed this online BS in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology by and for fire service professionals, and delivers upper-division courses asynchronously. Graduates of approved AAS programs in fire protection, fire science or similar fields can receive up to 60 credit hours, leaving 51 hours of major courses and nine of restricted electives. Fire Behavior, Active Fire Protection, Community Threat Assessment and a Fire and Safety Capstone lean toward prevention and code work, so it pairs well with marshal and inspector goals.

Before you apply: The AAS needs at least a 2.50 GPA plus background courses in English, algebra, science and fire prevention. Tuition is $199.54 per credit hour for North Carolina residents and $953.38 for non-residents.