Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services

Bachelor of Science in
Emergency Services

Offering two specializations and encompassing all emergency service disciplines, this program is based on the National Fire Academy’s higher education curriculum.

The B.S. in Emergency Services degree program at Embry-Riddle is one of just a few university programs to carry the “Certificate of Recognition” from Fire Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE). That means the curriculum addresses all critical areas that modern fire departments are tasked to perform.

International Fire Service Accreditation Council

Students can select from a specialization in Aviation Emergency Management or Fire & Emergency Services and learn from faculty members who have both academic backgrounds and proven expertise as emergency responders. Plus, when students complete courses through Embry-Riddle, they receive a National Fire Academy certificate just as if they completed the courses at the National Fire Academy.

As members of the Embry-Riddle network, students get the chance to collaborate with colleagues, leadership, and other professionals in their own organization’s communities while completing coursework.

Students can also take advantage of Embry-Riddle's partnerships with the Dallas/Fort Worth Fire Training Research Center (DFW FTRC) and the Aircraft Fire Fighting (ARFF) Working Group to develop and carry out research projects.

Concepts covered include human behavior, structures and systems, prevention, protection, investigation and analysis, organization and management, research, administration, hazardous materials, personnel management, political and legal foundations, terrorism, community risk reduction, disaster planning and control, system design for life safety, occupational safety, and human program management.

Students can strengthen their emergency management knowledge base by adding several minor courses of study based on the student’s specific area of interest.

FESHE logo

The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services has both International Fire Service Accreditation Congress accreditation and FESHE Recognition. Learn more about Embry-Riddle’s accreditation.

Accreditation Resources

Program Mission Statement

The mission of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services (BSES) program is to educate and mentor students interested in Emergency Services. Students will gain a level of knowledge and experience required to be successful in the area of fire and emergency services. We will contribute to the emergency services epistemology through innovative research and partnerships. Our program will provide students with ethical and theoretical foundations for collaboration, leadership, and management within emergency services organizations. We will continue to modify and update with a balance between the principles, analytics, theory, technology, and practices associated with today's emergency service professionals. The curriculum will continually be based on the National Fire Academy Fire and Emergency Service Higher Education (FESHE) Module Curriculum Bachelors degree, to ensure quality course material that enable students to achieve program outcomes.

 

DETAILS

About Emergency Services at the Worldwide & Online Campus

The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services degree broadly encompasses all emergency service response disciplines in public and private sectors including: fire, emergency medical, investigation, engineering, aircraft rescue and firefighting, environmental, hazmat, inspection, dispatch, security, OSHA, instruction, public information and wildland firefighting.

The curriculum design for this degree is based on in the National Fire Academy’s Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Model Curriculum for a Bachelor’s Degree. Beyond the six FESHE core courses, several additional Embry-Riddle-developed courses have been approved for students to receive NFA certificates — this is a unique advantage of taking classes at Embry-Riddle.

Tracks/Specialties and/or Certificates

Students pursuing their Emergency Services degree can opt to complete courses for the following specializations: 

  • Aviation Emergency Management Specialization has a focus on aircraft accident investigation, airport emergency management, aviation safety, and leadership in emergency response organizations.
  • Fire and Emergency Services Specialization focuses on emergency response administration, management, leadership, community risk reduction, and operational issues in emergency services.

Students pursuing their Emergency Services degree can opt to complete courses for the following certification: 

  • Students will earn the FEMA | Emergency Management Institute Professional Development Series (PDS) certificate as part of this program.

The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services is 100 percent online — a perfect option for anyone juggling the demands of working full-time, shift work, and/or family life. With this flexible learning environment, Embry-Riddle encourages students to continue working throughout their studies.

This degree program participates in the Air University-Associate to Baccalaureate Cooperative (AU-ABC Category I). All students who have completed a Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) associates degree in Fire Science and Emergency Management are eligible. CCAF graduates can complete a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies by taking no more than 60 semester hours beyond their CCAF degree.

For students who choose to pursue their master’s degree, a 4+1 degree option is available.

In addition, the Industry Advisory Board for the Emergency Services degree program was formed as a method to ensure that program outcomes and objectives were relevant for graduates within the industry. Members of the board consist of many high ranking members of structural, ARFF, and wildland fire departments, emergency services and management areas, distinguished companies, and Federal, national, and volunteer organizations within the emergency services realm.

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Summary

120 Credits

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