Programs

Fire Science Program

General Overview

The Fire Science degree provides occupational specialty and general education courses.

Although most core courses are designed for fire service personnel, certain courses are appropriate for those individuals working in the private sector within the disciplines of fire protection and prevention.

Program curricula were developed through the efforts of the program advisory board, and utilization of national guidelines for higher education in the fire service.

Courses and degrees are continuously updated to meet NFPA Guidelines. Prior to admission, potential students must contact the program advisor. Please phone (425) 564-2012 or go to the Fire Science Program website to learn about advising session dates and times.

Designed for those either seeking a career in the fire service or are newly hired. Degree gives a solid background in fire science core curriculum and general education. If a student is not employed in the fire service, they are required to attend one group advising session held monthly on the main campus.

On this page:

Certificate of Achievement Fire Officer

Brief Description

The Fire Officer certificate is designed for individuals who have completed an AA degree in Fire Science and are seeking a promotion in the fire service. The curriculum follows the IAFC Professional Development recommendations in higher education for a supervising fire officer.

Learning Outcomes

Certificate recipients should possess the skills and abilities described below:

  • Apply basic management principles and theories at Fire Officer I level
  • Apply critical thinking and problem solving skills for Fire Officer I
  • Apply effective communication skills in emergency and non-emergency situations

Completion Worksheet

Download the completion worksheet for this certificate [PDF]

Requirements

Course No. Course Name  Credit Hrs.
ENGL& 101 English Composition I 5
FS 120 Fire Investigation 3
FS 137 Fire Protection 3
FS 152 Building Construction 3
FS 190 Fire Inspection & Codes 4
FS 210 Incident Management Multi-Company Operations 3
FS 215 Hazardous Materials Incident Management 3
PSYC& 100 General Psychology 5
Choose 5-6 credits from the following: 5-6
  CHEM 100 Chemical Explorations (5 Cr)  
  CHEM& 110 Chemical Concepts w/ lab (6 Cr)  
  CHEM& 121 Introduction to Chemistry (6 Cr)  
Choose 5 credits from the following: 5
  MATH 138 College Algebra Business & Social Science (5 Cr)  
  MATH& 141   Precalculus I (5 Cr)  
Suggested electives 5-6
Total   45

Associate in Arts Degree Fire Science

Brief Description

The Fire Science associate degree is designed for those either newly hired or seeking a career in the fire service. This degree gives a solid background in fire science core curriculum and general education.

Learning Outcomes

Degree recipients should possess the skills and abilities described below:

  • Demonstrate proficient skills, knowledge, and abilities as listed in NFPA 1001 for Firefighter One
  • Communicate effectively during emergency and non-emergency operations and situations
  • Effectively work as a team member in a variety of emergency and nonemergency situations
  • Possess entry-level requirements as a firefighter
  • Effectively utilize critical thinking and problem solving abilities as they apply to the fire service
  • Demonstrate basic understanding of all the national core curriculum requirements as outlined by Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education

Completion Worksheet

Download the completion worksheet for this degree [PDF]

Requirements

Course No. Course Name  Credit Hrs.
CORE CURRICULUM  
Fire Academy Requirements:  
FS 100 Introduction to Fire Service 1
FS 111 Fundamentals of Firefighting 7
FS 113 Intermediate Firefighting 8
FS 115 Advanced Firefighting 2.5
FS 117 Hazardous Materials Operation 0.5
FS 119 Live Fire Control 2.5
At Bellevue College:  
FS 105 Fire Service Hydraulics 3
FS 110 Fundamentals of Emergency Services 3
FS 120 Fire Investigation 3
FS 152 Building Construction 3
FS 160 Fire Tactics & Strategies 3
FS 190 Fire Inspection & Codes 4
HLTH 292 First Aid & CPR Taking Action 4
Total   44.5
DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS  
BTS 161 Business Software Essentials 5
ENGL& 101 English Composition I 5
ENGL& 235 Technical Writing 5
PSYC& 100 General Psychology 5
SOC& 101 Introduction to Sociology 5
Choose 5-6 credits from the following: 5-6
CHEM 100 Chemical Explorations (5 Cr)  
CHEM& 110 Chemical Concepts w/ lab (6 Cr)  
CHEM& 121 Introduction to Chemistry (6 Cr)  
Choose 5 credits from the following: 5
CMST& 101 Introduction to Communication (5 Cr)  
CMST& 220 Public Speaking (5 Cr)  
Choose 5 credits from the following: 5
MATH 138 College Algebra for Business & Social Science (5 Cr)  
MATH& 141   Precalculus I (5 Cr)  
Electives to bring total credits to 90 4.5-5.5
Total   45-47
Grand Total  90

Certificate of Achievement Fire Science

Brief Description

The Fire Science certificate is designed for people working in fire service and who want to enhance their level of knowledge in the fire sciences. This certificate assists in fulfilling Joint Apprenticeship Training Consortium (JATC) requirements for fire science core courses.

Learning Outcomes

Certificate recipients should possess the skills and abilities described below:

  • Apply effective communication skills in emergency and non-emergency situations.
  • Understand fire science core curriculum as outlined in Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education.
  • Utilize general education knowledge at Firefighter One level.

Completion Worksheet

Download the completion worksheet for this certificate [PDF]

Requirements

Course No. Course Name  Credit Hrs.
ENGL& 101 English Composition I 5
FS 120 Fire Investigation 3
FS 137 Fire Protection 3
FS 152 Building Construction 3
FS 160 Fire Tactics & Strategy 3
FS 190 Fire Inspection & Codes 4
Choose 5-6 credits from of the following: 5-6
CHEM 100 Chemical Explorations (5 Cr)  
CHEM& 110 Chemical Concepts w/ lab (6 Cr)  
CHEM& 121 Introduction to Chemistry (6 Cr)  
Choose 5 credits from the following: 5
CMST& 101 Introduction to Communication (5 Cr)  
CMST& 220 Public Speaking (5 Cr)  
Choose 5 credits from the following: 5
MATH 138   College Algebra for Business & Social Science (5 Cr)  
MATH& 141 Precalculus I (5 Cr)  
electives 8-9
Total   45

Professional or technical program offerings and course requirements listed in this website may be altered by the college to reflect the needs of industry, student interests and availability of resources.

Career Pathways

View a visual career pathway, including employment options for this program.

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Contact info

Bellevue College
3000 Landerholm Circle SE Bellevue, WA 98007-6484 U.S.A.
Work: (425) 564-1000