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B.S./B.A. in Fire Services Administration

Advance Your Fire Service Career with a Bachelor’s Degree

National FESHE Model Curriculum

Led by Fire Chiefs and Pros

Transfer Up to 45 Credits

Learn More Today

Complete the form to learn more about this program.

  • Duration 4 years
  • Cost per Credit $286.40
  • Credit Hours 180

Program Benefits

  • Nationally recognized FSA program
  • Flexible, online learning format; no on-campus visits needed
  • Meets Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training
  • Multiple transfer pathway options
  • Wildland track option available

*Price reflects tuition for Oregon residents. Non-resident tuition is $329.60/credit hour. Speak to an enrollment counselor for more information.

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Nationally Recognized, Affordable Fire Science Degree Online

Earn an award-winning, nationally recognized fire services administration degree. EOU’s FSA program is delivered 100% online and is NFA Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) compliant.

Our curriculum provides exceptional training in fire services, including hazard prevention, communication, critical thinking and civic engagement (including hazard mitigation). You’ll benefit from fire science knowledge, skills and abilities aligned with the National Fire Protection Association’s Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications.

Attend full-time or part-time online with a flexible, career-focused program. We work with you to leverage previous college credits and work experience and secure scholarships. Graduate ready to pursue a variety of emergency services careers, like dispatcher or fire chief.

We also offer a Wildland track designed for wildland firefighters ready to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Professional Associations

The bachelor’s in fire services administration at EOU has many professional associations.

  • Meets model curriculum from U.S. Fire Administration’s nationally-recognized Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE)
  • Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training
  • Meets standards established by the National Fire Protection Association NFPA 1021: Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications
  • National Fire Academy featured provider

Fire Services Administration Curriculum

Core Curriculum

We require a core of lower- and upper-division courses. Lower-division courses include principles of emergency services, and a series of courses about fire behavior, strategy and prevention.

Upper-division courses include more information on administration, analysis and management. You will also learn about disaster planning and control. Electives can include business, psychology, economics, writing and more. Earn your B.A. with a foreign language requirement, or your B.S. with just 12 more science credits.

EOU’s online fire services degree includes a 24-credit Wildland track option. This pathway is designed to meet Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) GS-401 Fire Management Specialist position supplemental standards.

All core lower-division FSA classes are offered online once per year. All core upper-division FSA classes are offered online at least twice per year. FSA electives are generally offered once per year.

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Have Credits to Transfer?

The option to transfer credits makes your program more affordable and can help you get on the job sooner. We allow up to 135 credits from previous college coursework to be transferred into EOU. All EOU majors require a minimum of 20 EOU credits.

Students who choose the Wildland track can also receive transfer credit for Wildland Interface Fire Fighter (FFT2) and/or Advanced Wildland Interface Fire Fighter (FFT1) certification. Certifications must comply with National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) standards to apply.

To see how your credits will transfer, use our Transfer Equivalency tool.

Career Outlook

According to PayScale, the average annual salary for fire chiefs is $79,284, with the most experienced professionals in the role earning up to $125,000 per year.1 The online bachelor’s in fire service administration program will prepare you to become a fire chief, and also to lead successfully in emergency situations through a variety of other in-demand careers.

Discover the professional opportunities that await you as a graduate, and embark on the pathway to career success with EOU Online.

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Program Outcomes

  • Develop management skills
  • Learn from current and former chief officers
  • Apply administrative techniques
  • Manage personnel
  • Create a capital budget
  • Understand state and local government relationships
  • Provide opportunities for career advancement
  • Know how to handle structure fires, wildfires and aviation fires
  • Practice fire investigation
“I found the Fire Services Administration program at EOU to be very important in my development as a chief officer, and the classes to be truly relevant and rewarding.”
– Scott Stanton, 2014; Chief, Umatilla County Fire District No. 1; Hermiston, Oregon

Tuition Details

We feature affordable tuition, especially when compared to similar universities. The total cost of your program (assuming no transfer credits) is $51,522. The cost per credit hour for EOU online courses is $286.40.*

About 92 percent of online students benefit from financial aid and scholarships to cover part of these costs.

*Price reflects tuition for Oregon residents. Non-resident tuition is $329.60/credit hour. Speak to an enrollment counselor for more information.

View Tuition Details
E O U $5,155 versus Average Competitor $10,933

Per Term: Based on 18 credits. Costs for average competitors are estimations of state schools found on public university websites.

Admission Requirements

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*Only needed for students transferring fewer than 30 credit hours, fewer than three years after high school graduation.

What It’s Like to Study Online

Earning your degree online at Eastern Oregon University is a great opportunity because there are no on-campus requirements. You will have access to the same professors, content and opportunities as on-campus students, only in a creative digital format. Our professors work on campus and are professionals and experts who are trained to deliver innovative, engaging online education.

Online Experience

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to a few frequently asked questions about this program.

Yes, you can complete this program entirely online because there are no on-campus requirements. However, be aware that upper-division courses in the FSA program are occasionally offered as on-site weekend hybrid courses in Eastern Oregon, Southern Oregon and the Portland, Oregon region.

Our FSA courses are those required by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training for Firefighter III & IV certification. Our curriculum also addresses the requisite knowledge and skills found in the current NFPA 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications.

EOU’s online degree in FSA is perfect for fire officers who want to advance in rank, particularly senior fire officers. Most students in our program are transfer students.

The online program is designed for maximum flexibility and may be taken full-time if you feel you have the time to do so successfully. Full-time means you’ll take 3-4 classes every 11 weeks.

To see the curriculum, view our courses page.

The program has four start dates throughout the year in the summer, fall, winter and spring.

Our most recent virtual open house was held on February 10, 2021. Feel free to watch the most recent virtual open house, and stay tuned for the next live event.

Visit our FAQ page

¹Average Fire Chief Salary. May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2021, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Fire_Chief/Salary