The applied science degree program in fire and emergency services offers college preparation at the professional level consistent with national standards. The program addresses the call of the U.S. Fire Administration, Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education Consortium, International Association of Fire Chiefs, and others to transition fire, EMS, and other emergency service disciplines from a “technical occupation” to a “professional occupation” using a national professional development model for the fire service and EMS.
The degree is designed to prepare persons for supervisory responsibility. Graduates of the program go on to be employed by emergency service departments, governmental agencies, private corporations, and industries. In the case of fire and EMS departments following the FESHE model, the degree is increasingly becoming necessary for hiring and promotion.
Residence requirements may be waived for in-service majors provided a minimum of thirty semester hours of work is completed in residence at LSUE, twelve of which must be in the field of fire science. All students must be enrolled at LSUE during the semester in which they fulfill degree requirements.
In addition to fire science technology and emergency services technology concentrations, the curriculum also includes concentrations in safety and environmental compliance. The safety and environmental compliance area of concentration provides students with the knowledge and skills to help industry deal proactively with the challenge of maintaining a safe, healthy work environment, hazardous materials and toxic waste, environmental assessment, and compliance and enforcement.
More information on the program is available at www.lsue.edu/fes.
LSU Eunice is a part of the Center for Adult Learners in Louisiana (CALL) initiative making it easier for adults to either begin or complete a postsecondary education through online degree programs, accelerated learning formats, and prior learning assessment. Students participating in CALL at LSU Eunice can take a variety of general education and specific courses as part of the associate degree program in fire and emergency services. The courses and degree are delivered entirely online. For more information on CALL students can visit the CALL website at www.yourCALLla.org or call 337-550-1445.