College of Arts & Sciences

“Memorization from textbooks, oral interviews and assessment exercises are no longer sufficient to prepare chief officers to manage in today’s environment. Today’s chief officers deal with urban planning and development, labor law, contract negotiations and compliance, state and federal grant applications, the administration of fire departments in a shrinking and changing economy, and many other issues. With your leadership, faculty and staff at Bowling Green State University, I believe a bachelor’s degree in Fire Administration is the direction fire department administrator’s must go. Thank you for developing a program of study that will better prepare candidates to handle the challenges facing chief officers today.”

Michael W. Wolever
Chief, Toledo Fire and Rescue Department


“The bachelor’s degree in Fire Administration at Bowling Green State University will help to serve the growing demand for higher education in Emergency Services and be complementary to our program. I do not hesitate in giving an unqualified high endorsement for the degree at BGSU.”

William M. Kramer, Ph.D.
Director of Fire Science (Retired)
University of Cincinnati


“As a BGSU alum (B.S. 1976, M.A. 1978) with more than 30 years teaching and research experience in the areas of disaster and fire, and more than 10 years of experience in distance learning, I was asked to assist as a consultant in the development phase of the BGSU Fire Administration degree. This program has the academic rigor and integrity of any other program at my alma mater. When students graduate from this program, they will have both the practical and academic skills to move up the career ladder in Fire Administration.”

David M. Neal, Ph.D
Professor, Department of Political Science, Fire and Emergency Management Program
Oklahoma State University.