Why study fire administration at BGSU?
- Easily transfer credit to complete your degree. Earn credit toward your degree for your prior coursework and approved certifications.
- Long-standing, national reputation. BGSU is a regionally accredited public institution. We have been the home of State Fire School since 1974.
- Personal support. Advisors and experienced faculty are here to guide you and make sure you stay on track toward graduation.
- No residency requirement.
- Highly respected and experienced faculty lead your classes.
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Career opportunities
Having a bachelor’s degree in fire administration enhances your chances of promotion in fire and emergency services, a field that is becoming more and more professionalized. Graduates of our program have also advanced their careers in local government management positions outside of the fire service and have gone on to master’s and doctoral programs.
Career paths
- Chief
- Assistant chief
- Battalion chief
- Lieutenant
Curriculum
Fire administration students develop a solid foundation of knowledge and skills in subjects including:
- Leadership
- Communication
- Public administration
- Data analysis
- Employment law
- Finance
- Technology
Students may transfer credits from regionally accredited colleges and universities and approved certifications and then complete the major courses and remaining general education requirements. The minimum required BGSU coursework is 30 hours.
The BGSU fire administration degree-completion program has transfer agreements with several regional community colleges. This makes the transfer process more seamless for students with specific majors at these community colleges. Review our participating schools to see if your community college and major are listed.
Courses in the fire administration major include fire service-specific courses and general public administration courses. Only fire administration majors can take the FIAD courses, ensuring that students are learning with classmates with a similar level of professional experience.
Sample courses
- Fire and Emergency Services Administration
- Principles of Emergency Management
- Applications of Fire Research
- Political and Legal Foundations
- Psychology of Disaster
- Introduction to Public Administration
- Local Government Budgeting and Finance
- Administrative Law
Degree-completion admission requirements
- Earned technical credit hours and/or applied associate degree from a regionally accredited college or university
- A GPA of at least 2.0
- Related professional experiences
The number of credits needed to complete the program will vary based on how many credits you transfer. At least 30 credit hours must be completed at BGSU to earn your degree. Request an unofficial transfer credit estimate by emailing us. Our team will help you map out a personalized path to graduation.
One of the great things about this program is the diversity of students and the expertise of instructors. People from all over the country bring their ideas and concepts to the online discussions. We all learn things from each other.
John Kaminski
Assistant fire chief, Toledo Fire & Rescue
Education is truly the tool that is improving what we do every day, and the FIAD program at BGSU is outstanding. It was looked upon very highly by the panel of professionals in our community that assisted the mayor in his decision to select me as the new fire chief.
Richard Sluder
City manager and safety director, City of Franklin (Ohio)
I struggled to find a bachelor’s degree program in fire science that motived me to go back to school. I dragged my feet, even though I knew that I needed a bachelor’s degree to compete for future career opportunities. The BGSU FIAD program has more than met my expectations and has prepared me to be a leader in my department. During the time that I was working on my degree, I was promoted from the rank of captain to the rank of battalion chief, and I use the program’s lessons every day to better serve my department.
Jason Graber
Deputy fire chief, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
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BGSU is one of only a handful of universities in the nation — and the only one in Ohio — to earn the Quality Matters Online Learner Support certificate for all of our online programs. This recognition reflects our commitment to providing the critical support and academic services that online students need to succeed.
The fire administration program is part of the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Updated: 11/25/2025 10:03AM