A study of undergraduate fire service degree programs in the United States - Fall 2000

Recent national efforts to coordinate and promote higher education in the fire service led to this national survey of fire service degree programs. The main purpose of the study was to gather descriptive information concerning fire service degree programs offered at two-year and four-year accredited institutions. A second purpose of the study was to identify the perceptions fire service degree program coordinators/directors hold concerning current and future issues affecting their programs. The information collected as part of the study can be used in a variety of ways from benchmarking among fire service degree programs to assistance and support with policy formation at the local, state, and federal level.Of the 248 institutions identified for this study, 222 (89.52 percent) were associate level programs and 26 (10.48 percent) were bachelor level programs. A survey instrument was developed, pilot tested by national experts, and then mailed to the coordinators/directors of fire service degree programs for each of the institutions. Respondents were provided the opportunity to return completed surveys in the traditional paper format or through an electronic version located on the Internet. A total of 210 institutions responded to the survey resulting in an 84.68 percent return rate. At the associate level, 184 (82.88 percent) of the 222 programs responded and 26 (100 percent) of the 26 bachelor level programs responded.