The International Fire Suppression Alliance (IFSA) has announced a new partnership with Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) that will give Association members a 25 percent tuition reduction on eligible online degree programs.
The agreement, formalized through a memorandum of understanding, is designed to expand access to higher education for fire and safety professionals who need flexible study options while continuing to work in the field.
Based in Richmond, Kentucky, EKU is home to one of the few comprehensive fire protection programs in the United States that offers a fully virtual degree pathway. Two online programs are expected to be of particular interest to IFSA member companies and the professionals they employ.
EKU’s Bachelor of Science in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology is a 120-credit-hour online degree accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET under the commission’s general criteria and the program criteria for fire protection engineering technology.
Coursework includes fire behavior, prevention, suppression system design, and fire investigation. Students are taught by faculty with professional experience as fire chiefs, fire marshals, engineers, and investigators. Students may transfer up to 90 credit hours from other accredited institutions, and online terms begin six times a year.
The Master of Science in Safety, Security and Emergency Management is a 36-credit-hour online program that can be completed in as few as two years. No campus visits are required, courses begin six times per year, and applicants with an undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 or higher are not required to submit GRE scores.
The degree can be shaped around graduate certificates in areas including occupational safety or safety leadership and management, making it suitable for practitioners who plan to remain active in their profession while studying.
“Education has always been a pillar of IFSA’s mission, and the limitation has always been geography. A fully online degree removes that limitation for members in every region we serve,” said Mark Fessenden, managing director of IFSA.
The tuition reduction is available to IFSA members in good standing. Members can contact IFSA at ifsa@ifsa.global for guidance on claiming the discount at the point of enrollment. Program requirements, application deadlines, and enrollment advising contacts are available on EKU’s program pages.
