College courses

[WannabeintheFD]

What did you Study, or what courses dod you take in college?

[Diane E]

For my AAS -- lots of CJ courses.
For my 2 BS's -- lots fire science and chem courses.
For my MA -- poli sci and stats.

Misc. classes include a variety of English (reading, literature, etc.), regular and abnormal Psychology, concert band (needed an "arts" credit to get my AAS), law, and management.

[firechick76]

I'm still in college but I am taking mostly fire science, chem., and consctuction classes for my major and all health and paramedic calsses for my minor. I will graduate with a generalist degree in fire science and all my paramedic certs.

Good Luck!
Janelle

P.S.
I already took all of those boring classes they make you take. All the general education classes that are boring and are to make you a better person. HA!

[WannabeintheFD]

For my AAS -- lots of CJ courses.
For my 2 BS's -- lots fire science and chem courses.
For my MA -- poli sci and stats

I have no idea what half of thoes abreviations mean

[firechick76]

AAS – is an Associates degree (usually about a 2 year degree)
BS – Bachelor of Science (a 4 year college degree)
MA – Masters Degree (A degree over and above a normal 4 year degree)

I know this is really simplifying it and wow that was a lot of school!! Hats off to you DianeC!!! That is awesome.

I have a question for you on the Poli Sci degree. Do you recommend it? I actually started on mine before I switched to Fire Science and could easily finish it. Mine was actually concentrated in Public Admin. Any thoughts on that?

Janelle

[Jedimike007]

-Associate of Arts and Bible
-In about a 1 1/2yrs I'll finish a Bachelors in Law Enforcement w/ minor in Chemistry

Then I'm looking at getting a degree through the USFA in fire science. http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fire-service/nfa-high.shtm

[DaSharkie]

I took courses in building construction, arson investigation, hydraulics, forest firefighting (AWESOME CLASS), intro to fire protection, fire prevention, EMT, Tactics and Strategies, and a few other assorted courses and CLEP's all of the general requirement courses. This was for my A.S. in Fire Science.

For my B.S. in Fire Science:
Emergency planning, Incident Command, Fire Service Law and Ethics, Public Relations for the Fire Service, Personnel Administration, Contemporary Issues in the Fire Service, Public Education adn Community Relations, Interpersonal Communications, Leadership and Executive Development, Ethics, Religion, Multiculturalism, Internet Web Design and Research (AWESOME CLASS) and a few other general requirements.

For my A.S. in Paramedic Technology:
All of the reuired Paramedic courses, A&P I, A&P II, Bioethics, Speechmaking (AWESOME CLASS), Intro to Psychology, and a basic computer operating course.

I am currently completing prerequisites for attending Physician Assistant school (Please God I really, really want to go) so I have taken Chemistry I, Chemistry II, Statistics (UGH), and have to take a few more courses in the Fall.

[WannabeintheFD]

DaSharkie
where are you going.. or anyone else for that matter?

[DaSharkie]

What do you mean, where am I going? Not quite sure I know what you are asking, where am I going to school now, or where do I want to go?

[WannabeintheFD]

lol yea for school... actually now that i think of it i need a detaled analysis of what you are going to do today, include snacking times and bathroom trips. dont forget to write down the # on ur odometer before and after each trip.

[firechick76]

I live in the Upper Peninsula (not the mitten part) of Michigan. I am going to Lake Superior State University for my Fire Science degree and Paramedic Stuff too. I love it! :

[Diane E]

Thanks firechick.

To add to it --
CJ is criminal justice
Stats is statistics (7.5 years total of school and only three math classes -- and they were all statistics)
Chem is Chemistry (I had regular chem, chem of haz-mats, and chem of fire)
Poli Sci is political science

The best part of my "education" was interning twice for the Congressional Fire Services Institute in DC, which is what got me interested in politics (my MA is Political Science/Public Policy). I figured with the variety of degrees, I could eventually get myself a job in Washington, DC. The public safety company I work for has a Gov't Relations Office in DC, so that's helpful.

Plus, we all know there's politics in the fire service.

[DaSharkie]

Both Associate's from Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester and the Bachelor's from Anna Maria College in Paxton (Right next to Worcester.)

As for my day,

Well, I rolled my fat, lazy, butt out of bed about 8:15, Ate breakfeast, went to the bathroom, did all of my online stuff, ah, I need to get a life, I'm not going to just sit here and type.

[ullrichk]

My first B.S. (Mechanical Engineering) from the University of Tennessee - all the required stuff and Army ROTC. No time for fun and games. Lotsa math, materials, and design.

Second time around, a B.S. in Fire Administration through the University of Memphis and the USFA (Open Learning Fire Service Program or Degrees at a Distance, depending on when you started). I had the option of a concentration in Fire Prevention, but opted the management route instead. (I'm going to go back and pick up those fire prevention classes since they will qualify for Fire Inspector recerification) Also lots of warm-and-fuzzy stuff as prerequisites for an M.B.A. (since engineers typically weren't required to take all those literature and history courses)

Then an M.B.A. from the University of Tennesee - strictly by the book. No electives here.

If you're in the fire service as a career, fire science is fine, but if you aren't in yet (or you think your life may take you down a different road) take something more general - like Public Administration. Management is good, too, as a graduate degree. It's better to have some technical knowledge base before you worry about management. (I'm not talking technical as in engineering, but psycology, engineering, criminal justice, or some other field related to your line of work.)

And don't underestimate the possibility of your life leading you in a different direction - I sure didn't set out to be a firefighter when I got that engineering degree. I just got lucky.

[MrFreeze]

ahhh, serendipity

I got on here tonight to post something very similar to this whole thread.

I went to the local university where I live, Oklahoma State, today to enroll for fall. Yeah, it's a little late to be doing that, but I digress.......I can't make up my mind whether to major in Fire Protection & Safety Tech., which is about 1/2 safety/industrial hygiene stuff (which I wouldn't like) or Mech. Engineering Tech, which is largely unrelated to the fire service and might serve to diversify my knowledge. Plus I like building stuff.

Going to OSU as a firefighter and someone who loves this job AND NOT taking FPST is prolly silly. But I don't want to design sprinkler systems. I don't want to work in a factory and run the safety program. What else do Fire Protection Engineers do? Arson Invest.? Liasion for architects? Somebody school me.........

FPST would offer mobility, and a 100% job placement rate.

I think MET would be cool because I like machines. And learning how run a CNC mill would be neato.

But I almost already feel "boxed in". I haven't done anything else of substance but the fire service. Like ullrich said, the path may change. I know it will for sure when I retire. Can't always hump hose or raise ladders.

ullrich, mine will be: I sure didn't set out to be an engineer (technologist, as it were) when I got that fire protection degree. I just got lucky.

Maybe I'll just go to warrant officer school and learn how to fly helicopters....................................... .........