Purpose: The overall goal of the program is to prepare individuals for entry or advancement in the fire service or a related field by providing them with knowledge of the fire protection profession and giving them the general education necessary to function and advance in one of these professions.
Transfer Information: Transfer is not the primary purpose of an A.A.S. program, but NOVA has articulation agreements that facilitate the transfer of this and other career-oriented programs to selected senior institutions. Students interested in transfer should contact a counselor or their academic advisor early in their program.
1 Students may substitute a higher-level math. Consult an academic advisor to make the appropriate selection.
2 The PED requirement may be met by one of the following options: PED 116, 2 cr.; PED 116, 1 cr. plus a PED activities course, 1 cr.; or PED 116, 1 cr. plus RPK activities course. PED 116 is offered as both a 1-credit and a 2-credit course. Active duty firefighters can substitute other credits to meet the PED requirement based on advanced standing.
3 The social science elective may be selected from the social/behavioral sciences courses listed under General Education Electives. Fire Science students are encouraged to choose from psychology or sociology.
4 ENG 112, ENG 116, ENG 125, ENG 131, or ENG 205 may be substituted for ENG 115.
5 Students may substitute FST 120 for FST 121.
6 The computer class may be selected from ITE/ITN/ITD/ITP/CSC/GIS or HIM 130 – Healthcare Information Systems.
7 Students may choose from CST 100, CST 110 or FST 135.
8 Students may substitute FST 255 for FST 240.
9 Humanities/fine arts elective may be selected from the humanities/fine arts courses listed under General Education Electives.
10The Natural Science elective may be selected from BIO 101 or BIO 141 or CHM 101 or CHM 111 or CHM 121 or NAS 101 or NAS 150 or NAS 161 or PHY 101 or PHY 102 or PHY 201.