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Undergraduate Catalog | 2025-2026
Fire and Safety Engineering Technology, Occupational Safety Concentration, B.S.E.T.
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The Fire and Safety Engineering Technology (FSET) program at UNC Charlotte prepares graduates of the BSET program for careers across a broad spectrum of technologies. The program has emphasis on both technical and non-technical aspects in the fields of fire and safety.
Concentrations within the program include Fire Safety and Occupational Safety. Many of the lower division courses are common between the concentrations, while the upper division allows specialization within the chosen concentration area.
Occupational safety is a career path where professionals recognize, evaluate, and control workplace hazards, which exist in almost every industry. Building on a strong background in the life and physical sciences, students learn about fire prevention/protection, environmental pollution control, industrial hazards, industrial hygiene (industrial health), and ergonomics in this multi-disciplinary program. An experiential capstone experience (internship, co-op, or a supervised directed project) is required. Students completing the requirements identified for this concentration will receive a special designation on their transcripts showing they have completed the Occupational Safety concentration.
All program-level Admissions and Progression Requirements are in addition to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Admission Requirements .
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Admission Requirements
Students for this degree may enter degree programs in the Department of Engineering Technology and Construction Management as First-Year students or as transfer students. First-Year Students Applicants entering as First-Year students must meet the general University admission requirements. See University Admission Requirements . Transfers See University Admission Requirements . Transfer admission into the department occurs in one of two situations: - Transfer applicants who do not have the Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree or its equivalent must meet general University admission requirements.
- Transfer applicants with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree must:
- Hold an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in a field appropriate to the option they plan to enter. Acceptable AAS degrees may include: Fire Protection, Fire Science, or similar title with curriculum acceptable to the department. A minimum GPA of 2.50 (out of 4.00) in the AAS degree is required.
- Have completed satisfactorily the prerequisite background courses for the option they plan to enter. Missing background courses may be taken at UNC Charlotte.
Currently Enrolled Students
Current UNC Charlotte students who wish to change or declare their major to Occupational Safety must first satisfy the following requirements in order to be considered eligible for admission: - Complete MATH 1103 or higher with a grade of C or better.
- Achieve a GPA between 2.2 - 4.0.
- Pass all currently attempted required courses within three attempts including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W.
- Students currently enrolled in a required course for a second time must wait until grades are posted before declaring an ETCM major. A student will not be admitted to the major unless the course is passed within three attempts.
- Complete at least one of the following Occupational Safety courses in the curriculum ETGR 2230 , ETFS 2230 or ETFS 3123 . Other courses may be approved by the Program Director and the Academic Advisor on a case-by-case basis.
Upon satisfying all of the above requirements, students may request admission by submitting the Change of Major form. Completion of the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into a program. Course Requirements Course requirements correspond to the mode of admission for each student as outlined hereafter. All ETFS courses require a grade of C or better. Other courses required may also have this requirement since they may serve as a prerequisite. - Entering First-Year Students: Students admitted as First-Year students complete the appropriate four-year curriculum for the program into which they were admitted.
- Transfer students not holding an appropriate AAS degree: Transfer students not holding an appropriate AAS degree must complete the remaining coursework outlined for the respective four-year curriculum into which they were admitted after evaluation and application of any transfer credit.
- Transfer students holding an appropriate AAS degree: Transfer students with an appropriate Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree as defined previously under Admission Requirements may begin the program in the Junior year with up to 64 transfer credit hours awarded. Prerequisites for students holding an AAS degree from a community or technical college are listed below.
Prerequisite Courses for AAS Transfers Students transferring with an AAS degree must have satisfactorily completed the following subjects in their two-year program: - English Composition, Technical Writing, and/or Public Speaking (3 credit hours)
- Precalculus (3 credit hours)
- Physics with lab (4 credit hours)
- Chemistry with Lab (4 credit hours)
- Principles of Biology (3 credit hours)
- Human Anatomy and Physiology (3 credit hours)
- Earth Science with lab (4 credit hours)
- Environmental Science (3 credit hours)
- Intro to Psychology (3 credit hours)
- Technical Courses in Major Area as listed below (up to 30 credit hours)
- Introduction to Fire Protection and Prevention
- Introduction to Fire Behavior
- Hazardous Materials
- Occupational Safety
- Construction Safety
- Computer-Aided Drafting
- Electronic Circuits/DC Circuits
- Industrial/Organizational Psychology
- Statistics
Remediation of Academic Entrance Requirements for AAS Transfer Students In addition to University and College of Engineering requirements, an AAS transfer student who is admitted to any BSET program without meeting ALL published admission requirements is expected to remove all admission deficiencies within one year. Violators are subject to discontinuance and enrollment in Senior-level coursework is prohibited until all deficiencies are removed. Degree Requirements (4-Year Program)
The BSET in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology with a Concentration in Occupational Safety program consists of 120 credit hours. General Education Courses (31-32 credit hours)
For details on required General Education courses, refer to the General Education Program . Total hours to satisfy General Education Requirements may vary as some general education requirements may be double-counted in the major with departmental approval. For example, 13 credit hours of math/science coursework counts as both general education under the major’s Math/Science requirements. Please see your advisor for information. Mathematics and Science Foundation Courses (30 credit hours)
Foundational Math/Science coursework prepares students for coursework in the major and must be completed before taking upper-level courses. Engineering/Engineering Technology Requirements (9 credit hours)
The following courses are college/department requirements: Occupational Safety and Fire Safety Courses (51 credit hours)
The following courses primarily represent the occupational safety field, with supporting coursework from fire safety, organizational psychology, and risk management. Directed Electives - Environmental Focus (3 credit hours)
Choose 3 credit hours from the following environmentally-focused courses: Directed Electives - Social Science/Health Focus (3 credit hours)
Choose 3 credit hours from the list of courses below from psychosocial and health sciences. Restricted Elective Courses (6 credit hours)
Select two 3000- or 4000-level courses from the ETFS Program or ETCM Department with a minimum of 6 credit hours that are not already required for the major. Select from the following: Unrestricted Elective Courses
As needed to complete the credit hours required for graduation. Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours
Degree Requirements (2+2-Year Program)
The BSET in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology with a Concentration in Occupational Safety program consists of 120 credit hours. AAS Degree (60 credit hours)
A.A.S. transfer students from approved programs may receive up to 60 credit hours for the A.A.S. degree; thus, A.A.S. students need only to complete the upper-division portion of the courses listed below and remediate any entrance deficiencies noted upon matriculation. Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Foundation Courses
If not taken as part of the AAS degree, transfer students may need to take one or more of the following courses, which act as pre-requisite courses for upper level courses and provide a general math/science background. Major Courses in Occupational Safety (48 credit hours)
The following courses primarily represent the occupational safety field, with supporting coursework from fire safety, organizational psychology, and risk management. Directed Electives - Environmental Focus (3 credit hours)
Choose 3 credit hours from the following environmentally-focused courses. Directed Electives - Social Science/Health Focus (3 credit hours)
Choose 3 credit hours from the list of courses below from psychosocial and health sciences. Restricted Elective Courses (6 credit hours)
Select two 3000- or 4000-level courses from the ETCM Department with a minimum of 6 credit hours that are not already required for the major. Select from the following: Unrestricted Elective Courses
As needed to complete the credit hours required for graduation. Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours
Progression Requirements
After completing the Common First Year Curriculum (CFY) courses, students will decide on their engineering major for their second through fourth years, which may be the major they initially indicated or any other engineering major. Students must meet the following requirements in order to register for major courses: Engineering Majors Engineering majors must complete all of the below requirements before enrolling in W.S. Lee College of Engineering sophomore-year engineering courses. - Pass all courses within two attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
- Complete all courses in the Common First Year Curriculum, including MATH 1242 , with grades of C or above
- Complete the Common First Year Curriculum within four semesters
- Earn a 2.5 cumulative GPA upon completion of the Common First Year Curriculum courses (2.8 for Mechanical Engineering majors)
Engineering Technology and Construction Management Majors Civil Engineering Technology - Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
- Complete all courses in the Common First Year Curriculum, including MATH 1241 , PHYS 2101 , and PHYS 2101L , with grades of C or above
- Complete the Common First Year Curriculum within four semesters
- Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA upon completion of the Common First Year courses
Electromechanical Engineering Technology - Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
- Complete all courses in the Common First Year Curriculum including MATH 1241 with grade of C or above and PHYS 2101 and PHYS 2101L
- Complete the Common First Year Curriculum within four semesters
- Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA upon completion of the Common First Year courses
Mechanical Engineering Technology - Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
- Complete all courses in the Common First Year Curriculum including MATH 1241 , PHYS 2101 , and PHYS 2101L , with grades of C or above
- Complete the Common First Year Curriculum within four semesters
- Earn a 2.2 cumulative GPA upon completion of the Common First Year courses
Construction Management - Complete CMET 1400 , ETCE 1222 , ETCE 1211L , and MATH 1103
- Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
- Complete the Common First Year curriculum within four semesters
- Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA upon completion of the First Year core courses
Fire & Safety Engineering Technology (Fire & Safety) - Complete ETFS 1152 , ETFS 1201 , ETFS 1220 , ETFS 1244 , and MATH 1100
- Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
- Complete the Common First Year curriculum within four semesters
- Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA upon completion of the First Year core courses
Fire & Safety Engineering Technology (Occupational Safety) - Complete BIOL 1110 , ETFS 1201 , ETFS 1220 , ETGR 2230 , MATH 1103 , PSYC 1101 and STAT 1220
- Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
- Complete the Common First Year curriculum within four semesters
- Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA upon completion of the First Year core courses
Special Policies or Requirements
Acceptance of a completed AAS degree indicates the acceptance of up to 64 credit hours toward the Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology degree program only. These hours may not be valid toward other degree programs at UNC Charlotte. Residence Requirements A student must earn the last 30 credit hours toward the BSET degree and the last 12 credit hours in the major at UNC Charlotte to satisfy residence requirements. Experiential Learning Requirements All students must complete an experiential learning course. Experiential courses are practice-oriented courses such as cooperative education, internships, Senior design projects, or undergraduate research. Internships, or 49erships, involve paid or unpaid work in a career-related position for professional experience. A minimum of 80 work hours and 5 weeks for one semester is required to complete the program. Fall and Spring 49erships are part-time. Summer 49erships may be full- or part-time. Full-time students who are in good University standing, have completed 30 credit hours, and have a 2.00 minimum cumulative GPA are eligible. Internships do not offer academic credit, but are noted on the student’s transcript; students pay a course registration fee. Approval for enrollment must be arranged before the student begins a work experience. Students may begin this program during their Sophomore year. Transfer students must complete 12 credit hours at UNC Charlotte before applying to the program. For more information, contact the College of Engineering Office of Student Development and Success or the University Career Center. |
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