Dec 05, 2025

Graduate Catalog | 2025-2026

Fire Protection and Safety Management, M.S.

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The Fire Protection and Safety Management program is designed to provide the necessary knowledge and skills for professionals in Fire Safety or Occupational Safety to begin work in many areas of their respective fields and to solve safety problems in a complex technical society.

The program consists of a common core with the balance of coursework allowing students to specialize in fire protection/administration or occupational safety management.

Fire Administration coursework prepares those who are engaged in occupations in the fire, emergency services, and safety fields to effectively manage the administrative decision-making requirements of both public and private entities.

Occupational Safety Management coursework prepares professionals to evaluate industrial hazards, assess risk, and develop safety management plans while addressing industrial hygiene, environmental pollution control, ergonomics, and human factors.

Admission Requirements

The minimum admission requirements for the program are:

An earned undergraduate degree in engineering, engineering technology, emergency management, fire safety, fire protection, occupational safety, industrial hygiene, safety management, or a related technical or scientific discipline
A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
Positive recommendations
Applicants whose native language is not English, will need to satisfy the UNC Charlotte Graduate School’s English proficiency requirements.
Other credentials as required by the Graduate School

Documents to be Submitted for Admission

UNC Charlotte application for graduate admission online
Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
Official TOEFL scores or other criteria to meet English Proficiency requirements of the Graduate School
An essay detailing the applicant’s motivation and career goals, along with any specific research and training interests
Three professional recommendations
Others as required by the Graduate School

Application Deadline

Applications can be received by the Graduate Admission Office any time prior to their published deadlines. In order to be considered for assistantships and tuition grants for the following academic year, students should apply by March 1 for priority consideration. The first round of award decisions typically occur by March 15. However, the Department of Engineering Technology and Construction Management will evaluate applications for admission at any time complete applications are received by the Graduate School.

To start a program in a given term, the following guidelines should be considered:

Fall Semester (August) Application Submission Deadline: August 1
Spring Semester (January) Application Submission Deadline: December 1
Summer Semester (May or July) Application Submission Deadline: April 15 or June 15, dependent on term registered.

Early Entry Program

Exceptional undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte may apply for the Early Entry Program and begin work toward the graduate degree before completion of the baccalaureate degree. See the Undergraduate Catalog for details and requirements. Also see the Degree Requirements and Academic Policies section of the Graduate Catalog for more information about Early Entry Programs.

Degree Requirements

The minimum requirement for the M.S. in Fire Protection and Safety Management degree is 30 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree. This includes a minimum of 24 credit hours of formal coursework. Students enrolled will:

Complete a common core course of 3 CH on Industrial Safety (MFPA 5223 );

Choose a pathway for Fire Administration or Occupational Safety for focused coursework; and

Select directed electives to meet the 30 credit hour total. Students who elect the thesis option must complete 6 credit hours of MFPA 6900 as part of the directed electives. Students who select the non-thesis option will complete 30 credit hours of coursework and complete a comprehensive exam. The 30 credit hour degree program is outlined below:

Fire Administration Concentration (30 Credit Hours Total)

Students in the Fire Administration Concentration must take courses to meet the 30 credit hour program requirement with courses outlined below:

Core Courses (9 Credit Hours)

Fire Administration Directed Elective (3 credit hours, Choose 1)

Community Risk Reduction Directed Elective (3 credit hours, Choose 1)

Elective Courses (15 credit hours)

Select five of the following for a total of 15 credit hours:

CMET 5XXX - Construction Management Elective
CMET 5000 - Special Topics - Construction Management (1 to 4)
CMET 6000 - Special Topics in Construction and Facility Management (3)
CMET 6240 - Safety and Risk Management (3)
ETGR 5301 - Environmental Pollution Control (3)
ETGR 5302 - Industrial Hygiene (3)
ETGR 5303 - Applied Ergonomics and Human Factors (3)
ETGR 5305 - System Safety Design and Management (3)
GRAD 6100 - Basic Statistics and Probability (3)
GRAD 6101 - Linear Regression (3)
GRAD 6302 - Responsible Conduct of Research (2)
MFPA XXXX - Elective MFPA Course
MFPA 6000 - Special Topics in Fire Protection and Safety Management (3)
MFPA 6243 - Research Investigation (3)
MFPA 6800 - Independent Study (1 to 3)
MFPA 6900 - Thesis (1 to 6)
GRAD 6102 - Categorical Outcomes (3)
GRAD 6240 - Research Ethics in the Biological and Behavioral Sciences (3)
MPAD 6104 - Public Organizations and Management (3)
MPAD 6131 - Public Budgeting and Finance (3)
MPAD 6142 - Grant Writing and Reporting (3)
MPAD 6290 - Emergency Management (3)
MPAD 6291 - Homeland Security and Terrorism (3)
MPAD 6292 - Disaster Management (3)

Note:

Additional new major elective courses may be created based on industry needs and faculty research interest. In addition, appropriate existing graduate level courses from other programs may be approved by the Graduate Program Director.

Occupational Safety Concentration (30 Credit Hours Total)

Students in the Occupational Safety Concentration must also take 18 CH of required courses and 12 CH of electives to meet the 30 credit hour program requirement with courses outlined below:

Occupational Safety Concentration Core Courses (18 credit hours)

Students in the Occupational Safety Concentration must complete the following:

Occupational Safety Concentration Elective Courses (12 credit horus)

Choose 4 courses (12 credit hours) from the options below. Any pre-requisites for courses outside the program are the student’s responsibility to meet:

CMET 5XXX - Construction Management Elective
CMET 5000 - Special Topics - Construction Management (1 to 4)
CMET 6000 - Special Topics in Construction and Facility Management (3)
CMET 6240 - Safety and Risk Management (3)
GRAD 6100 - Basic Statistics and Probability (3)
GRAD 6101 - Linear Regression (3)
GRAD 6102 - Categorical Outcomes (3)
GRAD 6240 - Research Ethics in the Biological and Behavioral Sciences (3)
GRAD 6302 - Responsible Conduct of Research (2)
MFPA 5132 - Fire and Building Codes, Standards, and Practices (3)
MFPA 6000 - Special Topics in Fire Protection and Safety Management (3)
MFPA 6123 - Human Behavior in Fire (3)
MFPA 6243 - Research Investigation (3)
MFPA 6800 - Independent Study (1 to 3)
MFPA 6900 - Thesis (1 to 6)
MPAD 6290 - Emergency Management (3)
MPAD 6291 - Homeland Security and Terrorism (3)
MPAD 6292 - Disaster Management (3)
Additional elective courses outside the department may also be taken if approved by the graduate program director.

Capstone Experience

Students pursuing the M.S. in Fire Protection and Safety Management have two options to complete the 30 credit hour program as follows:

24 credit hours of coursework plus 6 credit hours of thesis project (MFPA 6900 )
30 credit hours of coursework and a comprehensive examination

Both options require the formation of a program committee. The thesis option is reserved for students who are attending the on-campus program and are performing research under formal graduate research or teaching assistantships. Students receiving such assistantships may be required to pursue the thesis option. The thesis option requires students to submit a written thesis and orally defend their work before their program committee.

All non-thesis students must complete 30 credit hours of coursework and successfully complete a formal comprehensive examination. A student’s exam is scheduled when they have at least 24 credit hours of course credit completed or in progress. The student’s graduate advisor and the examining committee coordinates the examination (to be offered once in the Fall and once in the Spring semesters), preparing the exam with the assistance of members of the student’s program committee. The exam measures the student’s mastery of theories and applications in the selected area of specialization within the discipline. Students have only two opportunities to receive passing marks on the examination.

Other Requirements

The program has both a thesis and non-thesis track. After admission to candidacy, thesis students will complete a comprehensive oral exam while non-thesis students will complete a comprehensive written exam. Residence will be per Graduate School rules. There is no language requirement. While full-time students will typically take three semesters to complete the program, part-time students are expected to take no more than seven years to complete the program as per Graduate School rules.

Degree Total = 30 Credit Hours

Grade Requirements

All candidates must earn an overall 3.0 GPA to graduate. Accumulation of one U grade will result in the suspension of the student’s enrollment in the program.

Advising

Each student is supervised by their graduate advisor and a program committee.

Application for Degree

Each student should submit an Application for Degree prior to graduation. If a student does not graduate in the semester identified on the Application, the student must complete a new form and repay the application fee to be considered for graduation in a subsequent semester.

Plan of Study Requirements

Each student is required to submit a Plan of Study to the Department’s Graduate Director before completing 18 credit hours of graduate credits.

Transfer Credit

The department, at its discretion, may accept transfer of graduate courses (6 credit hours maximum) taken at another institution or from another program prior to admission to the M.S. in Fire Protection and Safety Management program. Only courses in which the student earned a grade of B or above may be transferred.

Assistantships

A limited number of research and teaching assistantships are available from the Department on a competitive basis to highly qualified applicants/students.

Tuition Grants

A limited number of tuition grants, including out-of-state tuition differential waivers and in-state tuition support, are available on a competitive basis for both out-of-state and in-state students, respectively.