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Online BS in Wildfire Science
Program Details

Application Deadlines

Applications to the Bachelor of Science in Wildfire Science program are reviewed on a rolling basis; apply at any time! However, priority is given to applications that are received by these deadlines: 

  • Fall 2024: July 24, 2024

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Admission Requirements

To qualify for the Bachelor of Science in Wildfire Science program, applicants must meet the following criteria: 

  • Transfer Unit Requirement
    • You must complete 60 transferable semester college units (or 90 quarter units) to be eligible for admission, including the prerequisite courses listed below.
    • Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in all transferable units attempted
      • 2.5 GPA for students who have already completed a bachelors 
  • Prerequisite Courses

    Admission to the program requires successful completion of the following prerequisite courses:

    Golden Four General Requirements 

    • Oral Communication (A1) 
    • Written Communication (A2) 
    • Critical Thinking (A3) 
    • Mathematics (B4) 

    Lower Division General Education Requirements

    Students are encouraged to have the following courses completed prior to admission but it is NOT required to be considered for admission:    

    • Physical Science (B1) 
    • Life Science (B2) 
    • Laboratory (B3) 
    • Arts (C1) 
    • Humanities (C2) 
    • Arts and/or Humanities (C3) 
    • Interdisciplinary Social Sciences (D7) 
    • Discipline-specific or Second Interdisciplinary Social Sciences (D) 
    • Lifelong Learning and Information Literacy (E)
    • Successful completion of the U.S. History, Constitution and American Ideals requirement 
  • Residency Requirement
    To be considered for admission to this online program, you must reside in an approved state.

Connect with a Specialist

Set up an appointment with your enrollment specialist to learn how you can take advantage of the BS in Wildfire Science program.

Sujeith Ordonez

Krisean Freeman, MBA
Senior Outreach & Recruitment Specialist
CSUSM Extended Learning
(760) 750-8453

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Funding Options
The wildfire science degree program is eligible for financial aid.

Visit the funding page or call 760-750-4850 to learn more about your funding options. Active-duty military, veterans and dependents should visit the military services page or call 760-750-8705.

Federal VA educational benefits can be used for this program (not eligible for Cal Vet fee waiver).


FUNDING OPTIONS

Program Costs

Finish the online BS in Wildfire Science in just five semesters, with guaranteed class availability to keep your educational journey on track. The program consists of 60 units, priced at $475 per unit, with tuition discounts available for active-duty military personnel. 

Invest In Your Future: A Breakdown of Your Educational Journey's Cost

Semester Units Subtotal*
Fall Semester 1 12 $5,700
Spring Semester 1 12 $5,700
Summer Semester 12 $5,700
Fall Semester 2 12 $5,700
Spring Semester 2 12 $5,700
Total 60 $28,500

*Not all university semester fees are included in this table—see the comprehensive breakdown of Extended Learning fees. Semester tuition subtotals are based on a sample program sequence. All quoted tuition rates are based on previous academic years and are subject to change without notice.

Courses

This program has a set schedule of courses that you are expected to follow as part of your cohort. You can view all course descriptions on the BS Wildfire Science course catalog page.

Year One

Fall Semester 1
Course Units
FIRE 101: Wildland Urban Interface  3
FIRE 105: Fire Science  3
FIRE 210: Emerging Technologies and Topics  3
BIOL 216: Biostatistics for Wildfire Science  3
Spring Semester 1
Course Units
BIOL 391: Fire Ecology  3
BIOL 392: Natural Resource Management  3
FIRE 352: Emergency Management, Operations and Administration  3
UDGE-DD (TBD): Upper Division GE  3

Schedule is subject to change without advance notice.

 

Summer Semester
Course Units
BIOL 338 or BIOL 339 (UDGE-BB: Human Impact on the Environment or Conservation Biology  3
CHEM 311: Chemicals and the Environment  3
PHIL 340 (UDGE-CC): Ethics and the Environment  3
FIRE 351: Wildfire Law and Economics  3

Year Two

Fall Semester 2
Course Units
FIRE 353: Firefighter Health and Safety  3
FIRE 355: Land Use Planning and Community Resiliency  3
FIRE 354: Firefighter Stress, Behavioral, and Mental Health  3
FIRE 402: Fire Behavior, Fuels, and Resource Management  3
Spring Semester 2
Course Units
FIRE 489: Research Methods and Design  3
KINE 306: Exercise Fitness and Health  3
FIRE 499: Senior Experience in Wildfire Science  3
FIRE 399: Special Topics in Wildfire Science  3

 

Transform Your Career in Fire Protection

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