Online Masters of Engineering in Fire Protection

Fire protection engineers are among the most sought-after professionals in the industry. Performance building codes and the international trend towards performance-based fire safety analysis and design approaches in construction have increased demand for fire protection engineers. The University of Maryland’s fire protection engineering degree programs represent the Department of Fire Protection Engineering’s commitment to preparing engineers for the challenges of this rapidly growing field.

Courses are taught by the university’s foremost experts in fire protection engineering as well as international experts from business and industry. Established in 1956, the Fire Protection Engineering Department is one of only a few graduate fire protection engineering degree programs in the US. Our programs in Fire Protection Engineering are geared toward working engineering professionals and are offered both online and on campus.

Fire protection engineering courses are available to explore basic processes of fire behavior, prediction of fire development, the combustion of materials and furnishings, the effects of fire on structures and the environment, smoke management, evacuation and tenability analysis and the law. Courses may also be approved from other engineering departments or technical areas, e.g. mathematics.

In addition to the general rules of the Graduate School, certain special degree requirements are set out in departmental requirements. The degree requirement is to complete ten approved courses, including a minimum of six fire protection engineering courses.

Admission Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree, GPA of 3.0 or better, in engineering or a related field from an accredited institution
• Courses in structural mechanics*, differential equations, fluid mechanics and heat transfer
• *Structural mechanics is not required for students interested in pursuing the Online Graduate Certificate in Engineering degree. Structural mechanics is required for students interested in pursuing the Master of Engineering degree on campus who are interested in taking a course in structural fire protection, either ENFP 405 or ENFP 621