Course Descriptions

Master in Fire Protection & Administration

MFPA 5123 Human Behavior in Fire (3) Prerequisite: ETFS 3103 and ETFS 3113 or permission of department. Individual decision processes and behavior, modeling of people movement, calculation methods for egress prediction, egress design, and fire safety signs and alarm systems. (Fall) (Alternate years)

MFPA 5132 Fire and Building Codes, Standards and Practices (3) Prerequisite: ETFS 3103 or permission of department. History of fire safety regulation development; building fire characteristics, fire test methods, and fire safety of buildings and structures; contemporary building and fire codes, practices, and their enforcement. (Fall) (Alternate years)

MFPA 5150 Human Resources Management in Emergency Services (3) Cross-listed as MPAD 6134. Prerequisite: permission of department. A study of the context of public personnel fire/emergency services related administration; basic functions of job evaluation and compensation, employee rights and responsibilities; the legal constraints including equal opportunity, health and safety, collective bargaining; government productivity. (On demand)

MFPA 5223 Industrial Safety and Facilities Management (3) Prerequisite: ETFS 3123 or permission of department. Investigation and analysis of hazard control principles relating to the management of personnel, facilities, and equipment, including control procedures, work-task analysis, risk identification and countermeasures, safety training, and pertinent safety management techniques. (Spring) (Alternate years)

MFPA 6103 Fire Dynamics (3) Prerequisite: ETME 3143 and ETME 3244 or permission from the department. This course introduces students to fundamentals of fire and combustion and is intended to serve as the first exposure to fire dynamics phenomena. The course includes fundamental topics in fire and combustion such as thermodynamics of combustion, fire chemistry, premixed and diffusion flames, solid burning, ignition, plumes, heat release rate curves, and flame spread. (Fall) (Alternate years)

MFPA 6113 Fire Failure Analysis (3) Prerequisite: MFPA 6103 or permission of department. This course provides knowledge for the development of fire investigation and reconstruction as a basis for determining fire cause and origin and evaluating and improving fire safety design. Accident investigation theory and failure analysis techniques such as fire re-creation testing and modeling are presented. (On demand)

MFPA 6120 Public and Private Sector Interoperability (3) Cross-listed as MPAD 6290. Prerequisite: permission of department. A study of multi-agency interoperability and the effective organization and management of emergency resources at various fire and large-scale emergency incidents. Includes a review of national standards and federal regulations impacting emergency incident management. Case studies of actual and theoretical incidents will be used to reinforce command and control concepts. (Spring) (Alternate years)

MFPA 6124 Fire Service and the Community (3) Prerequisite: permission of department. Theoretical concepts of public service to build an understanding of how the fire service fits within the community. (Spring) (Alternate years)

MFPA 6126 Arson (3) Prerequisite: permission of department. This course utilizes lecture and case studies of arson fires that were started for various reasons, including financial gain, revenge and to conceal other crimes. The criminal intent and the psychological aspects of the fire setter are discussed. (On demand)

MFPA 6144 Fire Protection Systems (3) Prerequisite: ETFS 3103, ETFS 3113 or permission of department. An advanced study of various fire protection systems in regard to contemporary fire and life safety problems. Topics include: process of fire and smoke development, principles of active fire suppression and detection systems, hydraulics, automatic sprinkler systems, passive fire protection systems, structural fire resistance, installation and maintenance of fire protection systems. (Fall) (alternate years)

MFPA 6164 Fire Science Laboratory (3) Prerequisite: MFPA 6103 or permission of department. This course provides overall instruction and hands-on experience with fire-science-related experimental measurement techniques. The objective is to expose students to laboratory-scale fire experiments, standard fire tests and state-of-the-art measurement techniques. (On demand)

MFPA 6203 Fire Modeling (3) Prerequisite: MFPA 6103 or permission from the department. Modeling of compartment fire behavior is studied through the use and application of two types of models: zone and field. The zone model studied is CFAST. The field model studied is FDS. Focus on the understanding of each of these models is the primary objective in terms of needed input, interpretation of output and limitations. (Spring) (Alternate years)

MFPA 6232 Structural Fire Safety (3) Prerequisite: ETGR 2102 or ETME 3123, ETME 3244 or permission of department. This course provides the knowledge needed for structural fire safety design and analysis. Course topics include design philosophies and methods in fire safety engineering, principles of and approaches for structural design for fire safety, behavior of compartment fires, behavior of structural materials in fire, and structural fire safety of typical materials and their components. (On demand)

MFPA 6233 Performance-Based Design (3) Prerequisite: ETFS 6203 or permission of department. This course covers practical applications of fire protection engineering principles to the design of buildings. Both compartmented and non-compartmented buildings will be designed for criteria of life safety, property protection, continuity of operations, operational management and cost. (On demand)

MFPA 6243 Research Investigation (3) Prerequisite: permission of the department. This course provides students with opportunities in conducting research to tackle fire safety related real-world problems. With guidance from the instructor, students can work individually or as a team on a one-semester project. (On demand)

MFPA 6244 Fire Detection and Smoke Management (3) Prerequisite: ETFS 3103 or permission of department. This course addresses the fundamentals and practices of fire detection and smoke management. Topics include: principles of fire detection, fire alarm technology, and contemporary fire detection and alarm systems; principles applicable to the design and analysis of smoke management systems; factors affecting smoke movement; smoke hazard assessment; airflow in buildings, performance characteristics of smoke control and management systems. (On demand)

MFPA 6252 Law and Fire Safety (3) Prerequisite: permission of department. Responding to natural and manufactured building hazards requires a complex legal environment, including regulation and liability. Key topics include the use of model codes, administrative regulation, retrospective codes, federal preemption, arson, performance based codes, risk based regulation, engineering malpractice, product liability and disaster investigation. (On demand)

MFPA 6255 Leadership/Conflict Management in Public Emergency Services (3) Cross-listed as MPAD 6141. Prerequisite: permission of department. The role of the administrator as a focal point in social change and the management of the conflict, which occurs. Perspectives on the negotiation and bargaining process will be reviewed. (On demand)

MFPA 6260 Organization and Management of Public Fire Protection (3) Cross-listed as MPAD 6104. Prerequisite: permission of department. A presentation of modern management principles and techniques to the organization and delivery of the array of services that communities have come to expect from the fire service. The traditional and evolving roles of the fire service to protection, prevention, risk analysis and community service are also considered. (On demand)

MFPA 6270 Budgeting, Grants, Contracts and Finance in Emergency Services (3) Prerequisite: permission of department. This course works to develop the understanding of strategic planning, contracting and budgeting practices as well as grant proposal writing with the emphasis on contract administration skills necessary to operation of a functioning governmental entity. (On demand)

MFPA 6800 Independent Study (1-3) Prerequisite: permission of department. The MFPA program offers independent study and special study courses to allow students to pursue studies in areas for which there are no approved formal courses. Independent study courses can only be taken on a P/F basis. Special study courses can be taken for a grade if the paperwork indicates it will be taken A/F. Each requires a title, justification, and the method of evaluation. Courses taken for A/F grade may be used to satisfy degree requirements. May be repeated for credit. (On demand)

MFPA 6900 Thesis (1-6) Prerequisite: Consent of graduate committee advisor. Individual investigation culminating in the preparation and presentation of a thesis. May be repeated for credit. (On demand)

CMET 5240. Safety & Risk Management. (3) Prerequisite: CMET 4228 or consent of instructor. Topics of study will include causes and prevention of industrial accidents, hazardous processes and material, OSHA regulations and requirements, and design of accident prevention programs. (Spring)

CMET 5270. Operation of Constructed Facilities. (3) Prerequisite: CMET 3224 and ETCE 3271 or consent of instructor. Topics of study will include acquisition, operation, maintenance, and disposal of building systems, structures, permanent interiors, furniture, and equipment; grounds and other exterior elements. (Spring)

CMET 6130. Building Information Modeling. (3) Prerequisite: ETCE 1104 or ETGR 1104 or consent of instructor. Topics of study will include the creation, management, and application of building information models to the construction, operation, and maintenance of a facility. Focus will be on 2D and 3D computer models of building components, renderings, animations, and interfacing with analysis tools. (Fall)

CMET 6140. Building Energy Management. (3) Prerequisite: ETCE 3271 or ETME 3143 or consent of instructor. Topics of study will focus on the integrated planning of energy efficient technologies for building environmental control systems. Introduction to the design, planning, and optimization of HVAC systems and technology needed to integrate the heating, cooling, natural ventilation, lighting, electricity, and building energy management systems into a building’s structure and design. (Fall)