Associate in Applied Science in Fire Science

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Program Information

Learn more about the Fire Science program.

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Field of Interest

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Fire Science provides the opportunity for individuals seeking careers in the fire service to acquire standard firefighting skills and prepare for state and/or national certifications, including the Firefighter I and II Certification. Students will gain broad knowledge and skills necessary to work effectively in the fire service as firefighters. A Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Firefighter Operations is also available.

Details

Important information you’ll need when applying for admission:

Field of Interest

Behavioral Science and Human Services

Type

Associate in Applied Science (AAS)

Academic Plan

Fire Science (DEG)

Academic Plan Code

3205

Total Credits Required

82-92

Catalog Year

2025-2026

Effective Term

Fall 2025

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.
Prior Learning Assessment Credit (PLA) is available for the following:
Current Employment as a Firefighter
BLS
EMT
Fire I and II
Hazmat
Wildland Redcard

What You’ll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

Apply the basic theories of fire behavior and methods of fire control and prevention in a variety of fire operations.
Demonstrate the appropriate and safe use of personal firefighting equipment and fire apparatus.
Demonstrate the knowledge of the professional and organizational structures, processes, and policies that guide fire departments.
Demonstrate physical tasks, proper tool selection, and knowledge of operating procedures in accordance with the standards of the profession.
Mitigate hazards to health and safety by assessing, planning and responding to emergency situations.
Demonstrate the critical thinking, mental, and emotional skills needed to perform firefighting tasks and services.
Practice industry accepted professional and ethical behavior related to fire service.
Collaborate effectively with members of a team to achieve goals.
Communicate efficiently and effectively with members of diverse populations in a culturally responsive manner.
Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Career Opportunities

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Maricopa County-based annual median wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Municipal Firefighters

$56,091 Show expanded career information for Municipal Firefighters

* Career and wage information provided by Lightcast using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources and Lightcast’s proprietary analytical processes. Lightcast’s data covers multiple classes of workers including QCEW, non-QCEW, and those who are self-employed. Disclaimer

Admission Criteria

See Program Director for details.

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Full-time
Part-time

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Credits
EMT101	Basic Life Support/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for Health Care Providers		OR Current validation in Basic Life Support (BLS) Health Care Provider/Professional Rescuer (0) AND Credit By Evaluation or Prior Learning Assessment credit (0.5) 0.5	0.5
FSC105	Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations		OR Prior Learning Assessment (3) for Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations certification 3	0–3
FSC130	Fitness for Firefighters/CPAT		OR Prior Learning Assessment for CPAT completion or completion of a Regional Fire Academy (1) 1	0–1
EMT104 and EMT104AB and EMT104LL	Emergency Medical Technology and Applied Practical Studies for Emergency Medical Technology and Emergency Medical Technology Practicum	Prerequisites: Appropriate score on Reading placement test to demonstrate minimum tenth grade level reading, or completion of an Associate's degree or higher from an accredited institution. and Corequisites: EMT104. and Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in EMT104 or permission of Instructor or Corequisites: EMT104.View requisites	OR Prior Learning Assessment for Arizona State EMT Certification or Arizona State Paramedic Certification or equivalent (12.5) 12.5	0–12.5
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success			1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Credits
FSC102	Fire Department Operations	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in FSC105, FSC130, and permission of Instructor. Corequisites: (FSC134 or FSC234) and FSC174.View requisites	Critical course Gateway course OR Prior Learning Assessment for Firefighter I and II certifications or completion of a Regional Fire Academy (11) 11	11
FSC134 or FSC234	Fitness and Conditioning for Firefighters or Fitness and Wellness for Firefighter Candidates		Critical course FSC234 is recommended for students who have already completed the Fire Academy equivalent of FSC102 or OR Prior Learning Assessment for completion of Regional Fire Academy (3) 3	3
FSC174	Functions of Command	Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor. Corequisites: FSC102.View requisites	Critical course	2

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
FSC101	Introduction to Fire Service Selection and Entry		OR Prior Learning Assessment for Current employment as a firefighter (4) 4		0–4
FSC108 or FSC110	Fundamentals of Fire Prevention or Wildland Firefighter		FSC110 is recommended or OR Prior Learning Assessment for Wildland Red Card OR S-130 and S-190 Course Completion Certificate (3)		3
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in ESL097 or WAC101) or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in ESL097 or WAC101),or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 and Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).View requisites	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
MAT14+	College Mathematics		Critical course	MA	3–6
HU	Humanities, Fine Arts & Design			HU	3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
FSC113	Introduction to Fire Suppression				3
FSC117	Fire Apparatus				3
FSC118	Fire Hydraulics				3
FSC119	Introduction Fire Service Ethics				3
ENG102 or ENG108	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENG101. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG107.View requisites		FYC or FYC	3
SB	Social & Behavioral Sciences			SB	3
CRE101	College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (ENG101 or ENG107) and (RDG095, or RDG100, or RDG100LL, or RDG111, or RDG112, or RDG113, or an appropriate district placement, or permission of Instructor).View requisites	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
FSC+++++	Any Fire Science Technology course		Recommend FSC202, FSC204, FSC282AC, or FSC296WC		1–3
FSC208	Firefighter Safety and Building Construction	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in FSC113 or permission of Instructor or current employment as a firefighter and/or Firefighter I and II Certification and/or related experience as determined by the Program Director.View requisites			3
FSC215	Customer Service in the Public Sector				3
SG or SQ	Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative			SG or SQ	4
COM100 or COM110 or COM225 or COM230	Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG101, or ENG107, or equivalent. or No requisitesView requisites	COM100 is recommended	SB or SB or L or SB	3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
FSC108 or FSC110	Fundamentals of Fire Prevention or Wildland Firefighter		FSC110 is recommended or OR Prior Learning Assessment for Wildland Red Card OR S-130 and S-190 Course Completion Certificate (3)		3
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in ESL097 or WAC101) or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in ESL097 or WAC101),or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 and Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).View requisites	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
FSC117	Fire Apparatus				3
FSC118	Fire Hydraulics				3
CRE101	College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (ENG101 or ENG107) and (RDG095, or RDG100, or RDG100LL, or RDG111, or RDG112, or RDG113, or an appropriate district placement, or permission of Instructor).View requisites	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
FSC119	Introduction Fire Service Ethics				3
SB	Social & Behavioral Sciences			SB	3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
FSC208	Firefighter Safety and Building Construction	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in FSC113 or permission of Instructor or current employment as a firefighter and/or Firefighter I and II Certification and/or related experience as determined by the Program Director.View requisites			3
SG or SQ	Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative			SG or SQ	4

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Program Information

Learn more about and find contact information for the Fire Science program.

General Help

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Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

FYC = First Year Composition
HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
MA = Mathematics

SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
SG = Natural Sciences General
SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, meet with an academic advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=15993212).

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Fire Science

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