Interested students need to apply through the university’s School of Graduate Studies online application. 

The mechanical track follows a traditional mechanical engineering/combustion approach to fire protection and suppression, but with specialization classes in polymers. The materials track focuses on polymer chemistry and materials, and the chemistry of flammability and fire suppression.

The Fire Science and Engineering master’s degree program is granted out of Case Western Reserve University’s School of Graduate Studies and follows the same admissions guidelines as all graduate-level programs at the university. Students need to have a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering or materials science and engineering and have taken the GRE in order to be eligible to apply. International students need to have taken the TOEFL. See “How to Apply.”

The Fire Science and Engineering program begins at the university’s fall semester and continues through the spring semester and summer session. See the university’s academic calendar for the specific dates of academic year in which you are interested.

Admitted students will be expected on campus the Thursday before classes begin, for two days of orientation.

The Fire Science and Engineering program follows the same tuition rates as all graduate programs. See the current academic year rates for the School of Graduate Studies: Graduate programs. Full-time tuition includes the fall and spring semesters. Additionally, you will be responsible for 3 credit hours during the summer.

This degree program is designed for career-bound professionals in fire protection and fire safety and engineering. The core competencies you will learn in this program will make you a highly skilled and sought-after leader for large-scale manufacturers, insurance companies, safety and standards-setting organizations, government agencies and fire departments. As with other graduate programs at Case Western Reserve, engineering faculty members as well as the university career placement services will work with students to assist in their job placement.

In order to gain the full benefits of this program’s experiential learning focus, students need to be on campus to participate in labs and other active-learning models.

Because this is only a one-year program, students are encouraged to invest the year and delve into the program full-time. However, the required course work can be spread over multiple years to accommodate employment or other special cases.

The majority of the required and elective courses will be offered at the start or the end of the business day, in order to minimize interruption of those students who are also employed in the region.

Not at this time.

The university does not currently offer on-campus housing to graduate students. However, the Office of Housing and Residence Life offers assistance in locating convenient, nearby off-campus housing.