Charles Town, WV, April 10, 2017 — American Public University System (APUS) today announced that the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) has accredited the university's Fire Science and Emergency and Disaster Management programs. The recognition, granted at the 2017 IFSAC Spring Meeting, follows a rigorous APUS self-study of nearly four years and culminating IFSAC site visit.
The approval signifies that APUS’s associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s-level offerings meet the rigorous programmatic requirements set forth by both the IFSAC Degree Assembly and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). These requirements mandate that all courses, institutional support and qualified faculty are effectively working together in support of the APUS educational mission, according to Dr. Chris Reynolds, dean of academic outreach and program development for APUS.
“We are very proud of this hard-earned peer recognition and grateful to our fellow IFSAC members for their support in helping make it possible,” said Reynolds, who accepted the certificate along with Dr. Mark Riccardi, dean, APUS School of Security and Global Studies, and Terri Wilkin, program director of legal studies and emergency and disaster management.
The A.S. in Fire Science and B.S. in Fire Science Management encompass critical components of fire science, management, fire safety, leadership, and crisis management. The B.A. in Emergency and Disaster Management (EDM) prepares students for a full spectrum of careers in emergency management and public safety, while the M.A. program provides graduate-level knowledge to improve critical thinking and decision-making skills required in the planning and management of public crises. Select topics include emergency response and recovery, terrorism and interagency disaster management. A dual M.A. in Emergency and Disaster Management & Homeland Security is also available.
“This milestone further validates the career-relevancy and intended learning outcomes of our flagship fire science and emergency management programs,” added Wilkin. “It also reflects our unwavering commitment to serving the men and women who risk their lives daily on behalf of their communities and fellow citizens.”
All APUS fire science and emergency and disaster management programs are taught by highly-credentialed and experienced instructors, many of whom hold key positions in government agencies or public safety organizations. The fire science and EDM bachelor’s programs are also offered via APUS’s new Momentum competency-based option, which enables adult learners to work with faculty mentors to demonstrate their mastery in one competency area and move to the next until completing their degree.
