Purdue University Global fire science programs reaccredited by IFSAC; master’s degree in homeland security and emergency management receives initial accreditation

WEST LAFAYETTE — The Purdue University Global fire science programs have been reaccredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). Those programs are:

  • Associate of Applied Science in Fire Science
  • Bachelor of Science in Fire Science
  • Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Management

In addition, the Master of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management received initial accreditation by the IFSAC.

The programs were accredited without any conditional requirements placed on the accreditation status or any recommendations for improvement from the IFSAC site team.

“The process used to achieve programmatic accreditation is a very thorough process that causes the university to review the effectiveness of the program and make sure we are doing what we say we are doing,” said Mike Brackin, an associate dean in the Purdue Global College of Social and Behavioral Science. “Further, having our peers from other higher education institutions with programs in the field of study review and validate our findings lets us know that we are on track to meeting the needs of our students, graduates and the communities they serve.”

The IFSAC is a not-for-profit, peer-driven, self-governing system of both fire service certification programs and higher education fire-related degree programs. Its mission is to plan and administer a high-quality, uniformly delivered accreditation system with an international scope.

Purdue Global also is recognized by the U.S. Fire Administration as an official Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) institution. Its fire science programs closely follow the FESHE model.

“Our programs allow students to capitalize on their fire-related certifications and work experiences and provide a foundation of knowledge and skills to build their career around,” Brackin said.