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Fire Science Certificate

Undergraduate Certificate

Eligibility

The Fire Science Certificate provides the basics for a student interested in wildland fire. This certificate is skills-based and includes required field experiences, certifications, and formal classes. Land management agencies have a strong demand for employees trained in fire management and fire science as an additional skill set to supplement a different major in one of our natural resources fields. For many students, this certificate will substantially enhance their credentials and increase their value to many types of employers, especially within the federal and state agencies.

Courses

This certificate, administered by the Forestry discipline, consists of 7 credits, 2 federal wildland fire fighting training modules, and a prescribed burning experience.

Required, 7 credits

  • FOR 224 – Fire Operations 1 cr.
  • FOR 324 – Fire Management and Ecology 2 cr.
  • FOR 326 – Wildfire Prevention and Management 1 cr.
  • FOR 381 – Internship in Forestry 1-12 cr. (Take 3 credits) * or
  • NRES 454 – Fire Behavior and Fuels 3 cr.

Successfully complete two federal wildland fire fighting training modules. Choose from:

  • S-212 – Use of Chainsaw on the Fireline
  • S-211 – Portable Pumps
  • S-219 – Firing Operations
  • S-131 – Fire Fighter Type 1 

Complete a prescribed burning experience.
Choose from: 

  • Participate in one prescribed burning trip organized by the UW-Stevens Point Fire Crew in regions outside of central Wisconsin, plus two of the prescribed burns conducted by the Crew. 

OR 

  • Complete a summer job in which the primary job duties involve prescribed burning.