Add an MPA to your resume in just one year when you combine coursework with your BS Fire Science degree program.
Accelerate your education and your career with one of the most affordable online master’s degree programs. The Accelerated Master's Degree option at Anna Maria College can help you earn a master's degree online in less time and with less expense thanks to the innovative combination of undergraduate and graduate study. This bridge program allows B.S. Fire students to take up to three master’s level courses at the undergraduate tuition rate that will count towards the Master of Public Administration degree. With the flexibility and convenience of completing your bachelor’s and master’s level courses online, you can complete your studies and earn a degree while balancing work and family commitments.
Upgrade Your Knowledge
How does the fifth-year option work? While pursuing your bachelor's degree in Fire Science at Anna Maria College, you have the option to upgrade three classes during your final year of study to master's-level courses. Once you earn your bachelor's, you can then go on to pursue your Master of Public Administration with three courses (nine credit hours) already completed. This unique opportunity will dramatically reduce the time required to earn your online master's degree in public administration.
Take a Leadership Role in Fire and Emergency Services
Advancing to leadership roles in fire, rescue and emergency services requires advanced understanding and practical approaches to human capital management, organizational development, budgeting, finance, policy and more. The fifth-year option will enhance your online fire science degree and give you the tools, training, and knowledge required to advance your firefighting career or assume a leadership position with state or federal emergency services providers. Fire service management and emergency services administration can be lucrative and fulfilling careers; Anna Maria College‘s accelerated online master’s program makes it easy and affordable to take the steps towards enhancing your future.
Anna Maria College’s online MPA in Fire and Emergency Services focuses on topics critical to fire and emergency services managers with emphasis on:
- Labor - Management Relations
- Special Topics in Fire and Emergency Services Administration
- Executive Leadership
- Public Policy
- Organizational Theories and the Public Sector
See MPA with specialization in Fire and Emergency Services coursework.
What Can You Do with a Master’s in Public Administration?
Anna Maria College‘s online MPA prepares individuals to serve as leaders in the public sector by equipping them with advanced management and administration skills such as budget planning, strategy implementation, organizational leadership, and human capital management.
The Fire and Emergency Services specialization is specifically tailored to the leadership requirements of high-level managers and executives within the fire and emergency services sectors. Anna Maria College‘s accelerated fifth-year MPA option will prepare you for a career as a fire and/or battalion chief, captain, training and/or executive officer, district manager, and more.
A Cost-Effective Choice
Educational investment is one of the largest investments a working adult makes. Anna Maria College’s cost-effective approach to earning an advanced degree fosters development of the person, community, as well as a sense of responsibility true to our mission, all while offering one of the most affordable ways to earn a master’s degree.
Fifth Year Option offers students the ability to earn up to nine credits of graduate study during their senior undergraduate year. Tuition for the nine master's-level credit hours earned during undergraduate study as part of the program is charged at the bachelor's-level rate.
Qualifications for the Accelerated Fifth-Year Option
To qualify for Fifth Year Option, you must have earned at least 90 credit hours toward your Bachelor of Fire Science degree with a 3.0 or higher grade point average (GPA). You will then work closely with faculty advisors to choose which master's level courses to take depending on your interests and career goals.
Learn More
Work towards a master’s in public administration while you complete your bachelor’s degree in Fire Science. To learn more about the fifth year option at Anna Maria College, click here or call 877-265-3201 to speak with a Program Manager.
Anna Maria College was approved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to participate in SARA, and became a SARA institution in 2021. At this time, only California is not a member state. If you reside in California and are interested in taking an online class at Anna Maria College, or for more information about our participation in SARA, click here.