Worcester Polytechnic Institute Emergency Management Degrees
Worcester Polytechnic Institute appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Doctorate Degrees in Emergency Management Online.
At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, students wishing to study Fire Protection Engineering can gain a certificate, master’s degree, or Ph.D. The certificate and the master’s degrees are available online as well as in the classroom whereas the Ph.D. curriculum is only available on-site.
The graduate certificate is designed for advanced students who already hold a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree. The focus is heavily on safety and evolving policies regarding that safety. Secondarily, students study a bit of engineering. Considering all of the students for the certificate program already have master’s degrees, this course is considered a career-enhancer for people already in the workforce.
The Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering balances theory with hands-on experience. Students can focus on different aspects of engineering as they apply to fire science, such as fire suppression, industrial fire protection, risk management, and preventing explosions. Students may choose either a thesis or nonthesis track.
The doctoral program focuses on the macro elements of fire science and engineering. Students study building design, policy development and implementation, and first-responder operations on the small and large scales. Interested students can also focus on the forensic analysis of fires, combustibles, explosives, and the like. All disciplines have a heavy research component, and students can network with top professionals in the field, many of whom are Worcester Polytechnic Institute alumni. In addition, Worcester Polytechnic Institute provides fire protection engineering students with the option of taking a traditional engineering course of study for a bachelor’s degree and combining it with the Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering.
About Worcester Polytechnic Institute
WPI was founded in 1865, roughly 145 years after the city of Worcester. Since its founding, it has always blended theoretical study with practical experience. The scientists, engineers, and researchers who graduated over the years from WPI formed the nucleus of a new breed of educated professionals. They had already had their “hands dirty,” so to speak, so they were uniquely qualified in their fields.
According to U.S. News and World Report, WPI ranks No. 59 among national universities. Even 150 years on, the university still ranks in the top 50 among its peers when it comes to innovation. WPI ranks No. 59 as a “best value school” too.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Accreditation Details
WPI is regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Some of the individual departments at the university have earned accreditations from separate entities. Those entities include the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Inc. and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Application Requirements
WPI is a test-optional school, but many students take the SAT or ACT anyway. The average scores of accepted students range between 1310 and 1480 on the former and 27 and 32 on the latter. Their high-school GPAs average 3.86, and they are almost all in the top 9 percent of their classes. WPI wants nontraditional, critical thinkers and encourages students to be creative. WPI is unusual in that it also encourages research beyond the simple papers and essays at the undergraduate level. Also, unlike other similar schools, students must have four years of both English and math and two years of laboratory courses instead of the usual one.
Graduate students are required to have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. If they are from overseas, they must complete the Graduate Record Examinations. All students are encouraged to take the GRE, too, but WPI graduates are exempted. All graduate students must have all institutions attended submit official transcripts, and students must also submit three letters of recommendation. Some graduate programs require other items or qualifications, so it behooves prospective students to check their chosen field of study for such prior to applying.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate tuition is $51,605 annually. The fees cost roughly $1,000. Books are another $1,000 and projected incidental costs are another $1,000. Housing on campus costs $8,734, and the meal plan is $6,556. Students are required to have medical insurance during their attendance at WPI. All told, the total is about $70,000 per year. Commuting students save housing and meal plan costs.
Annual graduate tuition for full-time students is $28,188. If the student lives on campus, the cost for housing is $8,440, and the meal plan is $6,334.00. Medical insurance is $1,252. Counting books and expenses, the total annual cost for graduate students is $53,467. Part-time graduate students pay $1,566 per credit hour.
Students who need financial aid should get a copy of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, and fill it out. They should include all of their pertinent financial information and also that of their parents. Once the student submits the FAFSA, the school and the government will decide what kinds of aid and how much the student will receive. Aid can be either scholarships, grants, or loans. Work-study programs are a special kind of grant, and students must apply for the jobs they will perform as part of their application for aid.
Additionally, students can feel free to apply for private financial aid from banks, credit unions, and private enterprises like foundations, charities, and the like. Private forms of financial aid are usually merit-based instead of need-based. Unlike the case of need-based aid, where students apply once and are issued that for which they qualify, students may apply for as much private aid as they wish.
It should be borne in mind, however, that most forms of merit-based aid require the students to keep up a certain level of academic achievement. Failing to meet that level could result in disaster if a student’s aid is cut off or, worse, the student must repay any already-awarded monies. Most students combine different forms of aid to pay for most of their collegiate costs.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a world leader in fire science and fire protection engineering and relies on its top-flight equipment and educational strategies to lead the way.