Admissions Information
Ready to advance your career in fire protection engineering? Here's how to apply to Cal Poly's M.S. program.
Application Process
The California State University System is currently changing application systems. To view the application cycles for Master's programs in Fire Protection Engineering, please visit Admissions' Graduate Program Deadlines.
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Apply for FPEOther Admission Information
International
Application Deadlines/Selection Timelines
Non-Matriculated
The FPE program is offered through special session. This permits qualified non-matriculated students, i.e. students who have not yet been admitted to the FPE program, to take FPE classes. This option allows students to sample the course offerings so they can decide if they want to pursue the degree. It also allows working professionals to enhance their skills in particular areas.
Up to 8 units (2 classes) taken as a non-matriculated student may be applied to your degree once you apply to the program. Students who apply as non-matriculated students will be contacted by the graduate coordinator to verify they have the proper preparation to be successful in a particular class.
Transfer Students
Students enrolled in MS degree programs in FPE or related fields at other institutions may seek to transfer to the FPE program at Cal Poly. As noted in the Cal Poly catalog, no fewer than 21 semester units of a 30-unit program shall be completed in residence at Cal Poly. This means that up to 9 semester units can be transferred from other institutions. A course taught "in residence" is normally a catalog offering or approved experimental course taught by a Cal Poly faculty member.
Extension courses may not be used to fulfill the residency requirement. However, summer session courses, and up to 8 units taken as a non-matriculated student, can be counted as courses in residence. Petitioned graduate courses taken at Cal Poly as an undergraduate count as taken in residence. Courses for which students received credit by examination may be petitioned to count as taken in residence. In general, this means that credit for up to 3 courses can be transferred from other institutions or from Open University. The Graduate Coordinator of the FPE program is responsible for determining the acceptability of transfer credits.
Advance your engineering career while developing the expertise to help protect people, property and communities from fire.
Cal Poly’s Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering prepares engineers and technical professionals to identify, analyze and mitigate fire hazards and risks. Through advanced study in fire dynamics, fire modeling, detection and suppression systems, structural fire protection and other specialized topics, students develop the technical knowledge and practical skills needed to address complex fire and life safety challenges.
Designed for Working Professionals
The program combines advanced engineering education with practical application, allowing students to build expertise they can apply to real-world fire protection challenges. Courses are offered online, providing flexibility for professionals balancing graduate study with their careers.
Build Advanced Fire Protection Engineering Expertise
The 30-semester-unit program provides a foundation in fire protection engineering science and applications while allowing students to explore specialized areas of interest.
Students develop expertise in areas such as:
- fire dynamics and combustion
- fire modeling
- fire detection and alarm systems
- fire suppression systems
- structural fire protection
- fire and life safety analysis
The program culminates in advanced project or research work that allows students to apply their knowledge to a significant fire protection engineering problem.
Prepare for What's Next
Graduates are prepared to apply advanced fire protection engineering principles across a range of industries and professional settings, including engineering and consulting firms, fire protection system design, government agencies, research organizations and other organizations focused on fire and life safety.
MS Degree Admission Requirements
The FPE program at Cal Poly is a rigorous graduate engineering degree program requiring a high level of competence in applied math and the engineering sciences for successful completion. The admission standards for the FPE program are similar to those for other MS degree programs within the College of Engineering at Cal Poly.
The general requirements for admission to the FPE MS degree program are:
DEGREE
An earned bachelor's degree appropriate for the FPE MS degree; degrees in engineering or the applied sciences are most suitable.
GPA
A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in the last 60 semester units (90 quarter units) of coursework. Note that this is higher than the campus minimum GPA of 2.5, but is the same as other engineering programs at Cal Poly. On occasion, where other credentials are exceptionally strong, a GPA in the 2.5-3.0 range may be accepted.
Contact
The Graduate Coordinator for the FPE MS program is Christopher Pascual. Please contact Professor Pascual at cpascual@calpoly.edu with any additional questions about applying to this degree program.
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