Fire Protection

MASTERS | CERTIFICATE | ONLINE

Become one of the most sought-after professionals in the industry with a Fire Protection Engineering degree.

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Fire protection engineers are among the most sought-after professionals in the industry. Performance building codes and the international trend towards performance-based fire safety analysis and design approaches in construction have increased demand for fire protection engineers. The University of Maryland’s fire protection engineering degree programs represent the Department of Fire Protection Engineering’s commitment to preparing engineers for the challenges of this rapidly growing field.

Courses are taught by the university’s foremost experts in fire protection engineering as well as international experts from business and industry. Established in 1956, the Fire Protection Engineering Department is one of only a few graduate fire protection engineering degree programs in the US. Our programs in Fire Protection Engineering are geared toward working engineering professionals and are offered both on campus and online. 

Students taking courses on campus for the Master of Engineering degree work with an advisor to identify a course of study based on the student’s professional interests.  Fire protection engineering courses are available to explore basic processes of fire behavior, prediction of fire development, the combustion of materials and furnishings, the effects of fire on structures and the environment, smoke management, evacuation and tenability analysis and the law.  Courses may also be approved from other engineering departments or technical areas, e.g. mathematics.

In addition to the general rules of the Graduate School, certain special degree requirements are set out in departmental requirements.  The degree requirement is to complete ten approved courses, including a minimum of six fire protection engineering courses.

The On-Campus/Remote Site requirements are detailed below, the requirements for the Online Masters/Certificate curriculum are available here.

Course Finder

  • ENFP415 Fire Dynamics (3 Credits) | Core

    Introduction to premixed and diffusion flames; ignition, flame spread and rate of burning; fire plumes; flame radiation. ...

  • ENFP425 Enclosure Fire Modeling (3 Credits) | Core

    An introduction to the elements of enclosure fires through the development of fire modeling algorithms and the application of computer-based fire modeling techniques. Numerical techniques, including curve-fitting, root-finding, integration ...

  • ENFP611 Fire Induced Flows (3 Credits) | Core

    Theoretical basis is presented for fire induced bouyancy driven flows. Plumes, ceiling jets, vent flows, compartment flows. Dimensional analysis for correlations and scale model applications. Smoke movement and combustion products. ...

  • ENFP613 Human Response to Fire (3 Credits) | Core

    Fractional effective dose (FED) methods for predicting time to incapacitation and death of fires for use in fire safety engineering calculations. Physiology and toxicology of fire effluent components, decomposition chemistry of common materials, ...

  • ENFP620 Fire Dynamics Laboratory (3 Credits) | Core

    Laboratory experiments are designed to illustrate fire phenomena and test theoretical models. Diffusion flames, ignition and flame spread on solids, liquid pool fires, wood crib fires, fire plumes, compartment fires. ...

  • ENFP625 Advanced Fire Modeling (3 Credits) | Core

    Validity, utility, reliability of current computer models. Applications of models in risk assessment, underwriting, loss prediction, hazard analysis. Development and validation of specific application models. ...

  • ENFP627 Smoke Detection and Management (3 Credits) | Core

    Analysis of hazard smoke. Response analysis of smoke detectors based on characteristics of detectors and properties of smoke. Performance characteristics and limitations of smoke management systems. Capabilities and limitations of analytical ...

  • ENFP630 Diffusion Flames and Burning Rate Theory (3 Credits) | Elective

    Basic principles of diffusion flames for gaseous, liquid, and solid fuels. Droplet burning, B number, jet combustion, boundary layer combustion, generalized methods.

  • ENFP664 Industrial Fire Safety (3 Credits) | Core

    Introduction to the basics of process safety in industrial facilities; hazard identification (release of flammable/toxic materials, dispersion, explosion hazards, fire hazards); consequence analysis; risk analysis; prevention and risk mitigation. ...

Course Finder

  • ENFP613 Human Response to Fire (3 Credits) | Core

    Fractional effective dose (FED) methods for predicting time to incapacitation and death of fires for use in fire safety engineering calculations. Physiology and toxicology of fire effluent components, decomposition chemistry of common materials, ...

  • ENFP621 Analytical Procedures of Structural Fire Protection (3 Credits) | Core

    Analysis procedures for structural components of wood, steel, concrete, composites. Structural capabilities, modifications under fire induced exposures. Calculations, computer models for predicting fire resistance ratings of structural components. ...

  • ENFP625 Advanced Fire Modeling (3 Credits) | Core

    Validity, utility, reliability of current computer models. Applications of models in risk assessment, underwriting, loss prediction, hazard analysis. Development and validation of specific application models. ...

  • ENFP627 Smoke Detection and Management (3 Credits) | Core

    Analysis of hazard smoke. Response analysis of smoke detectors based on characteristics of detectors and properties of smoke. Performance characteristics and limitations of smoke management systems. Capabilities and limitations of analytical ...

  • ENFP651 Advanced Fire Dynamics (3 Credits) | Core

    A review of the basic chemistry and physics necessary to understanding fire dynamics; and of the physics of heat transfer and turbulent fluid flow will be given. The nature and structure of premixed and diffusion flames will be presented. ...

  • ENFP652 Fire Assessment Methods (3 Credits) | Core

    This on-line course offers a comprehensive review of experimental techniques to assess fire performance characteristics of materials, products and assemblies. ...

  • ENFP653 Advanced Fire Supression (3 Credits) | Core

    Issues related to the suppression of fires and the design of fire suppression systems. Theoretical aspects of fire suppression and extinction are considered to provide the foundation for the practical design of different types of fire suppression ...

  • ENFP661 Forensic Fire Analysis (3 Credits) | Core

    This on-line course addresses the forensic analysis of structural fire incidents in terms of enclosure fire dynamics and the impact of fire safety subsystems used to prevent or mitigate the consequences of fire. These subsystems include: ...

  • ENFP662 Performance Based Design (3 Credits) | Core

    This on-line course demonstrates how fire science can be used to solve fire protection problems in the built environment and will provide an understanding of their performance-based design process, deterministic and risk-based analysis techniques, ...

  • ENFP663 Advanced Fire Risk Modeling (3 Credits) | Core

    This on-line course addresses the fundamentals of fire risk modeling from both theoretical and applied perspectives. ...

Requirements specific to the fire protection engineering program include:

  • A bachelor’s degree, GPA of 3.0 or better, in engineering or a related field from an accredited institution
  • Courses in structural mechanics*, differential equations, fluid mechanics and heat transfer

For a complete list of admission requirements, visit the Application Process page. 

*Structural mechanics is not required for students interested in pursuing the Online Graduate Certificate in Engineering degree. Structural mechanics is required for students interested in pursuing the Master of Engineering degree on campus who are interested in taking a course in structural fire protection, either ENFP 405 or ENFP 621.

Master of Engineering: 30 Credits or 10 Courses

Students taking courses on campus for the Master of Engineering Degree work with an advisor to identify a course of study based on the student’s professional interests.  Fire protection engineering courses are available to explore basic processes of fire behavior, prediction of fire development, the combustion of materials and furnishings, the effects of fire on structures and the environment, smoke management, evacuation and tenability analysis and the law.  Courses may also be approved from other engineering departments or technical areas, e.g. mathematics. No thesis is required for the degree.

On-Campus or Remote Site: The degree requirement is to complete ten approved courses, including a minimum of six fire protection engineering courses. No thesis is required for the degree.
 
Online: The 30-credit curriculum includes 10 three-credit courses that can be completed entirely online.
 

Graduate Certificate in Engineering: 12 Credits or 4 Courses

On-campus or Remote Site: Four courses are required for the Graduate Certificate in Engineering.  The requirements for the four courses are:
  • All courses must be fire protection engineering courses.
  • One of the courses must be ENFP 651.
  • The three remaining courses can be from any other ENFP 600 level courses.
 
Online: The 12-credit curriculum requires completion of the following 4 three-credit courses that can be completed entirely online:
  • ENFP 627 Smoke Detection/Management
  • ENFP 625 Advanced Fire Modeling
  • ENFP 651 Advanced Fire Dynamics
  • ENFP 653 Advanced Fire Suppression

Degree Planning Sheets

All students are expected to complete a preliminary course plan for their intended degree program (10-course for MEng or 4-course for GCEN) with the Senior Academic Advisor by the end of their first semester of study. The Degree Planning Sheet lists the core and technical elective requirements for each program, and all courses that are pre-approved for that program. Alternative technical electives must be approved by the same academic advisor. 

Degree planning sheets for all academic programs can be found here.

 

Students in this program pay a special tuition rate, which does not differ between residents and non-residents of Maryland. This rate is not fully covered by graduate assistantships, fellowships or the tuition remission. Additional graduate student fees are charged. Tuition and fees are subject to change.

This program does not provide departmental assistantships or fellowships. Loans, work-study and need-based grants for citizens and permanent residents with demonstrated financial need may submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by appropriate FAFSA deadlines.

Fall 2017 - Summer 2018 Tuition and Fees
College Park
Tuition: $932.00 per credit hour
Fees: $440.50 for part-time (1 - 8 credits) graduate students taking classes at the College Park campus. This amount includes a $76.00 technology fee.
  $795.00 for full-time (9 or more credits) graduate students taking classes at the College Park campus. This amount includes a $152.00 technology fee.
(Tuition x Credit Hours + Fees) One course: $932.00 x 3 = $2,796.00 + $440.50 = $3,236.50
  Two courses: $932.00 x 6 = $5,592.00 + $440.50 = $6,032.50
  Three courses: $932.00 x 9 = $8,388.00 + $795.00 = $9,183.00
Remote Sites in Maryland  
Tuition: $932.00 per credit hour
Fees: $150.00 per class for courses taken via DETS at remote sites, plus a $76.00 technology fee.
(Tuition x Credit Hours + DETS Fees + Technology Fee) One course: $932.00 x 3 =  $2,796.00 + $150.00 + $76.00 = $3,022.00
  Two courses: $932.00 x 6 = $5,592.00 + $300.00 + $76.00 = $5,968.00
  Three courses: $932.00 x 9 = $8,388.00 + $450.00 + $152.00 = $8,990.00
Online Courses/Programs  
Tuition: $1,153.00 per credit hour
Fees: $76.00 Technology Fee for part-time. $152.00 for full-time.
(Tuition x Credit Hours + Technology fee) One course - $1,153.00 x 3 = $3,459.00 + $76.00 = $3,535.00
  Two courses - $1,153.00 x 6 = $6,918.00 + $76.00 = $6,994.00
  Three courses - $1,153.00 x 9 = $10,377.00 + $152.00 = $10,529.00

Tuition Fees, Billing and Payment Information

Additional Information

  • Note regarding Summer Semesters: All students who register for undergrad courses with Office of Extended Studies sections are subject to the summer deadlines. Graduate courses and those with non-Office of Extended Studies sections are subject to the regular billing deadlines as stated on the monthly statements from the Office of the Bursar, generally the 20th of the month.
  • ENPM Students taking BMGT Courses: The Robert H. Smith School of Business charges differential (higher) tuition to all students who enroll in master's level (600-799) courses. Taking the differential tuition into account in course planning is a student's individual responsibility. Please visit the Smith School of Business website that contains detailed information on the differential tuition rate for both in-state and out-of-state students.
  • Please note that Advanced Special Students will pay either the in-state or out-of-state graduate tuition rate based on their current status. If you are unsure of your status, please contact the Residency Classification Office.
  • Please note that any student enrolled in an online course will pay the online tuition rate ($1,153.00/credit hour and $76.00 technology fee) regardless of their status (including Advanced Special Students).

 

Course Schedule

There are four 10-12 weeks terms per year to allow the student a shorter period of time in which to complete the degree program.

 

 

Term I (Fall)

Term II (Winter)

Term III (Spring)

Term IV (Summer)
AY 2017-2018

9/5/17 - 11/24/17

12/4/17 - 3/2/18

3/12/18 - 6/1/18

6/11/18 - 8/31/18

Courses are divided into the following groups:

Group A Courses: ENFP 625, 627, 651, 652, 653

Group B Courses: ENFP 613, 621, 661, 662, 663

Students should complete all of the Group A courses prior to taking Group B courses.  

View our Online Class Schedule for Upcoming Terms

This sequence of courses may be modified as a result of the experiential or academic background of the student.  Students taking two courses per term may want to defer doing such until they have completed all of the Group A courses.  Any student seeking an exception to the noted sequencing should communicate such a request to the program advisor.

 

Dr. James A. Milke

(For Online Students)
3104F J.M. Patterson Building
301-405-3995
Email: milke@umd.edu

Dr. Arnaud C. Trouve

(For On-Campus Students)
3104D J.M. Patterson Building
301-405-8209
Email:  atrouve@umd.edu

Attend An Open House

Join us for an Open House to learn more about the University of Maryland Master’s of Engineering degree programs. You can attend an Open House either on campus or online. Information covered will include academic program options, application requirements and deadlines. Individuals attending will have the opportunity to ask questions about the master of engineering program, in addition admissions coordinators will be on hand to answer admission questions.

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