Majors & Programs

Applied Fire Science & Management

New Program for Fall 2023

Degrees Offered: BS

Tenaya Wood participating in prescribed fire training

Wildfires are growing more destructive and dangerous every year. This program explores the science and management of fire from a multidisciplinary angle, incorporating indigenous knowledge and the best modern practices for our changing climate and growing world.

A unique feature of this program is the integration of coursework that includes indigenous burning and traditional ecological knowledge. Additionally, the program allows students to expand the breadth of their degree program by selecting an interdisciplinary emphasis in a related topic of study.

This program provides students with sufficient background in the science, management, and policy of fire. Students will gain knowledge on the causes, mechanisms, and impacts of fire across scales and for a range of vegetation types. The program also meets the requirements of a Certified Wildland Fire Academic Program by the Association for Fire Ecology.

Graduates of this program are prepared to apply their fire science and ecology knowledge and skills to various natural resource management problems. Given the ongoing trends of increased wildfire frequency, size, and severity in many regions of California and other western states, there is a growing need for graduates in wildfire programs across the public and private sectors.

Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate preparedness for an ethical professional life fostering equity and diversity related to the science, application, and management of fire.
  • Integrate knowledge of fire science and management from multiple perspectives, with a focus on Indigenous science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and scales across the curriculum.
  • Discover, comprehend, and utilize scientific literature and other relevant resources or knowledge systems in the field of fire science and related disciplines.
  • Build a comprehensive understanding of history, laws, policies, and practices that relate to fire management with an emphasis on Indigenous perspectives.
  • Communicate about fire science and management effectively in oral and written formats.
  • Measure, calculate, analyze, and model fire and associated processes utilizing field skills, mathematics, statistics, and geospatial tools.
  • Use critical thinking skills to apply interdisciplinary knowledge of fire to the sustainable management of ecosystems for diverse objectives.

Careers

There is an overwhelming need to provide communities with professionals capable of addressing the daunting challenges associated with the legacy of past management actions that have been exacerbated by the increasing impacts of climate change in California and other western states. The Applied Fire Science & Management prepares students for the fire profession that is essential for improving the wellbeing of California and many other regions in the nation. Graduates of this program would qualify for positions at the local, state, federal, tribal, private, and non-governmental levels.

826-3935
Forestry 205

Degrees & Requirements

More Information

David Greene, Department of Forestry & Wildland Resources
david.greene@humboldt.edu
707-826-5244