Fire and Forest Management Professional, Undergraduate Certificate
This online undergraduate certificate is designed to provide a strong background for working fire and natural resource professionals interested in studying fire or working in natural resources on fire management and general land management issues.
Requirements Accordion Open
To receive an undergraduate certificate (at least 15 units) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0.
Please be aware that federal financial aid is not available for some certificates if the certificate is pursued and completed as a stand-alone certificate (i.e., not completed concurrently with a degree program). See the "Details" tab for additional information.
Overview Accordion Closed
In addition to University Requirements:
- Complete individual plan requirements.
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 15 |
| Major GPA | 2.0 |
| Some online/blended coursework | Required |
Purpose Statement
This undergraduate certificate is designed to provide a strong background for working fire and natural resource professionals interested in studying fire or working in natural resources on fire management and general land management issues. The certificate is all online.
The content studied includes the basics physical and chemical properties of fire, fire effects on ecosystems, management issues surrounding wildland fire, fire behavior modeling and monitoring, and the interaction of climate, fire regimes, and management. Skills developed include developing and implementing a monitoring program related to fire effects, the use of several different fire behavior and fire effects models, writing a fire monitoring plan, and analyzing fire behavior outputs.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Understand the physical process of fire and factors that influence surface and crown fire spread, extreme fire behavior, and what fire danger rating is.
- Apply fire-related terminology to communicate fire behavior and fire effects through discussions and assignments.
- Apply fire models used in fire management to analyze potential fire behavior and fire effects through modeling exercises and lab write-ups.
- Understand fire regimes and fire effects in a variety of ecological systems and apply that knowledge by carrying out a research project independently.
- Understand the philosophical, historical, legal, ecological, social, and cultural aspects of land management and how that relates to fire management and practices they have seen on the ground.
- Understand monitoring, the adaptive management process, and the components of a monitoring program resulting in the creation of a monitoring plan.
- Understand sampling, variation, standard deviation, p-values, and hypothesis testing and apply those concepts to the development of a monitoring plan.
- Understand different types of experiments, independence, confounding factors, and the basics of experimental design and apply those concepts to the development of a monitoring plan.
- Understand different sampling methods and different federal fire monitoring programs that they can apply in their work.
Details Accordion Closed
Certificate Requirements
Take the following 15 units:
Ecology (3 units)
- Select from the following (3 units):
- FOR 310
- Other course approved in consultation with your advisor.
- Select from the following (3 units):
Measurement, Analysis, and Technology (3 units)
Fire Ecology (3 units)
- Select from the following (3 units):
- FOR 450
- Other course approved in consultation with your advisor.
- Select from the following (3 units):
Fuel Management (3 units)
Management, Planning, and Policy (3 units)
This certificate may be pursued and completed concurrently with a degree program or as a stand-alone certificate. Federal financial aid cannot be used if the certificate is completed as a stand-alone certificate.
Students enrolled in this certificate may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:
- Fire Ecology and Management, Undergraduate Certificate
Additional Information
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.
How to apply
Apply here (click this link to apply)
- NAU is revising its application system for certificates. Until this is done, we are not charging application fees and a simple form is required only (click above).