THE FIRE PROGRAM
FIRE provides first-year UMD students with a faculty-mentored research experience that drives accelerated career readiness and opportunity.
Research Experience
Our students use authentic tools of the trade to attack broadly relevant research objectives. Outcomes are uncertain in a manner that allows students to thrive through challenge.
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Authentic Methods
Use authentic & contemporary practices, dealing with real-world gotchas and uncertainties.
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Discovery
Engage in the process of creating new knowledge.
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Relevance
Do work that is broadly relevant to the greatest challenges of our time.
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Iteration
Repeat or revise aspects of your research to address problems or inconsistencies, rule out alternative explanations, or gather additional data.
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Uncertainty
FIRE uses research experience, unforeseen outcomes, and even disappointment as vectors by which we empower our young professionals to embrace the power of uncertainty.
Career Readiness
Fearless research drives fearless career readiness: our students develop communication, critical thinking, professionalism, and teamwork traits that employers are seeking.
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Communication
Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.
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Critical Thinking
Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.
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Professionalism
Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits.
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Teamwork
Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.
Opportunity
The research experience and career readiness FIRE provides help students have experience and qualifications to pursue internship and at-graduation opportunities with confidence.
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Opportunity for All
FIRE welcomes students of all backgrounds and levels of previous experience.
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Confidence in Next Steps
The research experience and professional development FIRE provides help students have experience and qualifications to pursue internship and at-graduation opportunities with confidence.​​
The FIRE Student Experience
Learn more about the FIRE program and its many benefits for participating students.
First Fall Semester
FIRE Semester 1
In the first semester, you come to develop initial capacities in selecting and evaluating literature, critical thinking and problem-solving, collaboration with teams, communication, and professional management of research projects.
All of these outcomes help you select and succeed in the FIRE stream that you join in FIRE Semester 2.
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FIRE Semester 1 is a 3-credit course and generally requires a weekly time commitment of 1 hour for class, plus additional time for asynchronous course activities.
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Course Information for Participating Students:
The course for FIRE Semester 1 is FIRE120.
This course earns 3 credits of General Education Scholarship in Practice.
First Spring Semester
FIRE Semester 2
In the second semester, we start square-zero training, deep immersion, and research mentorship within the specific research stream you have chosen. You will come to understand the broad research mission of the group and the components of it that you will own. You develop a close community with your fellow stream members and the stream FIRE Faculty Leader.
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FIRE Semester 2 is a 2-credit course and generally requires a commensurate time commitment of roughly 6 hours per week (1 hour of class, 5 additional hours of research, and ongoing training). As compared with FIRE Semesters 1 & 3 which are both 3-credit courses, we have purposefully worked to design FIRE Semester 2 to be a manageable research experience that helps you continue your FIRE progression while you learn to navigate the many challenges of being a first-year UMD student.
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Course Information for Participating Students:
The course for FIRE Semester 2 is FIRE198.
This course earns 2 credits.
Second Fall Semester
FIRE Semester 3
In the third semester, you transition from trainee to experienced practitioner. You drive your research project to completion and communicate the results to a broad audience and potentially national conferences.
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FIRE Semester 3 is a 3-credit course and generally requires a commensurate time commitment of roughly 9 hours per week (1 hour of class, 8 additional hours of research, and ongoing training, and summative research accomplishment).
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Course Information for Participating Students:
The course for FIRE Semester 3 is FIRE298.
This course earns 3 credits of General Education Scholarship in Practice.
(Optional) Second Spring Semester & Third Fall Semester
FIRE Leadership Opportunities
FIRE-participating students who complete all 3 semesters of the FIRE experience are eligible to continue with FIRE as Peer Research Mentors and on the Student Leadership Council.
The Benefits of Completing the FIRE Experience
Your research experience, career readiness, and opportunities are all academically and professionally advanced by the completion of the FIRE experience.
Please read more about the many benefits of the FIRE program.
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