Mid-Atlantic Center for Emergency Management & Public Safety | Frederick Community College

Girl laptop - Police in classroom - Man on laptop
1

Credit Conversion Program

Convert FEMA Courses to College Credit

FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) offer self-paced online courses free of charge for the general public. The Mid-Atlantic Center for Emergency Management & Public Safety at Frederick Community College (MACEM&PS|FCC) awards college credit for eligible FEMA course completions via the Credit Conversion program.

3 Steps to Convert Eligible FEMA Courses to College Credits


 
Step 1

Register for a FEMA Student ID here: https://cdp.dhs.gov/femasid


 
Step 2
 
  1. Find eligible FEMA courses

    Not all FEMA courses are eligible for college credit, so be sure you complete the courses that are on the FCC Course List.
    FCC Course List
  2. Take FEMA courses through either EMI or CDP

    EMI IS Courses
    CDP Courses
    FEMA offers online training courses through their Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP). Most of the eligible courses for conversion are offered by FEMA's EMI and begin with the prefix "IS." For example, FEMA's EMI IS-10.a =Animals in Disasters: Awareness and Preparedness. When converted to college credit, IS-10.a is recorded and shown as "FEMA 109" on your Frederick Community College Official Transcript.

    Remember to verify that each FEMA course you take is eligible for college credit via the FCC Course List.

  3. Have you already completed FEMA courses?

    Use our College Credit Checker to determine if they are eligible for college credit.

    To obtain a FEMA Student Transcript showing the courses you completed, login to your FEMA Student Portal(s). Frederick Community College can only accept Official Transcripts sent directly from FEMA. We cannot accept Course Certificates, nor Student Transcripts sent to us by students.
     

 
Step 3

Students are responsible for contacting their receiving institution or employer for transferability or acceptance of these courses.

  1. Complete the 5 sections of the CCRF by providing FCC your contact information, selecting the courses you wish to convert, requesting FEMA's EMI and/or CDP websites send your FEMA transcripts to FCC for evaluation, and making your payment of $90 per credit.
  2. When we receive your FEMA Official Transcript/course record (3-5 business days from EMI, 10 days from CDP) we will evaluate it and confirm your course completions.
  3. Your completed FEMA courses will be recorded to your student record as completed college courses, using the corresponding Frederick Community College Course names, for example, FEMA EMI's IS-8a is recorded as "FEMA 104." Courses are recorded with a ‘P’ for Passing and there is no GPA associated with these converted courses. " Credits are posted year-round and in the semester they are earned. See FAQs below for additional information.
  4. Next, we will email you confirming that your FEMA courses have been converted to college credit and provide you with a link to Parchment.com. Frederick Community College issues its Official Transcripts via Parchment.com, a secure electronic transcript service. Using that Parchment.com link, you can set up an account and order your Frederick Community College Official Transcript. You can order your Official Transcript at any time and send it electronically (email) to any organization you wish for a fee of $8 or by mail for $10.50.
  5. Complete the Credit Conversion Request Form (CCRF) to convert your eligible FEMA Courses to college credit at Frederick Community College.
    Credit Conversion Request Form

See Program Details and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for additional information on the cost, timeline, requesting official transcripts, and our accreditation.

 


 

Program Details



  • Credit conversion cost is $90 per credit.
  • College credit is assigned a ‘P’ for Passing. A ‘P’ is equivalent to a grade of ‘C’ or better and does not factor into calculating GPA.
  • FEMA courses must be completed prior to requesting college credit.
  • Status updates will be sent via email.

 
  • MACEM&PS|FCC will notify you via email when your college credit is posted to your student record.  The email is titled “Your Credit Conversion Request has been processed!”
  • It is important for you to wait to request an official FCC transcript until after you receive this email confirmation.
  • An official FCC Transcript can be requested through Parchment.  

 
  • Fall 2024 Semester: 8/24/24 - 1/2/25
  • Spring 2025 Semester: 1/3/25 - 5/28/25
  • Summer 2025 Semester: 5/29/25 - 8/22/25

FCC courses are posted to preassigned semesters that correspond to the academic calendar. This means that the FCC transcript reflects FCC course completion within a designated semester and does not reflect the date that the FEMA course was completed. 

Credit is awarded year-round. The date that your Credit Conversion Request Form is received will initiate when your credit will be posted; however, we will honor your request for credit within the academic semester that you meet all criteria listed below.

To obtain credit within your desired academic semester:

  • The required FEMA EMI and/or CDP course(s) must be completed any time prior to the end of the desired academic semester
    and
  • The Credit Conversion Request Form must be completed within the desired academic semester.
    and
  • Your official course record must be sent to FCC within the desired academic semester.

 

Contact MACEM&PS|FCC

For questions related to requesting college credit for your FEMA course completions or to check on the status of your credit conversion request, please contact [email protected].


Contact FEMA

For questions related to EMI IS courses, please contact the Independent Study Program Office at [email protected] or 301-447-1200.
For questions related to your FEMA Student ID, please contact the Help Desk at [email protected] or 866-291-0696.
For questions related to CDP courses, please contact [email protected] or 256-847-2132.

 

Frequently Asked Questions



How do I know what college credits to select on the Credit Conversion Request Form?
Please choose college credit based on the EMI IS and/or CDP courses you have completed successfully. FCC courses are identified by the term FEMA followed by three numerical digits.

If you would like a copy of your IS course record, please visit FEMA’s EMI Student Portal.

To review CDP courses you have completed, please visit FEMA’s CDP Student Portal.

Can I submit more than one Credit Conversion Request Form if I want to earn some credits now and some credits later?
Yes, just be sure to review your FCC student record prior to submitting a new credit conversion request to avoid requesting duplicate credit.

Also, please be mindful that when FEMA updates EMI IS and/or CDP coursework, MACEM&PS|FCC may update the FCC Course List as well. Learn more under the “IS Courses” heading below.

Once I submit the Credit Conversion Request Form, how long does it take to post my college credit to an FCC transcript?
Validating and awarding college credit takes approximately 2-3 weeks. You will receive a confirmation e-mail from MACEM&PS at FCC once your request for college credit has been processed.

What should I do if I made an error within my credit conversion request?
Please reach out to MACEM&PS|FCC for assistance by e-mailing [email protected].

 


What is the difference between the FEMA course record and the Frederick Community College (FCC) transcript?
The FEMA course record reflects the courses you have successfully completed at FEMA’s EMI and/or CDP. The FCC transcript details the college credit(s) you have obtained through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801.

If you want to submit a transcript to another institution or employer that lists your college credit, please request an official FCC transcript through Parchment.

How can I obtain an official transcript of my college credits?
Students may request an FCC official transcript here. Effective July 1, 2024, there will be a price increase for official transcripts. The new costs will be:
-$8.00 fee for an electronic transcript
-$10.50 fee for a paper transcript to be mailed via USPS.

Please do not request a transcript until you receive a confirmation email from MACEM&PS at FCC that your credit conversion request has been processed. Transcripts requested prior to receipt of the MACEM&PS confirmation email will not reflect the courses recently converted. No refunds are provided for requesting transcripts too early.


What versions of the FEMA courses will be accepted towards credit?
The current or previous version of a FEMA course will be accepted for conversion into credit.

For example, FCC will accept credit for successful completion of IS-230e.(current version) OR IS- 230d.(previous version). Please note that earlier versions (IS-230, IS-230.a, IS-230.b, and IS-230.c) can no longer be converted into college credit.

The FEMA course that I completed is not listed as a course that is available for college credit. What does this mean?
Unfortunately, not all FEMA courses are eligible for college credit. The FEMA courses that are eligible for credit conversion can be found within the Course List.

I took a FEMA course that was available for college credit when I completed it, but the course has since been removed from FEMA’s website for revision or retirement. Can I still receive college credit?
Any course that is eligible for college credit at FCC will continue to be awarded through the end of the semester that FEMA revises or retires a FEMA course. Please reference the Course List often for course updates.
 

 


Are CEU's (Continuing Education Units) the same as college credit?
No. FEMA’s CEUs are values FEMA awards for professional licensing requirements and do not pertain to this College Credit Conversion program. If you wish to earn college credit, make sure you are taking the courses that are on the FCC Course List.

Are there any age restrictions on obtaining college credits?
Yes, FCC does not award credit to students that are 10 years of age or younger.

Does the college credit I earn through FCC transfer to other institutions?
FCC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE, 19801. However, it is up to the receiving institution to determine which, if any, college credit they will accept. Students are responsible for verifying acceptance of FCC credits by the receiving institution.

What level of credit are the college credits offered through FCC?
Lower-division 100 level credits.

How can I request enrollment verification when participating in FEMA credit conversion?
Certain situations require students to submit enrollment verification. Please reach out to MACEM&PS|FCC for a letter by e-mailing [email protected].

Note that converting FEMA course(s) does not denote full-time or part-time enrollment status per our Academic Standards.

When requirements change for FCC FEMA credits, can I receive more than 1 college credit?
If you have already converted college credit for an FCC FEMA course, you cannot earn additional credit for the same course, even when requirements change.


How safe is my personal information?
All information is secured using the latest electronic data encryption standards. For further details, please review the Terms and Conditions policy here.

What should I do if my personal or contact information has changed?
Please reach out to MACEM&PS|FCC for assistance by e-mailing [email protected].

Why do you need my personal information, particularly FEMA SID number, date of birth and gender?
FEMA tracks your training record with a student identification number, also known as a FEMA SID. MACEM&PS at FCC will use this information to create your student record. FCC also asks for your date of birth and gender as a part of necessary information required for granting college credit.


Will I receive a 1098-T tax form for the Credit Conversion program?
The MACEM&PS at FCC collects payment for credit conversion fees and will gladly send you a receipt for payments made during the previous calendar year, during tax season, upon request.

While 1098-T tax forms are issued for tuition payments only, you may use a receipt as proof of your credit conversion fee payment for purposes such as educational expenses. Please consult your personal tax accountant for further information.

Can a third party pay my college credit fee?
Yes. Simply enter the third-party payment details during checkout, or contact [email protected] to discuss additional payment options.


What is your refund procedure?
To request a refund, you must send an e-mail to [email protected] within a year of the date that you submitted your credit conversion request. Any refund request made after one year will not be honored.

Can I obtain a refund for FCC FEMA credit that has already been awarded and posted to my FCC transcript?
Refunds are not available for college credit that has already been awarded and posted to a student record.


I am having technical problems with the Credit Conversion Request Form. Who can I contact for assistance?
Contact MACEM&PS|FCC at: [email protected] or 301.624.2854

I am having technical problems with the FEMA EMI website. Who can I contact for assistance?
Please reference EMI’s technical information guide. If you continue to have trouble, you may reach out to the Independent Study Program (ISP) Office at 301.447.1200 or [email protected]. ISP Office hours are 8:00a.m.-4:30p.m. ET Monday – Friday, except federal holidays.

I am having technical problems with the FEMA CDP website. Who can I contact for assistance?
Student Services can be reached at 256.847.2132 or [email protected]. CDP Office hours are Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CST.