IMFSE

What IMFSE does

IMFSE (International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering) is a 2-year full-time Erasmus+ joint master degree programme founded in 2011 and coordinated by Ghent University in Belgium. The programme delivers 120 ECTS across four mobility semesters at four Full Partner Universities — Ghent University (Belgium), Lund University (Sweden), the University of Edinburgh (UK), and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Spain) — with seven additional Associated Partner Institutes hosting thesis work (ETH Zurich, USTC, ZAG-FRISSBE, University of Queensland, University of Maryland, Université de Poitiers, Worcester Polytechnic Institute). It targets bachelor/master graduates in engineering and related disciplines and prepares them for careers as fire protection engineers, consultants, researchers, and government safety roles; alumni represent 77+ nationalities.

The programme is structured as a single unified academic degree rather than a modular commercial product. Core teaching covers basic fire protection engineering, enclosure fire dynamics, risk analysis, human behaviour in fire, structural fire engineering, and CFD modelling, delivered by leading researchers such as Prof Bart Merci, Prof Ruben Van Coile, Prof Patrick van Hees, Dr Rory Hadden, and Prof Eulàlia Planas. Add-on offerings include optional summer internships at contributor companies, a student support and buddy system, an MSc Theses research track, and a structured alumni network with high reported satisfaction (92.5% alumni felt prepared for a job, 87.8% use their IMFSE knowledge frequently, 72.6% report positive salary impact).

IMFSE's revenue mechanics are academic rather than commercial. Tuition is paid by students directly to the partner universities at €8,000/year for EEA Programme Country students and €12,000/year for Partner Country students. Funding for selected students flows through the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) scholarship channel administered by EACEA — up to €1,400/month plus tuition waivers — supplemented by full and partial scholarships from 14 corporate contributors (Jensen Hughes, NFPA, ROCKWOOL, Kingspan, Promat, Stantec, VID FireKill, Fire & Risk Alliance, FSRI, Sodeca, Semper, GAE Engineering, Basler & Hofmann, and DBI). The coordinating entity itself has only 8 staff and does not retain tuition revenue; go-to-market is community-led via the Erasmus+ framework, the partner universities' channels, and digital recruitment (website, virtual tours, student blog, LinkedIn).

Name

IMFSE

Legal name

International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering (IMFSE)

Website

https://imfse.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IMFSE is an Erasmus+ joint master's programme founded in 2011 and coordinated by Ghent University, offering a 2-year (120 ECTS) degree in fire safety engineering delivered across 11 partner universities to engineering graduates worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zwijnaarde (Ghent)

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: IMFSE generates revenue through tuition fees charged to students. Programme Country (EEA) students pay €8,000 per year while Partner Country students pay €12,000 per year. The tuition covers enrolment at all partner universities plus an insurance scheme.
2. EMJM Scholarships: The Erasmus+ EMJM scholarship programme provides funding of up to €1,400 per month to selected students, with tuition fees waived. This is funded by EACEA (European Education and Culture Executive Agency).
3. IMFSE Contributor Scholarships: Companies and institutes in the IMFSE contributor network provide full and partial scholarships, ranging from tuition fee reductions to full waivers equivalent to EMJM scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IMFSE is a 2-year full-time joint Master's degree programme in Fire Safety Engineering set up within the Erasmus+ framework, commonly organised by 11 partner universities across Europe and beyond. Students earn an internationally recognised joint master degree covering basic fire protection engineering, enclosure fire dynamics, risk analysis, human behaviour in fire, CFD modelling, and structural fire engineering, with mandatory mobility across partner universities and a research thesis in the final semester. The programme is coordinated by Ghent University and charges tiered tuition fees (€8,000/year for EEA students, €12,000/year for Partner Country students), with scholarships available via Erasmus+ EMJM and industry contributors.

Product overview

IMFSE (International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering) is a 2-year full-time Master's programme offered as a single unified educational degree, not a platform-plus-modules architecture. The programme consists of 120 ECTS credits across 4 semesters, delivered by 11 partner universities. Core offerings include the main degree programme, complemented by summer internship opportunities, celebration and graduation ceremonies, student support services, a research theses programme, and an alumni network. The mobility structure requires students to study at different partner universities each semester.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering (IMFSE) 2-year full-time joint Master's degree programme offering an internationally recognised master degree in Fire Safety Engineering, comprising 120 ECTS credits across 4 semesters with mandatory mobility across partner universities and a research thesis. Delivered to engineering graduates seeking specialised fire protection engineering education.
• IMFSE Summer Internships

Quantifiable outcome

• 92.5% of alumni felt the programme prepared them (very) well for a job
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Ghent UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinating institute of the IMFSE programme. Home to Prof Bart Merci and Prof Ruben Van Coile. Handles programme administration, applications through Oasis platform, and coordinates with EACEA for Erasmus+ scholarships. Located in Zwijnaarde, Belgium.
• Lund UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull partner hosting Semester 2 (all students) with emphasis on enclosure fire dynamics, risk analysis, and human behavior in fire. Faculty includes Prof Enrico Ronchi and Prof Patrick van Hees.
• The University of EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull partner offering Semester 1 courses on basic fire protection engineering topics. Faculty includes Dr Rory Hadden and Associate Prof Stephen Welch. Sets English language requirements for the programme.
• Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull partner offering Semester 3 courses with more in-depth specializations. Faculty includes Prof Eulàlia Planas and Prof Elsa Pastor.
• ETH ZurichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner institute. Prof Andrea Frangi serves as representative. Hosts thesis work for Semester 4.
• University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner institute. Prof Liu Naian serves as representative. Hosts thesis work for Semester 4.
• ZAG - FRISSBEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner institute in Slovenia. Prof Grunde Jomaas serves as representative. Hosts thesis work for Semester 4.
• University of QueenslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner institute in Australia. Assoc. Prof David Lange serves as representative. Hosts thesis work for Semester 4.
• University of MarylandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner institute in the USA. Prof Arnaud Trouvé serves as representative. Hosts thesis work for Semester 4.
• Université de PoitiersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner institute in France. Prof Thomas Rogaume serves as representative. Hosts thesis work for Semester 4.
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner institute in the USA. Prof Albert Simeoni serves as representative. Hosts thesis work for Semester 4.
• Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association (EMA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation for students and alumni of Erasmus Mundus programmes. IMFSE has an EMA Programme Representative who can be reached via [email protected] to assist prospective and current students.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE): Global professional body for fire protection engineers that issues certifications, runs continuing education, and is a long-standing IMFSE award partner. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct degree competitor.
• Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE): International professional body awarding fire engineering qualifications and hosting an international network of practitioners. Adjacent ecosystem participant that complements rather than competes with the IMFSE degree pathway.

Direct peers

• University of Maryland — A. James Clark School of Engineering (Fire Protection Engineering): Operates one of the largest dedicated Master of Engineering in Fire Protection Engineering programmes in the United States. Directly competes with IMFSE for international students seeking a specialised graduate degree in fire safety/protection engineering.
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute — Fire Protection Engineering: Houses one of only two US ABET-accredited fire protection engineering master's programmes. Also an IMFSE Associated Partner, illustrating how direct competitors can simultaneously be programme collaborators.
• Ghent University — Fire Safety Engineering: IMFSE's coordinating institution. Also operates its own fire safety engineering research group (including the FESG spin-off legacy) and contributes faculty such as Prof Bart Merci and Prof Ruben Van Coile.
• ETH Zurich — Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering: IMFSE Associated Partner for thesis work. Maintains a leading structural and safety engineering group (Prof Andrea Frangi) that competes for high-calibre international fire engineering talent.
• University of Edinburgh — Fire Safety Engineering: Hosts one of the world's longest-running fire safety engineering centres and a full IMFSE Full Partner. Operates standalone fire safety engineering postgraduate programmes and recently won the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education.
• University of Canterbury — Fire Engineering: Operates a dedicated Master of Engineering in Fire Engineering, the leading specialised fire engineering programme in New Zealand and a comparable alternative for Asia-Pacific applicants considering IMFSE.
• Lund University — Fire Safety Engineering: Full IMFSE Partner offering Semester 2 to all students. Runs complementary fire safety research and teaching, including work by Prof Enrico Ronchi (ERC Consolidator Grant recipient) and Prof Patrick van Hees.
• Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC): Full IMFSE Partner hosting Semester 3 with specialised fire engineering coursework. Conducts parallel fire safety research at CREMIT and contributes faculty Prof Eulàlia Planas and Prof Elsa Pastor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCj7xRifvOF4ioI84Hc50Q8w
• Facebookfacebook.com/160427197313550
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imfse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IMFSE