College of Aviation
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Unmanned aerial systems operations

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About

This program is an undergraduate certificate in UAS operations. The focus will be the typical “drone” that we see conduct so many operations in the national airspace system. The certificate is aimed at those attempting to gain an operational knowledge of unmanned aerial systems and how they will be integrated into the aviation industry. There will be three core classes and two elective classes for a total of 15 credit hours. The three core classes include:

  • AVS 2801- Professional sUAS Flight I Lab
  • AVS 3801- Professional sUAS Flight II Lab
  • AVS 3201- Project Management

The additional 6 credits will be filled with electives that allow an industry professional to gain experience in their area of work. There will be two tracks with the initial offering.

Information Video

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“Last year, the FAA forecasted that the commercial drone sector would include approximately 589,000 small drones in 2021, a growth rate exceeding 21% over the year be-fore (2020). Actual data came in slightly over 622,000 aircraft by the end of 2021. Our fore-cast of commercial small drones last year thus undershot by 5% for 2021 (or 622,055 actual aircraft vs 589,463 projected aircraft).”

This indicates that, at a base, by 2026 the commercial drone sector could include 858,000 aircraft that need to be safely integrated into the NAS. According to a Research and Markets report, companies across a myriad of industries will spend over $16 billion on drones and drone services and catalyze the drone service market to create 100,000 new jobs by 2025. According to Business News Daily, Glassdoor lists the 2022 annual salary of drone pilots at $70,000. However, per a DroneU survey, rates can land between $800 and $1,200 for a single day of work for the highest earners. Another study, conducted by Grand View Research, indicates that the drone market will be worth about $130 billion by 2025. From 2021 to 2022, the remote pilot demand went from 254,000 to just over 361,000, with just over 100,000 jobs created in a year. There will be many high-paying, technical jobs in the very near future and WMU has the resources to train those potential employees. 


 

  • AVS 3190 - Aviation Law
  • AVS 5100 - Safety Management Systems in Aviation
  • GEOS 5730- UAVs: Geological and Environmental Applications
  • GEOS 5740- UAVs: Geophysical Applications

1.   Submit an official transcript as a high school graduate or an equivalent degree. In lieu of an official high school transcript, an unofficial transcript from an accredited secondary education institution may be submitted as proof of enrollment or degree conferral. Applicants that are current degree-seeking students at WMU are not required to submit a transcript of any type.

2.   Submit proof of a commercial remote pilot certificate through successful completion of the FAA knowledge exam (temporary or plastic)

3.   Complete the webform application.

4.    Submit a resume or curriculum vitae.