Dec 02, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Professional Pilot, BS (43-554) (120 hours) [Also available as an accelerated program]


Major, Bachelor of Science Degree

The mission of the Professional Pilot degree program is to prepare students for ready placement and advancement in the aviation industry as airplane pilots, by providing a solid foundational skill set to include critical thinking and teamwork, aviation related technical knowledge and the appropriate FAA pilot certifications and ratings, an awareness of the current trends and issues within the context of modern flight operations, all infused with an emphasis on safety and risk management with practical applications in the real world environment.  

The graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Pilot will be able to:

  • Express oneself clearly and concisely in writing and speech.
  • Complete and present projects based on research, data interpretation, and analysis.
  • Complete work utilizing inputs and outputs from other members in team projects including simulated work environments.
  • Define solutions to challenges that require critical thinking.
  • Explain aviation terminology and list relevant key literature references in the student’s subject field.
  • Recognize and solve typical practical and theoretical real life problems in the student’s aviation field.
  • Discuss safety, economic, and political issues that affect aviation activities in the student’s career area.
  • Define the key issues affecting leadership and management in the aviation industry.
  • Define further career options, academic learning opportunities, and professional training and certification opportunities upon graduation.
  • Apply for next-step career opportunities using qualifications, experience, and interview skills gained in the course of the student’s study program.

All incoming aviation students are classified as “Pre-Aviation” for their first semester.  Certain academic performance metrics must be met before being classified as “Professional Pilot” majors and beginning flight training.  See “NOTES” for additional information.  

Professional Pilot, BS (43-554) (4 Year Guide)  

Major Requirements: 71 Semester Hours


Note:


The Professional Pilot degree option is FAA approved for the Restricted Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (R-ATP). Schedule a meeting with the Chief Flight Instructor for additional information and guidance on the R-ATP as soon as possible after admittance into the degree program.

All incoming students intending to major in Professional Pilot will be classified as pre- aviation students for their first semester and are required to take AVIA 1903 - Aviation History (2)  (or another course as specified) and AVIA 1310 - Private Ground School (4) . These courses must be completed with a final grade of “B” or higher, and all other academic coursework must be completed with no Failing grades or any academic-related issues. Once these requirements are met and the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test is passed, the student will be allowed to enroll in the appropriate flight lab.  After successfully completing the requirements of the Pre-Aviation semester, the student will be allowed to declare their major as Professional Pilot.  After the Pre-Aviation semester, students are required to maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.50 to maintain flight status for FLYA courses. 

Flight training scheduling (flight time) is competitive and is based on academic performance and other metrics.

Incoming aviation program students with an FAA Private Pilot Certificate will have a mandatory skills evaluation with the Chief Flight Instructor, consisting of both ground and flight components. Costs associated with this evaluation are the responsibility of the student.

The student’s performance during the requisite evaluation will determine placement in ground and flight courses; additional coursework or remedial flight training may be required.

Students entering the aviation program with their Private Pilot Certificate can receive 6 credit hours (equivalency for AVIA 1310 /FLYA 1320 /FLYA 1321   after completing the Instrument Rating End of Course Examination (EOC). Although students are expected to complete the pre-aviation requirements before being placed on the flight schedule, UCM Aviation may grant provisional flight status to students who are making exemplary academic progress during the pre-aviation semester. The number of students who may be granted this special status is based on the number of flight slots available for primary flight training and other factors. Any student granted provisional flight status will be required to pass the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test in order to continue flying in the following semester. Any student granted flight status will be required to meet the performance expectations of the pre-aviation courses and pass the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test in order to continue flying in the following semester.

General Education Requirements: 42 Semester Hours


All students must complete a minimum of 42 credit hours in general education. See The General Education Program Requirements  for the full listing of requirements. The following general education courses are required by this major:

Free Electives: 7 Semester Hours


Minimum Total: 120 Semester Hours


* This course has a corequisite course that is not included in the program.

Accelerated Program Notes:


The Accelerated model for this program is designed for the MS Aviation Safety.

UCM students with a major GPA of at least 2.70 may consult with their faculty advisor and complete a school application to declare the accelerated BS Professional Pilot - MS Aviation Safety option. Prior to beginning the graduate portion of the program, students in the accelerated program will need to apply to the UCM Graduate School for formal admittance to the Accelerated BS/MS program.

Accelerated student may be eligible to include the following courses as overlap between the undergraduate and graduate programs.  They would be taken at the Graduate level (5XXX):

AVIA 5550 Aviation Safety (AVIA 4500 )

AVIA 5590 Aviation Law (AVIA 4090 )

AVIA 5610 Physiological Human Factors (AVIA 4610 )

 

AVIA 5420 Air Transportation (AVIA 4420 )

OR

AVIA 5430 Corporate Aviation Management (AVIA 4430 )