Program Description/Purpose: This career studies certificate is designed to prepare students for a career as a small unmanned aircraft systems flight technician. Upon successful completion of the coursework, students will demonstrate advanced proficiency in a variety of sUAS areas. Topics covered include both theory and hands-on experience with mission planning, ground control operations, crew management, emergency procedures, safety, sensor selection, advanced maintenance, drone programming, flight data management, geospatial technology and systems, and manipulation of geospatial data for the purpose of analysis, presentation, and decisionmaking. Students must complete the sUAS Flight Operator Career Studies Certificate prior to beginning the coursework in this certificate.
Occupational Outcomes: sUAS/Drone operators are in demand by a variety of industries with potential commercial uses in disaster response, police, fire, and EMS response and investigation, search and rescue, scientific research, agriculture, farming, ranching, land, livestock, and wildlife surveys, pipeline and power line inspection, industrial and residential inspection delivery and transport, and aerial photography.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will understand the sUAS program and flight data management.
- Students will demonstrate an advanced understanding of sUAS, ground control operations, and emergency/safety procedures.
- Students will use industry-standard best practices for mission planning and implementation.
- Students will demonstrate advanced flight proficiency utilizing pre and post-flight checklists.
- Students will utilize geospatial data for the purpose of analysis, presentation, and decision-making.
Courses are displayed under the semester in which they are regularly offered and are recommended to be taken in this sequence to ensure timely graduation. It is possible that a course shown in a particular semester may not be offered due to low enrollment or other factors.
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