Atlantic Cape Community College introduces an associate’s degree program in applied science for unmanned aircraft systems field technicians.
Rutgers teamed up with the Delaware River Bridge Authority (DRBA) to conduct the first combination aerial-underwater bridge inspection on the Delaware Memorial Bridge in 2017, flying the Rutgers Naviator. Photo ©Rutgers/DRBA/SubUAS,LLC
UTC Region 2 partner Atlantic Cape Community College is excited to announce they are starting a new program for students to advance their technical education and training in the field of small commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
Late last summer, Atlantic Cape was awarded an NSF award of nearly $225,000 to help the college expand courses and degree offerings related to aviation. The resulting program, which opens in the fall 2019 semester, gives students the knowledge and skills to work as technicians qualified in the maintenance and operation of small drones.
Rutgers teamed up with the Delaware River Bridge Authority (DRBA) to conduct the first combination aerial-underwater bridge inspection on the Delaware Memorial Bridge in 2017, flying the Rutgers Naviator. Photo ©Rutgers/DRBA/SubUAS,LLCDrone technology is currently being used in a wide variety of applications including construction, public safety, traffic incident management, infrastructure condition inspection, real estate, filmmaking and photography, and more.
The job potential and growth is real. As more industries adopt this technology for ever-increasing uses, the need technicians to service and operate these aircraft will increase as well. Atlantic Cape is helping to fill the need for qualified professionals who have a deep understand the details of aviation and drone technology.
The program includes general education and program-specific courses such as aviation weather, aerial video production, and small unmanned aircraft systems maintenance and repair. A capstone project is also part of the curriculum.
When students successfully complete the program, graduates will have an associate degree in applied science with a concentration in small unmanned aircraft systems field technician. Graduates then will be eligible to take a Federal Aviation Administration aeronautical knowledge examination to earn a Federal Aviation Remote Pilot Certificate with a small unmanned aircraft systems rating.
For information regarding the new program, please visit atlantic.edu/drones or contact faculty advisor, Jim Taggart, at 609-343-4950 or jtaggart@atlantic.edu.
July 2019
