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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN

AEROSPACE STUDIES

Aerospace Studies Degree Combines Aviation and Technology With Liberal Arts

Design Your Future

Embry-Riddle's Aerospace Studies program gives you the raw materials to design your future as an innovator and a leader.

Aerospace Studies offers you unique flexibility and almost unlimited career possibilities in or out of the aviation field. Aerospace studiesThe program allows you to choose three separate areas of specialization ranging from flight, air traffic control, or aviation weather to space studies, humanities, or psychology. This essentially permits you to design you own course of study, tailored to your goals and needs. When you leave Embry-Riddle, you'll have a broad base of knowledge and skills that will serve you for the rest of your life.

Start with core liberal arts courses in the humanities, geography, international studies, philosophy, ethics, and psychology. Then select and combine three minors from the classes offered in our other degree programs. At least one of these minors must be aviation/aerospace-related. Choices include air traffic control, business administration, aviation safety, weather, computer applications, computer-integrated manufacturing, computer science, environmental studies, flight, human factors, humanities, logistics, mathematics, communications, psychology, secondary education, and space studies.

Aerospace Studies is a broad, flexible, interdisciplinary education that makes students more adaptable and able to transfer from or to other more specialized degree programs. In your senior year, you’ll show what you’ve learned by completing a research project or a co-op/internship in industry.

The humanities and social science majors are most suitable to change, the leading feature of the high-speed, high-pressure, high-tech world we now occupy.

Aerospace studies combines the best aspects of a liberal arts education with the technological expertise for which Embry-Riddle is known around the world.

Global Boundaries Are Shrinking

Increasing global connection has moved from concept to everyday fact. In this era, understanding the relationships between different countries and cultures is key to your success in a multicultural, multinational environment. Future global leaders and managers will routinely have to communicate and cooperate with their foreign counterparts and colleagues. Language is an obvious challenge, but cultural differences are as important. How do different work styles, life styles, and even world viewsaffect the way people work together across boundaries? What are the unwritten, unspoken, and often unexamined rules that govern how business is conducted in different parts of the world? If you know how to answer these questions of increasing importance, you will be a highly desirable employee in today's workforce.

 

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Aerospace Studies Degree Requires Choice of Three
Minor Areas of Study

Focus on the Future

The Aerospace studies degree was created specifically as a response to calls by American corporate leaders for graduates who understand both technology and human beings. Our program has answered that call.

Recent graduates have found careers as commercial pilots, commissioned officers in the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, air traffic controllers, software engineers, airport operations supervisors, and even CEO's.Others have gone on to graduate studies in fields such as law, human factors, international relations, psychology, and space operations. Still others have taken the opportunity to pursue an internship or co-op with one of hundreds of corporations and organizations in the aerospace industry. In short, no other degree program offers the flexibility and potential for growth and development that can be found in Aerospace studies.

Having a Choice Makes Aerospace Studies Attractive

The program consists of core requirements and three minors. At least one of these minors must be aviation/aerospace-related. The program prepares you to connect the chosen three minor fields of study in a meaningful and useful way. The element of choice emphasized in minor selection gives you practical experience in planning your own future, while the program seeks to produce graduates who will cross boundaries, make creative connections, and become leaders in aviation and aerospace.

Meet one of our program's alumni -- see how his choice of minors influenced his career

Minor courses of study are academic programs designed to satisfy students’ personal interests and meet their professional needs. Students explore in some depth the offerings in a field of study. A minor course of study provides the student with significant experience in a discipline organized around skills, methodology, and subject matter.

A Closer Look at a Few Popular Minors for AS Students

Space Studies
Nowhere is the role of technology in globalization more central than in space. Projects such as the International Space Station show the need for technological cooperation across national and cultural boundaries.

Aviation Safety
Embry-Riddle has the world's largest collegiate safety program, with the newly expanded Robertson Aviation Safety Center on the Prescott campus at its heart, including one of the world's largest accident investigation labs.

Flight
This minor incorporates the course required to obtain the FAA commercial pilot certificate with instrument and multi-engine ratings.

Humanities
This minor allows you to select from courses such as Values and Ethics, Technology and Modern Civilization, Exploring Film, and Creative Writing.

Other Available Minor Courses
Aviation weather, Asian studies, aeronautical science, computer science, computer application, mathematics, and psychology are available to students in the program. We encourage all students to complement their programs with minor courses of study. Advisors and counselors can help you with your choices.

The following minors are offered at the Daytona Beach campus

Aeronautical Studies
Aerospace Electronics
Air Traffic Control
Aviation Maintenance Science
Aviation Safety
Aviation Weather
Business Administration
Computer-Integrated Manufacturing
Computer Science
Environmental Studies
Flight

Helicopter Flight
Human Factors
Humanities
Industrial Safety
Information Technology
International Relations
Mathematics
Professional Communication
Psychology
Secondary Education
Space Studies

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Our Program Makes Our Students Global Thinkers

You'll Choose a Senior Thesis or Co-op Experience

The aerospace studies program consists of core requirements and three minors. The core requirements in this program help make our students worldly thinkers who understand that information and skills gleaned from one area of life can be applied to other areas. The program’s core requirements respond directly to calls by American corporate leaders for graduates who understand both technology and human beings. To that end, students choose from courses in the humanities, geography, international studies, philosophy and ethics, and psychology. The core prepares students to connect their three minor fields of study meaningfully and usefully. In the capstone experience, the student chooses a senior thesis or a co-op in industry.

By combining three minors, students design their own degree programs. Such combinations as security or air traffic control with psychology and safety or space studies with computer science and psychology are useful to the aerospace industry.

Minors in secondary education, humanities, and mathematics can lead to the teaching profession or graduate studies. Minors in the business areas give students practical knowledge that combines well with the more technical areas. The element of choice in the program gives students experience in planning their own futures; the program seeks to produce students with an entrepreneurial spirit who will cross boundaries, make creative connections, and become leaders in aviation and aerospace.

Students should be aware that several courses in each academic year may have prerequisites and/or co requisites.Check the course descriptions in the current catalog before registering for classes to assure requisite sequencing.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Studies requires successful completion of a minimumof 120 credit hours. Included in the 120 credit hours must be 40 credit hours of upper-division courses (300-400 level).

General Education
Course Title Credit
*Embry-Riddle courses Communication Theory and Skills, Humanities, and Social Sciences may be chosen from those listed below, assuming prerequisite requirements are met. Courses from other institutions are acceptable if they fall into these broad categories.
Communication Theory and Skills
COM 122, 219, 221, 222
Humanities
Lower-Level:
HU 140-146
Upper-Level:
300-400 level
Social Sciences
Lower-Level:
EC 200, 210, 211
(EC 200 is not acceptable together with EC 210 or EC 211 or their equivalent)
PSY 101
SS 110, 120, 130
Upper-Level:
SS 302, 305, 310, 320, 325, 326, 331, 340, 350, 352, 360
  Communication Theory and Skills* 9
  Computer Science 3
  Lower-Level Humanities* 3
  Mathematics 6
  Physical and Life Sciences 6
  Lower-Level Social Sciences* 6
HU/SS 300-400 Level* 3
Total Credits 36

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Core Requirements/Categories
Course Title Credit
Aviation Foundation
AS 120 Introduction to Aeronautical Science 3
-OR-
AS 110 Introduction to Space Flight 3
-OR-
SS 130 History of Aviation 3
-OR-
  Private Pilot Certificate 3
Total Credits 3
Humanities Survey
HU 140 Western Humanities 3
-OR-
HU 141 Western Humanities II 3
  (must be taken in addition to HU 140's series course for General Education)  
Total Credits 3
Management Foundation
BA 201 Principles of Management 3
-OR-
BA 335 International Business 3
Total Credits 3
Interdisciplinary Research and Skills
HU 335 Technology and Modern Civilization 3
-OR-
HU 338 Traversing the Borders 3
Total Credits 3
International Perspectives
SS 321 U.S. Military History 1900-Present  
SS 325 International Studies  
SS 326 Russian-AmericanRelations  
SS 331 Current Issues in America  
SS 333 U.S.-Asian Relations  
SS 334 Contemporary Africa and the World  
SS 336 The Modern Middle East in World Affairs  
SS 340 American Foreign Policy  
SS 363 Inter-American Relations  
Total Credits 3
Philosophical Perspectives
HU 330 Values and Ethics 3
-OR-
HU 341 World Philosophy 3
-OR-
HU 345 Comparative Religions 3
Total Credits 3
Upper-Level Literature
HU 300 World Literature 3
-OR-
HU 305 Modern Literature 3
-OR-
HU 310 American Literature 3
Total Credits 3
Upper-Level Communication
COM 225 Science and Technology Communication 3
-OR-
COM 322 Aviation and Aerospace Communication 3
-OR-
COM 350 Environmental Communication 3
-OR-
HU 420 Applied Cross-Cultural Communication 3
Total Credits 3
Capstone Experience
CE 396/397 Cooperative Education 3
-OR-
HU 475 Senior Thesis 3
Total Credits 3
Total Credits Required 30

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Minors
Course Title Credit
Students must select three minor fields of study. Required credits in each minor vary, depending on the minors chosen. See Minor Courses of Study in the catalog.
Total Credits 45/54
Open Electives 0-9
Total Degree Credits 120

 

CAREER OUTLOOK

Aerospace Studies Degree Gives You Great Flexibility
Potential for Many Careers

Helping You Think Globally

Recent graduates have found careers as commercial pilots and commissioned officers in the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. Some have found employment as air traffic controllers, software engineers, airport operations supervisors, and even CEO's.Others have gone on to graduate study in fields such as law, human factors, international relations, psychology, and space operations. Still others have taken the opportunity to pursue an internship or co-op with one of hundreds of corporations and organizations in the aerospace industry.

Many Aerospace Studies students expand their education through co-ops or internships, such as the following recent examples:

Flight Safety (American Airlines)
Launch Operations (Boeing Company)
Marketing Intern (Dolphin Airlines)
Mentor (Big Brothers Big Sisters)
Assistant Engineer (Intelsat)
Safety Intern (NTSB)
Accident Investigator (NTSB)
Camp Counselor (US Space Camp)

Aerospace Studies graduates have received job offers from Air Grand Canyon, Alaska Railroad, America West Airlines, Flight Safety International, Honeywell Commercial Aviation Systems, Olympic National Park, and the National Transportation Safety Board.


Dave Conz, 1995 Aerospace Studies graduateFrom Aerospace Studies alumnus, Dave Conz:

I graduated in 1995 from ERAU-Daytona Beach with a BS in Aerospace Studies, a multidisciplinary program that not only allowed me to integrate disparate areas of concentration (Humanities, Psychology, Flight, and Air Traffic Control) but prepared me for success in graduate school and a career in academia.

After leaving Florida I moved to Arizona and earned a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Humanities and a Ph.D. in Sociology with concentrations in Science and Technology Studies, Global-Political Sociology, and advanced research methods. I am currently an Assistant Research Professor at Arizona State University with joint appointments at the Center for Nanotechnology in Society, the Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes, and the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Degree program.

I am convinced I would not have been able to succeed in my career without my education and training from Embry-Riddle. While working on my Ph.D., I had the opportunity to collaborate on several projects at ERAU-Prescott including serving on a senior thesis committee. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach to present my research on biodiesel fuel as part of the Honors Program speaker series and guest lecture in two classes. It was an honor to be welcomed by the fantastic community of scholars at Riddle. It truly felt like I was coming home!


The Embry-Riddle Advantage: The Career Services Office

One of the most valuable benefits of being a student or alumnus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is access to the resources of the Career Services Office.

The Career Services Office provides career development assistance to all students and alumni of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, regardless of campus affiliation. The Daytona Beach office serves Daytona Beach, Worldwide Campus, and Worldwide Online students. Prescott campus students are served by the Prescott office.

The Career Services Web site offers students and alumni:

  • A virtual library of job search aids including interview tips
  • An alumni network which enables students to contact alumni throughout the United States and abroad to learn more about their careers and employers.
  • Sample résumés and cover letters
  • Company profiles and employment hotlines
  • Cooperative education opportunities
  • Current job listings; and
  • A Web-based résumé referral service

A career fair is hosted at the Daytona Beach and Prescott campuses each fall. Throughout each year, dozens of companies visit the campuses to recruit students and to provide information about their industry. On-campus interviews are also scheduled year-round.

The Career Services Office employs a staff of program managers to provide one-on-one career advisement, mock interviews, and résumé critique services. The Career Services Office encourages students to make contact early in their Embry-Riddle educations to explore career options and develop a successful job search strategy.

More From the Career Services Office

Career Advisement
Several degree-specific program managers are available for assistance with career choice/change, exploration of career opportunities, and development of job search techniques.

Career Resource Center
The Career Resource Center is a library of information that includes addresses and information on potential employers, as well as information on hiring trends, salaries, and other career references. The Career Resource Center is continuously updated and expanded to meet student needs. The Career Services Web site also serves as a virtual resource center with links to job listings, salary information, sample résumés, interview preparation, and company Web sites.

EagleHire Network
The EagleHire Network allows students and alumni to submit résumés directly to employers seeking full-time and co-op/internship candidates. EagleHire is a free service and is available to all students and alumni of the University.

Cooperative Education/Internship Program
Cooperative education positions provide an opportunity for students to gain valuable work experience while earning college credit, learn about their chosen field, and establish contacts in the industry. Co-ops and internships are opportunities to earn college credit while gaining career-related work experience for undergraduate and graduate students.