Aviation Careers Start with Embry-Riddle Business Degrees

Behind every commercial flight, private charter, aircraft sale and space mission are the network planning analysts, airport supervisors and revenue managers that keep the aviation and aerospace industries running.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students graduate equipped to become the next generation of aviation business leaders — directing and managing airports, airlines and aviation organizations.

Ready to make aviation your business? Come to Embry-Riddle.

Why Study Business at Embry-Riddle?

Embry-Riddle's Aviation Business Administration and Business Administration degree programs place students at the center of budding aviation innovation with access to funded research and capstone projects, internship pathways, faculty who bring relevant industry experience to aviation-integrated courses and more.

These opportunities don't stop at the classroom — many come directly to students through on-campus clubs and events, while some take them off campus through internships and conferences.

Embry-Riddle business students build their competitive edge through:

• Specialized certificates, such as through the American Association of Airport Executives, International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT), National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA) and the SAP University Alliances Program three-course sequence
• Supplementary courses, such as the Boeing Business Fundamentals course
• On-campus, industry-funded projects with aviation companies like The Boeing Company, Global Aerospace and Honeywell
• Industry visits coordinated by student clubs, such as the Business Aviation Student Association and Business Eagles
• Networking opportunities at national conferences, such as through Corporate Jet Investors, ISTAT, MRO Americas, NAFA and NBAA-BACE

The O'Maley College of Business (O’COB) on the Daytona Beach Campus is the world’s only residential college of business dedicated exclusively to aviation and aerospace.

The College of Business, Security and Intelligence (CBSI) on the Prescott Campus is the first and only college of its kind in the nation, offering business aviation degrees and undergraduate programs focused on cybersecurity, global business, supply chain management and more.

Students in Embry-Riddle business programs graduate with impressive professional connections and resumes, including internships, projects, certifications and research they can show employers. Our graduates work in every aviation and aerospace sector, including:

• Aerospace manufacturing
• Airport management
• Business aviation
• Commercial aviation
• Government and defense
• Space commerce
• Advanced air mobility

Business Education Driven by Aviation

From day one, students learn how complex organizations and industries operate.

"We have specific aviation-focused concepts and phenomena that students get heavily trained in," explained Dr. Jayendra Gokhale, an associate professor and program coordinator at O’COB. "That's the specialty of our university that puts us in the top tier of schools."

Embry-Riddle's Aviation Business Administration degree focuses on ethical leadership practices, cross-disciplinary problem solving and pressing trends in air transportation that drive executive business strategy at airlines, airports, aerospace organizations and defense contractors.

Embry-Riddle's Business Administration degree teaches industry trends and standards, analytical problem-solving skills and management concepts that prepare students to become operations and management professionals at airlines, airports and commercial aviation organizations.

"We are always talking in class about what is going on in aviation today," said Laura Reece, an assistant professor and program coordinator for O’COB.

Education Guided by Industry Expertise

Embry-Riddle's business programs draw on close industry ties to keep their curricula current and grounded in real-world applications.

Both residential business colleges have an Industry Advisory Board, which is filled with leading aviation business executives who network with students and collaborate with university leadership to identify the new knowledge and skills students need.

"The Industry Advisory Board visits us every fall semester. A few years ago, they were so impressed that they recruited students for summer internships at their board meeting," Gokhale said. "That is a kind of exposure we give our students."

O’COB also hosts the Executive in Residence program, in which executives from aviation and aerospace companies visit the Daytona Beach Campus to share career wisdom. The most recent executive in residence, Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, recently visited the campus to share his experience as the 19th chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force.

Undergraduate research programs also provide meaningful research opportunities through industry partnerships. At Embry-Riddle Prescott's Undergraduate Research Institute (URI), four students are currently working with Honeywell professionals to address real business challenges and develop recommendations for the company.

"Through URI, our business students take on questions that companies like Honeywell and KP Aviation actually need answered, and they own the result," Dr. Jules Yimga, an associate professor and chair of CBSI's School of Business, explained. "That's where they stop thinking like students and start thinking like analysts."

Business Programs that Prepare You for Career

Embry-Riddle's experiential learning focus sets its educational offerings apart from your average business program.

Both residential Aviation Business Administration programs are dual-accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Both Business Administration programs are accredited by the ACBSP, which conducts external reviews that hold the curricula, including the industry experience and career pathways built into them, to rigorous professional standards.

"We want students to graduate with more than classroom knowledge. Through internships, consulting projects and engagement with industry professionals, they can apply what they learn to real business challenges and build valuable professional connections," explained Yimga.

What Can You Do with an Aviation Business Degree?

Embry-Riddle's Aviation Business Administration alumni often go on to work at airports and airlines and with aviation and aerospace companies, such as:

• The Boeing Company
• Honeywell Aerospace
• United Airlines

Recent graduates of this program have joined the aviation industry in roles such as airport operations supervisors, aviation consultants and network planning analysts.

While in the Aviation Business Administration program, Giovanni Di Nenna (’25, ’28) took the Boeing Business Fundamentals course and completed two internships with The Boeing Company. After graduating, he returned as a supply chain analyst supporting the CST-100 Starliner and International Space Station programs at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

"The most valuable part of my College of Business experience was the combination of hands-on learning, team projects and opportunities to become involved. I learned the most when I could apply classroom concepts to real situations," Giovanni said. "That type of problem solving applies directly to my work today."

From marketing and finance roles to operations and supply chain positions, our students graduate with resumes and industry connections that enable them to immediately pursue the career of their dreams.

What Can You Do with a Business Administration Degree?

Embry-Riddle Business Administration graduates are prepared for careers in corporate aviation and across the business sector, joining companies such as:

• The Boeing Company
• JPMorgan Chase
• Textron Aviation

Graduates of this program can pursue a wide variety of roles in aviation and beyond, including client relations specialists, investment banking analysts and product analysts.

Business Administration alumna Sierra Nevins (’25) was involved across campus as an undergraduate student, joining a sorority, the Student Government Association, undergraduate research in private aviation and more.

Her academic, research and professional excellence as an Eagle prepared her for a prosperous early career. After less than a year as a pilot crew scheduler at United Airlines, she was promoted to a senior role.