At the Daytona Beach David B. O'Maley College of Business, you’ll study business in the industries that drive the world. As the world’s only residential college of business focused solely on aviation and aerospace, O’Maley offers a mix of business education and specialized industry knowledge, preparing students for careers in these fields.
If you want to build a career in aviation or aerospace beyond the flight deck or engineering, O’Maley provides another pathway. Through internships, projects, research, entrepreneurship, international experiences and industry certifications, you can begin building the experience, credentials and professional network employers value before you graduate. This experience can lead to opportunities in commercial airlines, business aviation, airport management, aerospace manufacturing, government and defense, space commerce, and advanced air mobility.
Learn in an industry-connected environment with opportunities to engage with executives, employer partners, alumni and faculty who bring aviation and aerospace expertise into the classroom.
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The only residential college of business dedicated to aviation and aerospace in the world
300+
Employer partners connecting students with opportunities across aviation, aerospace and related industries
100%
Of business courses include aviation and aerospace content
Build Your Path in Aviation and Aerospace Business
O’Maley offers undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs designed for students and professionals at different stages of their careers, all connected by a focus on the business of aviation and aerospace.
At the undergraduate level, the B.S. in Aviation Business Administration combines a strong business foundation with specialized industry knowledge. Students choose from five majors: Accounting & Finance, Air Transportation, Management, Marketing and Supply Chain, allowing them to develop expertise aligned with their interests and career goals. Graduate and doctoral programs provide opportunities to deepen that expertise through advanced study in areas including Aviation Finance, Aerospace Business Analytics, Aviation Management and Aviation Business Administration.
Across every level, O’Maley connects rigorous business education with industry knowledge, experiential learning and professional development, preparing students to build careers and lead across aviation and aerospace.
Results
Where operational insight meets data interpretation. Study performance modeling, forecasting and analytical tools to enhance planning, efficiency and strategic outcomes in airlines, airports and aerospace organizations.
Examine business operations through the lens of the aviation industry. Study management, finance, marketing and supply chain strategy in aviation contexts. You’ll build analytical and leadership skills that support decision making in airlines, airports and aerospace organizations.
Examine how financial decisions shape airlines and aerospace operations. You’ll learn how organizations evaluate costs, manage resources and make strategic choices across the global aviation market.
Study how organizations operate and make decisions. Explore accounting, management, marketing and strategic planning while learning how businesses allocate resources, support teams and respond to changing markets across industries, including aerospace.
Focus on how business and operational systems function within air transportation. Learn how scheduling, service delivery, finance and workforce management connect to aviation outcomes.
Business Administration in Aviation Management program photo
Focus on the aviation finance and leasing industry through courses developed with the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading. You’ll study valuation, leasing structures and asset management to prepare for roles in aircraft trading and investment.
O’Maley students put business into practice through experiential learning that connects the classroom directly to aviation and aerospace. Students work alongside faculty on real-world projects, using specialized labs, industry data and professional tools to build skills they can carry into their careers.
Experiential Learning Labs
Experiential Learning Labs
O’Maley is home to the Finance, Analytics and Risk Management (FAR) Lab; the Markets, Energy, Trading and Aerospace Lab (METAL); the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE); the Consumer Insights Lab; the Air Transportation Research Society (ATRS) Lab; and the Social Media Studio.
Students work alongside O’Maley faculty on applied research that addresses real business challenges in aviation and aerospace, often using industry data or scenarios relevant to companies and industry organizations. These experiences help students strengthen analytical skills while building professional experience beyond the classroom.
O’Maley faculty are recognized experts in aviation and aerospace business, bringing industry experience, research and deep subject expertise to the classroom.
The David B. O’Maley College of Business is a highly specialized business school built for the aviation and aerospace industries. Here, students don’t simply study business; they study the Business of Flight, preparing for careers across commercial aviation, business aviation, airports, aerospace manufacturing, defense, space and emerging technologies.
Our personalized learning environment combines the individual attention of a close-knit college with extraordinary access to industry. Students learn alongside faculty with deep industry expertise and regularly engage with executives, employers, alumni and industry partners who bring the business of aviation and aerospace into the classroom.
That connection extends well beyond coursework. Internships, company-sponsored projects, applied research, professional associations, executive engagement and experiential learning give students opportunities to put business principles into practice while building their professional networks.
The result is an education designed around outcomes. O’Maley graduates leave with more than a business degree. They graduate with industry knowledge, real-world experience, professional relationships and the skills to build careers, and ultimately lead, in aviation and aerospace.
The David B. O’Maley College of Business Executive in Residence program brings accomplished aviation and aerospace leaders directly into the student experience.
Each semester, prominent executives spend several days on campus sharing the lessons, perspectives and experiences gained from leading organizations across the industries we serve: commercial aviation, private and business aviation, airports, aerospace manufacturing, government and defense, space commerce and advanced air mobility.
Together, our Executives in Residence give students exposure to the breadth of the aviation and aerospace economy and the many career paths within it. They engage with students in classrooms, small-group discussions, panels and one-on-one conversations, providing access and insight rarely available in a traditional business education.
Our Executives in Residence do more than visit campus. They become part of the O’Maley community, helping students understand the industries they hope to join, explore career paths, build professional networks and learn what leadership looks like at the highest levels.
Executives in Residence typically serve two-year terms and make multiple campus visits, creating sustained relationships with our students, faculty and programs.
Leanne Carat Senior Advisor to Blackstone and a Director on the boards of Deere & Company and Raytheon Technologies
Kriya Shortt President and Chief Executive Officer, Textron eAviation
Ravi Dharnidharka Senior Vice President, Cirrus Services
Barry Eccleston Retired CEO and President Airbus Americas, Inc.
Candace Covington Air Charter Safety Foundation, Board of Governors
Roger Smeltzer (In Memoriam) President, Smeltzer Aviation Solutions, Inc.
General Norton Schwartz Former Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The David B. O’Maley College of Business Industry Advisory Board brings together senior industry leaders to help shape the College's future and ensure our programs remain closely aligned with the evolving needs of aviation and aerospace.
The Board is intentionally structured to provide expertise across the industries we serve, commercial aviation, private and business aviation, airports, aerospace manufacturing, government and defense, space commerce, and advanced air mobility, as well as the business domains that drive them, including finance and investment, analytics and decision science, operations and systems, risk and insurance, infrastructure and real assets, commercial strategy and marketing, and energy and sustainability.
Board members advise College leadership and faculty on curriculum, emerging industry needs, workforce trends and strategic priorities. They also engage directly with students through classroom discussions, panels, mentoring, experiential projects and other opportunities that bring industry perspectives into the O’Maley experience.
More than an advisory body, the Industry Advisory Board is an active connection between the College and the industries we serve. Its members help us anticipate where aviation and aerospace are going and ensure our students are prepared to lead when they get there.
The David B. O’Maley College of Business Young Alumni Board connects current students with recent graduates building careers across aviation and aerospace.
Because they have recently transitioned from college to career, Young Alumni Board members offer students a valuable perspective on internships, recruiting, career preparation and the early years of professional life. Members engage with students through mentoring, classroom visits, career conversations, networking and other College activities.
The Board includes alumni working across the industries served by the College and in a range of business functions, giving students opportunities to learn from graduates pursuing many different career paths.
The Young Alumni Board also helps strengthen connections among O’Maley students, alumni and the College, building a professional community that extends beyond graduation.
Young Alumni Board Members
Owen Theeck
FlightAware
Manager, Sales & Special Projects
Jason Alvarez
The Boeing Company
Regional Director, Marketing & Strategy
Commercial Airplanes
Alexandria Cogdell
United Express Onboard Experience Analyst
United Airlines
Oko J. Nelson
Assistant Director
HALO AirFinance
Yulia Black
Delta Air Lines
Senior Sourcing Manager
Sloane Churchill
M.B.A. Aviation
Director - Engines & Inventory Valuations
Nidhi Trambadia
Air Wisconsin
Finance Manager
Chad Stearns
The Boeing Company
Program
Manager, Executive Transport & Surveillance
Daytona Beach David B. O'Maley College of Business
David B. O'Maley College of Business
Meet the Dean
Welcome to the David B. O’Maley College of Business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. At O’Maley, we prepare students to lead the Business of Flight. Our students combine a rigorous business education with deep exposure to the aviation, aerospace and space industries through internships, industry engagement, professional tools, study abroad and hands-on learning. Our goal is for every O’Maley graduate to leave with an excellent education, meaningful industry experience, a professional network and a clear path to what comes next. If you love aviation and aerospace, I invite you to discover what’s possible at O’Maley. Welcome to the Business of Flight!
The aviation business degree at Embry‑Riddle proved its value every day in the internship. Being an intern with a strong financial and analytical background, paired with an abundance of industry knowledge, helped me obtain higher-level projects early on and complete them within the span of my internship by minimizing the learning curve.”
Tyler DeZell (’26), B.S. Aviation Business Administration
