Bachelor of Science in
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Embry-Riddle is one of just a few universities in the country to offer a bachelor’s degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Because Embry-Riddle is the nexus of aviation education, students benefit from much more than prestige; they learn from experienced faculty who share firsthand knowledge in aviation and who are at the forefront in the developing field of unmanned aircraft. Currently, there are few UAS professionals because this field is so new. Used primarily in military, firefighting, disaster relief, and law enforcement applications, the future of this field has seemingly limitless potential.
The Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Aircraft Systems program provides graduates with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to become industry leaders in a variety of UAS related fields, including UAS pilots, sensor operators, mission planners and ground technicians. Students study the spectrum of the industry including hazardous operations, government regulations, surveillance, data collection, and even the engineering aspects of UAS.
DETAILS
About Unmanned Aircraft Systems at the Prescott, AZ Campus
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is proud to introduce our Bachelor of Science degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). This exciting new degree has evolved into one of the most hands-on degree programs offered at ERAU Prescott and prepares graduates to enter a rapidly growing and changing industry. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicts that the fleet of commercial small UASs in the United States will approach 550,000 by the year 2020. Consequently, tens of thousands of UAS professionals will be needed who are capable of safely planning and executing UAS missions and effectively delivering the end products to their customers.
Focusing on commercial and civil applications, the UAS degree empowers graduates to meet current and future employment demands. The degree qualifies students from all nationalities as subject matter experts in data collection, retrieval, editing, display, and delivery. For example, refer to the video on this page which shows a three-dimensional model of the ERAU Hazy Library created using our UAS equipment and software. Models such as these are very useful for a variety of industries because they enable the calculation of important surveying parameters such as surface area, volume, height, width, coordinates, etc.
Through supporting course work, UAS majors also gain a broad understanding of business, aviation regulations, technology, meteorology, and security issues associated with the industry. All students in the UAS program train at our on-campus airfield and earn their FAA Remote Pilot In-Command (RPIC) certificate. They learn to fly a variety of both fixed-wing and rotary-wing UASs and learn to use a variety of useful software suites. Moreover, the UAS program is working with several local commercial partners to enable students to obtain hands-on experience planning and executing actual UAS missions. Enroll in our UAS program and help shape a new and evolving industry!
The Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Aircraft Systems degree is housed in the Department of Applied Aviation Sciences in the College of Aviation.
U.S. and foreign governments are continually releasing new rules allowing more and more commercial “drone” operations (also known as unmanned aircraft systems or UAS). These commercial drones are capable of obtaining high-resolution imagery and rich data sets for a variety of applications, from real estate surveys, utility and construction site surveys, and agricultural applications to forestry and law enforcement jobs. The UAS industry is growing extremely rapidly! By the year 2020, the fleet of commercial UAS’s is expected to grow to at least 550,000 aircraft in the U.S. alone. Tens of thousands of UAS professionals will be needed who are capable of planning and executing UAS missions and delivering the end products to their customers.
Focusing on commercial and civil applications, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems degree empowers graduates to meet current and future employment demands. The UAS degree qualifies students as subject matter experts in UAS data collection, retrieval, editing, display, and delivery. Students also gain a broad understanding about business, aviation regulations, technology, meteorology, and security associated with the UAS industry. All students in the UAS program become trained and licensed small UAS (sUAS) operators by ERAU UAS Flight Instructors and earn their Remote Pilot In-Command (RPIC) certificate. They learn to fly a variety of both fixed wing and rotary wing UAS and learn to use a variety of useful software suites. The UAS program is working with several commercial partners to enable students to obtain hands-on experience planning and executing actual UAS missions and learning from the industry.
Admission Requirements
Students entering this program should have a basic background in math and physics. Students wishing to strengthen their background in math and the basic sciences before enrolling in the prescribed courses should contact the department chair or the program coordinator for guidance. We welcome students from all nationalities to join the B.S. in Unmanned Aircraft Systems degree.
Degree Requirements
The Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Aircraft Systems may be attained in eight semesters. To earn the degree, successful completion of 120 credit hours is required. Students pursuing the Unmanned Aircraft Systems degree will have the opportunity to select from a variety of minors as they pursue their degree. All students must complete the General Education Core and the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Core in order to complete the requirements for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems degree.
Program Mission Statement
The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) degree will provide the essential aeronautical, business, and legal knowledge and skills to obtain a successful career in the UAS industry. Graduates will be prepared for successful careers as Remote Pilots in Command (PICs), observers, payload operators, and/or operational managers of governmental and private sector UAS applications. Experience will be gained in aerial data collection, secure operations, long duration operations, highly detailed operations, and autonomous operations. Graduates will be prepared to meet current industry requirements with an emphasis on future industry developments such as Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) operations and the use of multiple small UAS at the same time.
B.S. in Unmanned Aircraft Systems
| General Education | 37-38 | |
| Unmanned Aircraft Systems Core | 64-66 | |
| Electives | 16-19 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
General Education
| COM 122 | English Composition | 3 |
| COM 219 | Speech | 3 |
| COM 221 | Technical Report Writing | 3 |
| or COM 222 | Business Communication | |
| or COM 223 | Intelligence Writing | |
| CS 118 | Fundamentals of Computer Programming | 3 |
| Humanities Lower Level | 3 | |
| Humanities or Social Science Lower Level PSY 222 is recommended | 3 | |
| Humanities or Social Science Upper Level PSY 326 or PSY 345 are recommended | 3 | |
| MA 111 | College Mathematics for Aviation I | 3 |
| or MA 120 | Quantitative Methods I | |
| or MA 140 | College Algebra | |
| MA 112 | College Mathematics for Aviation II | 3-4 |
| or MA 220 | Quantitative Methods II | |
| or MA 241 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry I | |
| PS 113 | Introductory Physics I | 3 |
| Social Science, Psychology, or Economics Lower Level EC 200, EC 210, or EC 211 are recommended | 3 | |
| WX 201 | Survey of Meteorology | 3 |
| WX 203L | Survey of Meteorology Laboratory | 1 |
| or PS 113L | Introductory Physics I Laboratory | |
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Core
| AS 125 | Private and UAS Pilot Operations | 3-5 |
| or AS 121 | Private Pilot Operations | |
| AS 220 | Unmanned Aircraft Systems | 3 |
| AS 235 | Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operation and Cross-Country Data Entry | 3 |
| AS 309 | Aerodynamics | 3 |
| AS 310 | Aircraft Performance | 3 |
| AS 317 | UAS Networking | 3 |
| AS 322 | Operational and Industrial Aspects of UAS | 3 |
| AS 323 | Crew Resource Management for UAS | 3 |
| AS 324 | Global Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Regulations | 3 |
| AS 325 | Dronealism and Cinematography | 3 |
| AS 403 | Unmanned Sensing Systems | 3 |
| AS 405 | Aviation Law | 3 |
| AS 473 | UAS Flight Simulation | 3 |
| AS 475 | UAS Mission Execution | 3 |
| AT 200 | Air Traffic Basics I | 3 |
| BA 201 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| CI 310 | Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance | 3 |
| GEO 210 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| GEO 310 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| SF 210 | Introduction to Aerospace Safety | 3 |
| UNIV 101 | College Success | 1 |
| WX 301 | Aviation Weather | 3 |
* The UAS Capstone (AS475) is intended to be a culminating experience for the Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Aircraft Systems degree, and therefore will be the last course taken in the UAS core after completing AS 473 UAS Flight Simulation.
Electives
| Specified Electives *See specified electives list | 12 | |
| Open Electives | 4-7 | |
| Total Elective Credits | 16-19 | |
Specified Electives
| AT 305 | Introduction to Terminal Radar Operations | 3 |
| AT 401 | Advanced Terminal Radar Operations | 3 |
| BA 308 | Public Administration | 3 |
| BA 311 | Marketing | 3 |
| BA 328 | Professional Consulting | 3 |
| BA 337 | Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| BA 421 | Small Business Management | 3 |
| SF 320 | Human Factors in Aviation Safety | 3 |
| SIS 315 | Studies in Global Intelligence I | 3 |
| SIS 323 | Intelligence and Technology | 3 |
| SIS 420 | Aviation Security and Technology | 3 |
| SIS 422 | Homeland Security and Technology | 3 |
| SIS 430 | Emergency Management and Contingency Planning | 3 |
| WX 270 | Weather Information Systems | 3 |
| WX 364 | Weather for Aircrews | 3 |
| WX 365 | Satellite and Radar Weather Interpretation | 3 |
Suggested Program of Study
| Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Credits | ||
| AS 125 | Private and UAS Pilot Operations | 3-5 |
or AS 121 | Private Pilot Operations | |
| BA 201 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| COM 122 | English Composition | 3 |
| CS 118 | Fundamentals of Computer Programming | 3 |
| MA 111 | College Mathematics for Aviation I | 3 |
or MA 120 | Quantitative Methods I | |
or MA 140 | College Algebra | |
| MA 112 | College Mathematics for Aviation II | 3-4 |
or MA 220 | Quantitative Methods II | |
or MA 241 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry I | |
| SF 210 | Introduction to Aerospace Safety | 3 |
| UNIV 101 | College Success | 1 |
| Lower-Level Humanities | 3 | |
| WX 201 | Survey of Meteorology | 3 |
| WX 203L | Survey of Meteorology Laboratory | 1 |
or PS 113L | Introductory Physics I Laboratory | |
| Credits Subtotal | 29.0-32.0 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| AS 220 | Unmanned Aircraft Systems | 3 |
| AS 235 | Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operation and Cross-Country Data Entry | 3 |
| AS 309 | Aerodynamics | 3 |
| AT 200 | Air Traffic Basics I | 3 |
| COM 219 | Speech | 3 |
| COM 221 | Technical Report Writing | 3 |
or COM 222 | Business Communication | |
or COM 223 | Intelligence Writing | |
| GEO 210 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| PS 113 | Introductory Physics I | 3 |
| WX 301 | Aviation Weather | 3 |
| Credits Subtotal | 30.0 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| AS 310 | Aircraft Performance | 3 |
| AS 317 | UAS Networking | 3 |
| AS 322 | Operational and Industrial Aspects of UAS | 3 |
| AS 323 | Crew Resource Management for UAS | 3 |
| AS 325 | Dronealism and Cinematography | 3 |
| AS 403 | Unmanned Sensing Systems | 3 |
| AS 405 | Aviation Law | 3 |
| GEO 310 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| Specified Elective | 6 | |
| Humanities or Social Science Lower-Level | 3 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 33.0 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| AS 324 | Global Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Regulations | 3 |
| AS 473 | UAS Flight Simulation | 3 |
| AS 475 | UAS Mission Execution | 3 |
| CI 310 | Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance | 3 |
| Humanities or Social Science Upper-Level | 3 | |
| Open Electives | 1-4 | |
| Social Science, Psychology, or Economics Lower-Level | 3 | |
| Specified Electives | 6 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 25.0-28.0 | |
| Credits Total: | 120 | |
Get Started Now:
Summary
120 Credits
Estimate your tuition by using the Tuition Calculator
View Financial Aid Information
Learn about our General Education
Find out about transferring credits to this degree
Learn more about our Veterans & Military benefits
View our Academic Calendar
- Alumni Airline Captains Encourage Flexibility as Students Enter Aviation
- Interdisciplinary Student Reflects on Pursuit of Passion, Internship Amid Pandemic
- Airline Executive: Smartest Carriers Will Emerge from Pandemic Stronger
- Embry-Riddle, Verizon Partner to Use Drones for Marine Mammal Rescue
- Embry-Riddle Selected for FAA Training Program
- NTSB Chair Reflects on Investigating Accidents in a Virtual World
- Embry-Riddle Students Judge Children’s Paper Plane Creations
- Embry-Riddle Works to Advance Sustainable Environmentally Friendly Urban Air Mobility Vehicles