sUAS (Drones) Field Technician Certificate

This program prepares students for a career as a small unmanned aircraft systems technician. Upon successful completion of the program students will demonstrate basic proficiency in the area of sUAS operations, general maintenance and repair, the use of a sUAS for the collection of and pre and post-processing of aerial images and videos, and geospatial data collection.

Students are required to sit for, and pass a Federal Aviation Administration knowledge exam. Passing this examination leads to the earning of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Remote Pilot Certificate with a Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Rating. The RPC allows for the safe commercial operation of less than 55 lbs. drones in the National Airspace System. This program requires off campus field trips and fieldwork. Students can apply all of the required coursework toward the Unmanned Aircraft Field Technician Associate in Applied Science Degree.

For additional information, please contact faculty advisor, Anthony Esposito, or department chair, Dr. Otto Hernandez.

Upon completion of this program students will be able to:

• Earn a Federal Aviation Remote Pilot Certificate with a Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Rating;
• Safely execute the rights and privileges of a remote pilot in command of a less than 55 pound small unmanned aircraft system;
• Safely maintain and repair a small unmanned aircraft system;
• Perform safety inspections and explain the benefits of recordkeeping;
• Collect and process a variety of aerial data into meaningful information.

Gainful Employment Disclosure

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1801014.