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The History of Aviation Management
The Aviation Management (AM) program was developed in the mid-1980s (then know as Aviation Administration Technology) to fulfill a need for students interested in a career in aviation, but not wishing to pursue the rigorous certification requirements found in the flight or aeronautical curricula. This program also served for a period of time as a vehicle for an approved FAA Airway Science curriculum. Like the other departmental programs, AM is technically a 2 + 2 program. Like Aeronautical Engineering Technology, it operates for all practical purposes as a four-year program.
During the first few years of the program, Air Traffic Control was given a major emphasis. As the program developed two more specialty areas were added: Airline Management and Airport Management. All students take a "capstone" course in one of those three areas. As with most management-related programs, AM draws heavily upon course offerings of other schools, particularly the School of Management. The aviation faculty builds on the knowledge learned in the "basic" courses and applies this to the specialized needs of the aviation industry.
Although only in existence for slightly over fifteen years, the AM program has received excellent recognition from the aviation industry. This program is staffed by the equivalent of seven full-time staff and is offered both on the West Lafayette campus and at the Indianapolis Statewide Technology site.