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Aviation Technology

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academics: Undergraduate

Professional Flight Technology (BS) Plan of Study

Credit Hours Required for Bachelor Degree: 124

The professional flight technology program is designed for persons interested in a career as a pilot for a regional or major airline, corporate flight department, or general aviation. The plan of study is structured into an academically oriented, four-year baccalaureate degree program where contemporary collegiate coursework is blended with progressive aviation studies. Within the first two years, students earn a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating and study traditional subjects including English, calculus, and physics. The multi-engine rating is acquired either during semester four or semester five.

An additional fee is assessed for each flight and flight training device course. Students meeting the requirements of this coursework earn an Associate of Science Degree and have an unrestricted U.S. FAA Commercial Pilot certificate, single-engine land, and an unrestricted U.S. FAA Instrument rating.  Flight & simulator fee information is available from the Bursar.

The final two years of the program emphasize transport category aircraft systems,  provide extensive transport category flight simulator experience, crew resource management training, advanced navigation, advanced meteorology, and turbine aircraft flight training.

 


Semester 1

Course Number
Course Name
Credit Hours
AT 100
Intro. to Aviation Tech. 
1
AT 144  Fund. of Flight 
4
AT 145 Private Pilot Flight
2
ENGL SEL English Selective
3
MA 159 Pre-Calculus
5
TOTAL
15

Semester 2

Course Number
Course Name
Credit Hours
AT 147
Aircraft Proulsion Systems
3
AT 231 Human Factors for Flight
2
AT 243 Commercial Flight I 
2
EAS 221 Meteorology
3
COM 114 Speech Communications
3
MA 221 Calculus
3
TOTAL
16

* Note - Students may be required to complete one abbreviated summer session following their second semester for AT 245.  This may be accomplished on or off campus.

Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
AT 245
Cross-country flight 
1 

 

Semester 3
Course Number Course Name
Credit Hours
AT 210 Ground Trainer I
1
AT 247
 Aircraft Operating Systems
3
AT 248 Commercial Flight II
2
AT 249 Instrument Flight Lectures
4
ECON 210
 Economics
3
PSY 120 Element. Psychology
3
TOTAL
16
Semester 4
Course Number Course Name
Credit Hours
AT 211 Ground Trainer II 
1
AT 253 
Instrument Flight 
2
AT 254 Commercial Flight Lectures
4
PHYS 
Physics Selective 
4
ELECTIVE Elective
3
TOTAL
14

Criteria Necessary to Become a Junior in Professional Flight

The flight faculty has established minimum standards for sophomores to proceed into the junior year. In general, students:

  • Must have at least 30 hours of non-aviation collegiate level coursework applicable to the professional flight plan of study taken at Purdue or directly transferable to Purdue.
  • An unrestricted U.S. FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate, single engine land.
  • An unrestricted U.S. FAA Instrument Rating Airplane. 
  • An FAA medical certificate valid for at least second - class privileges.
  • A minimum cumulative overall (not semester) grade point average of 2.5 out of 4.0 in all coursework.
  • A minimum cumulative overall (not semester) grade point average of 2.5 out of 4.0 in all AT coursework.
  • All AT coursework within the first two years of the flight curriculum must be taken as graded;the pass/no-pass option is not allowed.

 NOTE: Non-flight majors wishing to transfer into professional flight as juniors must also meet these requirements and are accepted on a space available, academically competitive basis.

Semester 5
Course Number Course Name
Credit Hours
AT 300 Aviation Infrastructure
3
AT 321 Transport Aircraft Operations Lectures I
2
AT 323 Transport Aircraft Operations Lab I
1
AT 353 Multi-engine Flight
1
AT 354 Turbine Flight Op. Lect.
2
AT 355 Transport Aircraft Systems & Op. I
4
PHYS 
Physics Selective 
4
TOTAL
17
Semester 6
Course Number Course Name
Credit Hours
AT 301 Crew Resource Mgmt.
2
AT 327 Advanced Transport FLight Operations
3
AT 322 Transport Aircraft Op. Lectures II
2
AT 324 Transport Aircraft Op. Lab II
1
EAS 325 Aviation Meteorology
3
AT 356 Turbine Flight Op. Lab
2
AT 384 Transport Aircraft Systems and Operations II
2
TOTAL
15
Semester 7
Course Number Course Name
Credit Hours
AT 400 Aviation Prof. Issues
1
AT 416
Airline Indoctrination
2
AT 465 Transport Category Operations Lectures III
1
AT 467 Transport Category Operations Lab III
1
PFT Selective PFT Selective
3
OLS/MGMT OLS/MGMT Selective
3
TECH/COM Selective Technical Communication Sel.
3
TOTAL
14
Semester 8
Course Number Course Name
Credit Hours
AT 466/468 Transport Aircraft Ops Lecture/Lab
2
PFT Selective PFT Selective
6
English/COM Selective
3
Humanities Elective 
3
Free Elective
2
Globalization
0
TOTAL
16

AT Simulator Selective Sequences

All professional flight major students must complete at least two credit hours in at least one AT simulator selective sequence to graduate.  None of the courses in any of these sequences may be used for any elective requirements.

Sequence 1: B-727

  • AT 466 (1) Transport Aircraft Operations Lecture IV
  • AT 468 (1) Transport Aircraft Operations Lab IV

Sequence 2: Airline

This sequence requires special coordination, financial aid, and course sequencing.

  • AT 469 (2) Airline Copilot Operations 

PFT Selective Areas

Select 9 credit hours from the following courses:

  • AT 381 Aviation Security
  • AT 412 Aviation Finance
  • AT 433 Aviation Internship
  • AT 454 Human Factors
  • AT 475 Aviation Law
  • AT 481 Aviation Safety
  • MGMT 455 Legal Background for Business I
  • MGMT 456 Legal Background for Business II
  • OLS 284 Leadership Practices
  • OLS 331 Occupational Safety and Health
  • OLS 386 Leadership for Organizational Change
  • OLS 456 Leadership in a Global Environment

Or complete one of the following academic minors:

Or complete the Certificate in Entepreneurship and Innovation

Liberal Education Selectives

ENGL Comp (sem 2): ENGL 106/108

ENG/COM (Sem 8): COM 256, 315, 325, 415

OLS/MGMT Sel (Sem 7): ECON 251, 252, 570, MGMT 200, 323, OLS 252, 274

TECH COM Sel (Sem 7): COM 315, 320, 324, 412, 415, ENG 420, 421

HUM Elec (Sem 8): Humanities free elective

Globalization Requirement

Due to the international nature of the aviation industry, all B.S. degree students must complete a globalization requirement using any ONE of the following methods:

1. Complete a study abroad term.

2. Complete an internship outside the US.

3. Complete an AT-sponsored study trip (AT 452 & 453)

4. Provide documentation of having lived/traveled outside the US for at least 90 days after student's 12th birthday (does not have to be consecutive_.

5. Complete one of the following courses: AGRY 350; COM 224, 303, 424; CSR 332; OLS 456; POL 130; SOC 338, 341; ECON 368, 370; HTM 372.

6. Complete or place out of the Level IV course in any foreign language.

7. Participate in an approved international research project that involves at least 5 days of international travel.

 

 

 

 

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