Undergraduate Program Information
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BS - Aviation Meteorology
What is an Aviation Meteorology Degree?
Recognized by industry professionals and employers as one of the largest and most respected collegiate aviation programs in the nation, Florida Tech's College of Aeronautics offers world-class educational programs, including an aviation meteorology degree, that lead to both flight and non-flight careers. Students majoring in one of Florida Tech's seven aeronautics programs benefit from the personal attention of excellent faculty, active student organizations, a strong alumni network and impeccable flight conditions year-round. The aviation meteorology degree program provides a background in meteorology, aeronautical science and the appropriate physical sciences. A student completing the program meets the requirements of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management for employment by the federal government as a meteorologist. Graduates are prepared for careers with major airlines, corporate aviation and the FAA, as well as international organizations.
The Florida Institute of Technology College of Aeronautics (CoA) also offers an Air Traffic Control (ATC) concentration in conjunction with any of its seven bachelor of science degrees. The ATC concentration meets the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program and is FAA approved.
Advantages
Why Florida Tech: Year-round flying conditions Recognized as one of the safest flight schools in the U.S. 94% of flight training is in actual aircraft, not simulators Flight students average 250 - 300 flight hours Established agreements with major airlines New 12,000 -square-foot flight center New and refurbished fleet of Piper aircraft Aviation master's and accelerated MBA programs available to graduates
The Numbers: There are 15 full-time faculty in the College of Aeronautics
Facilities: The College of Aeronautics faculty and administrative offices, laboratories and academic classrooms are located in George M. Skurla Hall on the main campus in Melbourne, Fla. F.I.T. Aviation LLC conducts flight training at the nearby Melbourne International Airport. Just opened is the new Emil Buehler Flight Center for Aviation Education and Research. The Florida Tech Fleet consists of 24 new and refurbished aircraft, among them Piper Warriors/Cadets, Piper Seminoles, Cessna 172Ss, a Cirrus SR-22, an American Champion Citabria Aurora, and Fidelity and Frasca simulators
Learning
Clubs and Organizations: Collegiate Aviation Business Executives,Women in Aviation International,The Falcons Intercollegiate Flight Team,Alpha Eta Rho
Research: Research interests of professors include human factors, airport management, airport planning and design, and flight training optimization
Internships and Cooperative Learning: Because of its long-standing relationships with various airlines and aviation companies, the College of Aeronautics is able to provide students with a variety of attractive internship opportunities. Students take internships at nearly every major U.S. airline, shadowing chief pilots or doing work in safety or flight standards and training. The College of Aeronautics has established cooperative relationships with many local companies in order to provide students with enhanced learning experiences both in and outside of the classroom. Companies providing guest speakers, field trip experiences and other opportunites to Florida Tech students include: Avidyne Corporation, Harris Corporation, Kennedy Space Center, Liberty Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Martin Marietta, Northrop Grumman, and United Space Alliance.
Future Outcomes
Outcomes - Grad School: Because Florida Tech is the forerunner of terminal degrees in aviation, students interested in graduate study often choose to pursue a master's degree or doctorate here. Some have gone on to take classes at other renowned graduate schools, while others have entered law school both in the United States and abroad. Typical graduate students study aviation human factors, applied aviation safety, airport development and management, and aviation law and business.
Outcomes - Career and Salary: College of Aeronautics graduates with an aviation meteorology degree take jobs as airline pilots, airline managers, airport managers or secure positions within various areas of general and commercial aviation at companies including Birk Hillman Airport Consulting Services, the Federal Department of Transportation, Flight Safety International, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Four Star Aviation, Garrett Aviation, the Department of Homeland Security and countless international airports. Most get their start by logging hours as flight instructors and quickly move on to begin careers as commercial pilots in the world's top airline companies including Air Tran Airways, American Eagle Airlines, American Airlines, Ameriflight, Continental Express, Delta, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines Inc., United Airlines and US Airways.
Curriculum
Curriculum program plans shown reflect current degree requirements. Previous academic year requirements can be accessed from the catalog page by choosing the appropriate academic year.
Bachelor of Science in Aviation Meteorology
| Major Code: | 7106 | Degree Awarded: | Bachelor of Science |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery Mode(s): | Classroom | Location(s): | Main Campus - Melbourne |
| Admission Status: | Undergraduate | Age Restriction: | No |
This curriculum provides a background in meteorology, aeronautical science and the appropriate physical sciences. A student completing the program meets the requirements of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management for employment by the federal government as a meteorologist. Graduates are prepared for careers with major airlines, corporate aviation and the FAA, as well as international organizations.
B.S. and M.S. degrees in meteorology are also offered in the College of Engineering.
Freshman Year
| FALL | CREDITS | |
| ASC 1000 | University Experience | 1 |
| AVS 1201 | Aviation Meteorology | 3 |
| AVT 1001 | Aeronautics 1 | 3 |
| COM 1101 | Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
| CSE 1503 | Software Development with FORTRAN (CL) |
3 |
| MTH 1001 | Calculus 1 | 4 |
| 17 | ||
| SPRING | CREDITS | |
| AVT 2201 | National Airspace Systems | 3 |
| COM 1102 | Writing About Literature | 3 |
| MTH 1002 | Calculus 2 | 4 |
| PHY 1001 | Physics 1 | 4 |
| PHY 2091 | Physics Lab 1 | 1 |
| 15 | ||
Sophomore Year
| FALL | CREDITS | |
| COM 2012 | Research Sources and Systems | 1 |
| HUM 2051 | Civilization 1 | 3 |
| MTH 2001 | Calculus 3 | 4 |
| MTH 2401 | Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| PHY 2002 | Physics 2 | 4 |
| PHY 2092 | Physics Lab 2 | 1 |
| 16 | ||
| SPRING | CREDITS | |
| AVS 1202 | Introduction to Aviation Physiology | 1 |
| AVS 2102 | Aerodynamics | 3 |
| COM 2223 | Scientific and Technical Communication | 3 |
| MTH 2201 | Differential Equations/Linear Algebra | 4 |
| OCN 2407 | Meteorology | 3 |
| Humanities Core Course* | 3 | |
| 17 | ||
Junior Year
| FALL | CREDITS | |
| AVT 3203 | Air Traffic Control | 3 |
| MET 3401 | Synoptic Meteorology 1 | 3 |
| OCN 3430 | Fundamentals of Geophysical Fluids | 3 |
| PHY 3060 | Thermodynamics | 4 |
| Humanities Elective | 3 | |
| 16 | ||
| SPRING | CREDITS | |
| AVS 3201 | Aviation Meteorology 2 | 3 |
| MET 3402 | Synoptic Meteorology 2 | 3 |
| Free Elective |
3 | |
| Social Science Elective | 3 | |
| 12 | ||
Senior Year
| FALL | CREDITS | |
| AVM 4501 | Air Transportation Management | 3 |
| AVT 4301 | Aviation Safety | 3 |
| MET 4233 | Remote Sensing for Meteorology | 3 |
| MET 4305 | Atmospheric Dynamics 1 | 3 |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| 15 | ||
| SPRING | CREDITS | |
| AVM 4302 | Aviation Law | 3 |
| MET 4306 | Atmospheric Dynamics 2 | 3 |
| MET 4310 | Climatology | 3 |
| SPS 4030 | Physics of the Atmosphere | 3 |
| Restricted Elective (Aviation) (Q) |
3 | |
| 15 | ||
TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED 123
| *Humanities Core Courses | |
| HUM 2052 | Civilization 2: Renaissance Through Modern |
| HUM 2142 | World Art History 2: Early Modern to Post-Colonial |
| HUM 2212 | English and American Literature 1 |
| HUM 2213 | English and American Literature 2 |
| HUM 2331 | American History: Pre-Columbian to Civil War Era |
| HUM 2332 | American History: From Reconstruction to the Present |
Not all humanities core courses are offered online or every term; check the current schedule of classes for humanities core options.
Air Traffic Control Program
The college offers an air traffic control (ATC) specialization in conjunction with any of its seven bachelor’s degrees. The ATC specialization meets the requirements of the FAA’s Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program and is FAA-approved.
This program provides graduates with in-depth knowledge of ATC and the aviation industry to ensure graduates possess the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed in testing and training, and as air traffic controllers.
While no AT–CTI program graduates are guaranteed employment, the FAA considers these graduates to be a valuable hiring source for air traffic control specialist positions nationwide. On successful completion of this program and recommendation from the dean, graduates are further required by the FAA to achieve a passing score on the FAA-administered Air Traffic Selection and Training (AT-SAT) test battery, attend the FAA academy (bypassing the first five weeks) and successfully complete the on-site initial qualification training.
Curriculum
To successfully complete this program in conjunction with a bachelor’s degree from the College of Aeronautics, the following seven named courses (21 credit hours) must be completed either as required courses within a degree, as electives or as a combination of both.
| AVT 1001 | Aeronautics 1 | 3 |
| AVS 1201 | Aviation Meteorology | 3 |
| AVS 2101 | Aerodynamics | 3 |
| AVT 4301 | Aviation Safety. | 3 |
| AVT 2201 | National Airspace Systems | 3 |
| AVT 3201 | Air Traffic Control 1 | 3 |
| AVT 4302 | Air Traffic Control 2 | 3 |




