Airport Development and Management, MSA

In the airport development and management MSA program, you'll learn from faculty with deep professional and academic expertise.

Their backgrounds span airport consulting and design, airline and general aviation management, aviation law and safety, avionics, meteorology, air traffic control and human factors, with many also serving as commercial, private or military pilots.

Faculty not only teach but also contribute actively to the field through research and publications. Their work is widely cited in areas such as:

• Airport development and design
• Airport noise modeling
• Aviation safety management systems (SMS) and security
• Aviation computer applications
• Airline equipment financing and fleet management
• Environmental impacts of airport operations
• Situation awareness and aeronautical decision-making
• Operational challenges in the U.S. National Airspace System and NEXTGEN

This blend of teaching and real-world expertise ensures your learning reflects current practices and emerging innovations in aviation management.

Studying in Florida, one of the most active aviation regions in the U.S., connects you with leading companies and agencies in the industry.

Florida Tech’s 130-acre campus lies in the heart of a high-tech corridor on Florida’s Space Coast, just south of NASA-Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. Nearby are major corporations and government organizations. Together with our proximity to the airport, this setting provides outstanding opportunities for internships, research and career development—an ideal environment for immersion in aviation.

Located just 2.5 miles from campus, the Melbourne Orlando International Airport is home to our Emil Buehler Center for Aviation Training and Research, with aircraft maintenance facilities, briefing rooms and an impressive fleet of training aircraft. Many students complete internships at the airport and the Buehler Center. With more than 300 days of ideal flying weather each year, our location is also a pilot’s dream.

Our campus is beautiful, welcoming and safe. When it’s time to relax, you’re just over the causeway from 72 miles of Atlantic beaches, minutes from the Indian River Lagoon and a short trip from the Florida Keys and Orlando’s theme parks.

As a full-featured research university, Florida Tech gives airport development and management students a strong technical foundation.

Students have access to advanced tools including wind tunnels, air quality monitoring systems and high-end modeling software. For those interested in airport design, noise modeling, environmental science or physical infrastructure, Florida Tech provides the resources and expertise to explore these topics in depth.

Internships give you the chance to apply what you learn in real aviation settings.

Working with approved industry or government organizations, you’ll take on advanced management or research projects in aviation operations and enterprises. Each internship includes a detailed written professional analysis of your experience, helping you connect practice with theory.

At Florida Tech, hands-on internships at the Melbourne Orlando International Airport and the Emil Buehler Center for Aviation Training and Research give students practical experience managing airport operations, personnel, security and infrastructure.

Florida Tech is a core university in the Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility and Sustainability (PEGASAS), an FAA Center of Excellence for General Aviation.

Faculty and students contribute to research on airport safety, operations and emerging technologies—work that directly influences U.S. national aviation policy and practice.

MSA students learn from faculty shaping the future of aviation, with access to research on safety management systems, airport infrastructure and National Airspace System challenges—ensuring your education reflects the latest industry needs.

At Florida Tech, you’ll find a welcoming campus that’s safe, vibrant and globally connected. Students from across the U.S. and around the world come together to share perspectives, learn from one another and build lasting friendships. Whether you’re an international student exploring life in the U.S. or a U.S. student eager to broaden your horizons, you’ll discover a community that feels like home.

This program is designed for professionals with bachelor’s degrees in aviation-related fields or those with non-aviation degrees who have gained aviation foundational knowledge through experience and now require more specialized knowledge.

Even if your background is outside aviation, such as an engineering, management or related degree, you may still be admitted—prerequisite coursework may be stipulated by the College of Aeronautics to help you get started with confidence if you are making the transition into the field.

For more information, please see our graduate admission requirements, or start your application now!