Aviation Science and Drone Technologies

Aim higher at Carroll. Unmanned aircraft systems – drones – are rapidly becoming part of everyday life. Drones have quickly become a critical technology in numerous businesses and industries, driving entirely new career fields. Drone technologies are now employed in the areas of environmental science, physics and engineering, criminal justice, business data acquisition and storytelling, forensics, chemistry, computer science and the visual and performing arts.

About the Program

Our Aviation Science and Drone Technologies major, part of the Applied Physics and Engineering program will provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to become an industry leader in a variety of drone-related fields, including small drone piloting, remote sensing system design and operations, mission planning and data analytics.

In this major, you'll gain a broad understanding of aviation science that includes drone operations. The major covers aspects of airspace regulation, flight controls, unmanned robotic systems, and drone applications to law enforcement operations and surveillance. This 48-credit hour program will provide a broad overview of aviation with hands-on, interactive learning to introduce you to drone technologies, computer programming and remote sensing while you develop new skills and build your academic resume. The major will provide a start-to-finish implementation experience, working on real-world projects from the early planning process to the long-term management and analysis stages.

Program Outcomes:

Upon graduation, an Aviation Science and Drone Technologies major will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of FAA and the National Airspace regulations
Plan and execute mapping missions using mobile applications
Interpret, analyze and evaluate data to produce meaningful reports and visual graphics
Design and build payload sensing technology platforms and systems
Read, write and apply Python and C++ coding to micro controller platforms
Demonstrate drone mastery through autonomous drone flights
Develop the skills and knowledge for further FAA or industry specific training in the non-engineering aerospace industry
Achieve FAA Remote Pilot certification
Plan and execute counter drone systems

Career Outlook

Drones are rapidly becoming integral to numerous industries, leading to nearly unlimited career opportunities. In addition to the careers listed below, aviation system and drone technologies majors may find employment as drone pilots, drone engineers and programmers, delivery drivers and transportation planners as well as positions in the construction, law enforcement and energy industries, among others. The sky really is the limit!