Program Type(s)
Associate of Science Degree
Program Goals
The Drone Technology program provides students with skills to gain employment or launch entrepreneurial endeavors in fields that employ images and videos collected with Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or Drones. The Drone Technology degree covers the theories and techniques necessary in the responsible gathering, processing, dissemination, and integration of UAS data. Students enrolled in the program will be prepared to take the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations (Part 107) aeronautical knowledge test for commercial operation of drones. The program prepares students for entry level positions such as aerial photographer and videographer, mapping technician, and precision agricultural science technician. Since UAS has broad applications in a number of fields, the positions listed above are only a small sample of the career pathways that graduates will qualify for. In particular, the occupations listed are based on the leading industries within California that have applied for commercial UAS exemption with the Federal Aviation Administration according to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (http://www.auvsi.org/advocacy/exemptions70). The associate’s degree program focuses on:
i. Understanding federal, state, and local regulations governing safe and responsible operation, licensing and registration requirements, and privacy concerns.
ii. Describing the functions and limitations of various UAS hardware components (e.g. battery, gimbal, GPS module, flight controller, frame, sensor), and identifying the appropriate components for particular applications.
iii. Designing, implementing, evaluating, revising, and communicating manual and automated flight plans to meet different client requirements.
iv. Demonstrating the ability to apply, communicate, and implement crew resource management principles and risk mitigation strategies.
v. Analyzing technical problems within the UAS and identifying appropriate solutions.
vi. Processing and disseminating data gathered from UAS using a variety of third party software packages.
vii. Understanding the social, economic, and legal implications of UAS on individuals, organizations, and society.
viii. Evaluating the financial, marketing, legal, human resource, operations, and general management skills that are essential to successfully launch and operate a successful new venture;
ix. Identifying and evaluating approaches of entering an entrepreneurship venture – including but not limited to starting a new venture, buying an existing business, or becoming a franchisee.
x. Students will have a base of applied knowledge to transfer in to a bachelor degree program in Business.