Our Programs | Key Factors | Careers
Aviation management and development go far beyond air carrier schedules and airport planning. While business functions that are unique to aviation are important for students of aviation management to understand, there is much more going on behind the scenes of the modern aviation industry. Like everything else, aviation is a business and it is unique. Diving into and further examining management concerns and other concepts as they apply to the business of aviation is essential to the continued success of the industry. Studying at an aviation management university like Florida Tech, students have the opportunity to explore a variety of subjects such as airport planning and design, public relations, airport operations, finance, and marketing. Florida Tech offers an aviation management degree program at the undergraduate level and an airport management and development degree at the master’s level. Bachelor’s and Master's level aviation management degrees are also offered online through Florida Institute of Technology.
Our Programs
As the complexity of our social and regulatory environment increases, the dedicated study of management and development becomes more and more important to the aviation industry. Business professionals with the knowledge and understanding to successfully navigate the complex regulatory environment of aviation and implement more effective and progressive business practices are invaluable to the aviation industry.
Aviation Management B.S.
The Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management program prepares students to work in air transportation management or airport management and development. Graduates earn a strong foundation in marketing, logistics, finance, and advanced airfield planning software. Students interested in pursuing a job in the cockpit have the option to pursue their aviation management degree with the flight option. Aviation management with flight provides a strong background in management principles and prepares students for a career as a professional pilot. Graduates with the flight option earn at least commercial, instrument, and multi-engine ratings.
Aviation Management with Flight Option B.S.
Graduates of the Aviation Management with Flight program are prepared for a career as a professional pilot with a strong foundation in aviation business, air transportation management, as well as airport management and development. Graduates earn at minimum their commercial, multi-engine, and instrument ratings. The educational background in air transportation management and airport management and development in addition to professional pilot training leaves graduates prepared to pursue nearly any aviation related career path or advanced degree they desire.
Airport Development and Management M.S.A.
The Airport Management and Development degree program is designed to give students the tools they need to be successful leaders at modern airports. Students learn to identify industry trends and challenges and learn the latest technologies that are available. This degree is particularly relevant for students with a baccalaureate degree in aviation and those who have already worked in the aviation industry. This airport development and management degree prepares students to pursue advanced careers in airline or airport management, aviation consulting, or airport operations. Students of the airport management and development degree have the opportunity to focus their studies on management or development.
Doctor of Aviation Av.D.
The Doctor of Aviation is designed to prepare working professionals in aviation with the capacity and experience needed to make scholarly contributions that enhance and promote practice within the aviation profession and to assume leadership positions within their organization. The focus of the Av.D. is applied and intended for the practitioner, with the dissertation research typically involving a practical field problem oriented for business/industry practitioners. The program is cohort-based, with new cohorts entering the program each fall term and is designed so cohorts can complete the program in as few as three years with the last year dedicated to the dissertation component.
Online Programs
The College of Aeronautics also offers the following programs online:
Key Factors in Aviation Management and Development
Broad Field, Narrow Focus
It is simply not enough to explore aviation management and development in a few broad classes. Florida Tech’s approach to aviation management and development breaks down the fields into more specific classes examining marketing, air transportation management, economic and fiscal management, and business development. Of course, comprehensive courses and projects have their place too. Students use business simulations, internships, and advanced research to see how management and development principles are employed to make real-world airports and aviation businesses more successful.
Airport Business Development
Airport development is essential for the continued success of any airport. Development works to ensure that the infrastructure of an airport is appropriate for its level of activities and can be flexible and affordable enough to cope with ever changing political and economic conditions. Students of airport development consider capital project development issues, emphasizing project definition, funding, project administration and coordination, marketing, and property management of airside and landside facilities. Airport development also considers civil engineering topics and principles such as construction cost engineering, real property and water rights, and environmental planning laws and requirements.
Airport Planning and Design
Students exploring airport planning and design at Florida Tech have the opportunity to learn from industry veterans and gain experience on the latest technology available. Students focus heavily on airside components of airport design and learn to work with the FAA’s standards. Students gain exposure to and understanding of a wide range of key factors in airport design from terminal buildings and capacity calculations to approach gradients and taxiway design.
Students also gain experience with some of the most advanced airport planning and design software available. These programs, such as AutoCAD® and Three-Dimensional Airspace Analysis Program (3DAAP), allow designers to model the physical layout of the airport and visualize how airport operations might impact local communities.
Careers in Aviation Management and Development
Graduates of aviation management and development programs are prepared to pursue entry-level and advanced positions at airports and with aviation businesses and organizations around the United States and around the world. The field of aviation management is undeniably broad, with a wide variety of job functions from airport operations and security to marketing and finance, airport management jobs abound. In addition to a diverse variety of job functions in the field of aviation management, the locations of those jobs are comparably diverse. Students choosing to pursue the aviation management with flight degree are prepared for a career as a pilot for an airline, corporate flight department, private owner, or a wide variety of other career paths.
Positions in Aviation Management
Graduates of the College of Aeronautics can be found in many different kinds of aviation management jobs in all corners of the aviation industry. Potential employers include aircraft manufacturers, private aircraft charter outfits, airport operations teams, fixed base operators, and airlines just to name a few of the seeming endless list of possibilities.
Jobs graduates might find in airport management include such positions as:
- Airport Manager
- Human Resources Manager
- Airport Operations Manager
- Freight and Cargo Management
- Airport Assistant Manager
- Security Director
- Director of Infrastructure Management
- Airfield Operator
- Aviation Program Manager
- Airport Building Systems Manager
- Air Traffic Control
- Business Development Officer
- Air Service Research and Development