Aviation and Aerospace Science

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The mission of the Aviation and Aerospace Science Department (AVS) is to provide students seeking careers in aviation and aerospace with a high quality education through excellence in teaching, such that our graduates are well prepared to compete in their chosen professions. Ongoing close contacts with the many aviation and aerospace businesses and entities in Colorado provide employment, cooperative education, and internship opportunities for students and graduates. The Department is dedicated to developing graduates with the intellectual and practical skills needed to succeed. Colorado is a center for innovation in aviation and aerospace, in particular, the development of new types of aircraft and in the development of commercial space applications.

Programs

The Department fulfills its mission by offering Bachelor of Science degrees with concentrations in Aviation Management and Aviation Technology.

• Aviation Management (AMG) Major, B.S. 
• Aviation Technology (ATV) Major, B.S. 

Aviation Management Concentration

Aerospace Management,* for those interested in the management of aviation businesses such as fixed base operators (FBOs), airports, or airlines.

Aviation Technology Concentrations

Professional Flight Officer, for students wishing to pursue a professional pilot flight career.

Aerospace Operations,* for those interested in a career in aviation or aerospace operations that may not require a commercial pilot certificate, or for those planning to pursue a military career.

Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) for those interested in careers as FAA air traffic controllers.

*A 12 semester-hour Space Commercialization emphasis is available for these concentrations. This emphasis will provide graduates the opportunity of employment in an important and expanding part of the Colorado and national economy.

Note: Degree programs in Aerospace Systems Engineering Technology (ASET) and Aerospace Physics may be developed through the Center for Individualized Learning.

Minors and Certificates

• Aviation Management Minor 
• Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics Minor 
• Private Pilot Minor 
• Airport Management Certificate 
• Space Commercialization Certificate 

The department offers the following minors: Aviation Management, Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics, and Private Pilot. A Space Commercialization minor is available for development through the Center for Individualized Learning.  These minors are designed to afford majors in other disciplines the opportunity to develop an understanding of the aviation and aerospace industries. AVS majors may not elect the Aviation Management or Aviation Technology minors, with the exception that Aviation Technology majors may minor in Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics.

Certificate programs in Airport Management and Space Commercialization are also offered. Students must complete each course in the certificate programs with a grade of “C” or better.

Students holding an FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) or an FAA Aircraft Dispatcher certificate may be awarded transfer credit toward the Bachelor of Science degree: 25 semester hours for the A&P certificate and 12 semester hours for the Aircraft Dispatcher certificate. Any student seeking such credit must provide a copy of the appropriate FAA certificate with the application for credit to the Aviation and Aerospace Science Department. (Note: Courses leading to Airframe and Powerplant certification are not offered by MSU Denver.)

World Indoor Airport Access

The Aviation and Aerospace Science Department includes a unique flight simulation laboratory known as the World Indoor Airport (WIA). This integrated flight and air traffic control simulator lab features a variety of FAA-approved flight training devices. A crew resource management laboratory, flight planning station, and student computer tutorial laboratory are included in the WIA.

Please note that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires that all AVS students enrolled in flight simulator courses present evidence of U.S. citizenship in the form of a U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, original birth certificate, government photo ID, or another form of documentation. Students who are not U.S. citizens must register with the TSA. See the Department for more information.

Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI)

MSU Denver’s Aviation and Aerospace Science Department is an FAA-designated AT-CTI Program - part of the FAA Collegiate Training Initiative that provides a pathway to a career as an FAA air traffic controller. Students who successfully complete an AT-CTI program and who are recommended to the FAA by the AT-CTI school receive preferential hiring consideration, as do those with military air traffic control experience.

FAA hiring requirements under the AT-CTI program include:

• completing an FAA-approved AT-CTI Program
• receiving a degree from an FAA-approved AT-CTI school
• obtaining a recommendation from an authorized AT-CTI school official
• providing proof of U.S. citizenship
• achieving a score of 70% or above on the FAA Air Traffic Selection and Training (AT-SAT) test battery
• being less than 31 years of age when starting duty in an FAA terminal or enroute facility
• meeting FAA medical, security, and suitability requirements
• successfully completing an interview to determine whether the candidate possesses the personal characteristics needed for air traffic control work
• being able to speak English clearly enough to be understood over radios, intercoms, and similar communications equipment

Neither completing MSU Denver’s AT-CTI Program, receiving a recommendation to the FAA from MSU Denver, nor passing the AT-SAT test battery guarantees an employment offer from the FAA.

FAA FAR Part 141-Approved Ground School

MSU Denver’s Aviation and Aerospace Science Department is an FAA FAR Part 141-approved ground school for the Private, Instrument, Commercial, and Flight and Ground Instructor FAA certificates and ratings.

FAA FAR Part 142

Full-time Aviation and Aerospace Science faculty are qualified under FAA FAR Part 142 to conduct approved ground training for the Beech 1900D Turbo-Propeller airliner. The instruction affords a student an opportunity to combine this curriculum with simulator training provided by a local private corporation leading toward a Beech 1900 type rating. Costs for using the simulator are separate from normal college tuition and fees. Private corporation training costs are subject to change and additional training requirements may also increase total cost.

Flight Training

Flight training is arranged by the student independent of the AVS Department. Aviation Technology students may obtain their FAA flight certificates and ratings from any FAA training program under FAR Part 61, 141, or 142, and submit the certificates to the AVS Department before graduation. The cost of flight training is in addition to regular tuition and other college fees. This cost varies depending upon how frequently a student is able to fly and the time required to become proficient.

Flight Courses and Financial Aid

Students who wish to obtain additional financial aid for flight training should consult with the Financial Aid office and AVS for permission to enroll in any flight course (AES 1500, AES 2500, AES 3520, AES 4500, AES 4510, AES 4520, AES 4530, and AES 4550). Flight courses are graded as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory and cannot be used as electives for any concentration.

Credit for FAA Certificates and Ratings and/or Prior Aviation Experience

Students enrolling in AVS programs who already have flight certificates, ratings, and/or other aviation experience have several options:

• Those with FAA certificates and ratings, but without significant aviation-related work experience, may substitute, with the approval of the AVS Department, more advanced AVS courses for the basic required courses pertaining to the certificates or ratings held.
• Those with a record of aviation-related employment may apply for credit for college-level learning gained through experience by submitting a prior learning portfolio to the Center for Individualized Learning. In the portfolio the student describes and documents learning equivalent to specific AVS courses listed in the Catalog. The portfolio is evaluated and assessed by the AVS Department and credit is awarded on the basis of this evaluation.
• The charge for each credit hour requested is one-half the in-state tuition for one credit hour (see Alternative Credit Options in the catalog).
• Complete an Individualized Degree Program through the Center for Individualized Learning. This option provides an opportunity to design a major or minor program to meet specific educational goals not met by existing AVS programs (see Special Academic Programs).

Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements

All students must complete the 34 hours of General Studies specified by the AVS Department. The Aviation and Aerospace Science Department Handbook, available in the Department office, SS 102, lists required General Studies courses, each concentration with a recommended course sequence, and AVS policies and procedures. Students should schedule an advising session with an AVS faculty member early in their first semester in the Department and each semester thereafter.

A grade of at least “C” is required in all upper division courses listed as part of the major, whether or not they are AES courses, including electives. This  requirement does not apply to the minor or to General Studies.

General Studies Required Courses

Note: Students may satisfy the Global Diversity requirement by completing any course designated as Global Diversity within one of the Arts and Humanities, Historical, or Natural and Physical Sciences General Studies course categories. Students may also use an unrestricted elective to satisfy this requirement. (See General Studies requirements .)

Approved AES Electives

An ”Approved AES Elective” may be any AES course not required in a concentration with the exception of these flight courses: AES 1500, AES 2500, AES 3520, AES 4500, AES 4510, AES 4520, AES 4530, and AES 4550.

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