Our close-knit academic community provides small class sizes and ample one-on-one time with professors, ensuring personalized attention. At the same time, you’ll benefit from resources you’d expect to find at a larger university and the expertise of world-class faculty members.

College of Aeronautics faculty members are established experts in all aspects of aviation. They are pilots and experts in aviation law, safety, avionics and environmental science. We have faculty with expertise and experience in airport consulting, design and management, airline or general aviation management, aviation human factors, meteorology and air traffic control. 

Whether for student advising, academic assistance or internship and research mentorship, our faculty is available to mentor students.

At Florida Tech, you’ll find facilities and resources that measure up to other national aviation universities. Students benefit from our excellent facilities and aircraft fleet and a wide range of high-tech tools for hands-on learning and research, from wind tunnels and air quality monitoring systems to advanced modeling software.

At the Emil Buehler Center for Aviation Training and Research, just minutes from campus at Melbourne Orlando International Airport, students have access to our state-of-the-art aircraft fleet, featuring Piper planes equipped with cutting-edge glass cockpits. The center also houses facilities for weather and flight planning, simulators and more, providing a comprehensive environment for aviation training and research.

The College of Aeronautics’ Skurla Hall houses a first-rate computer lab equipped with a wide range of applications and networking capabilities, offering hands-on learning in aviation subjects such as airport design and planning.

Using computer-aided design (CAD) programs, you can complete projects in designing airports and airport terminals, and conduct experiments, such as noise studies. In the Basic Aviation Training Device (BATD) Lab, you can fly desktop simulators under the guidance of a flight instructor and practice air traffic control (ATC) operations, enhancing your aviation skills.

Our 130-acre campus is located in a high-tech corridor on Florida’s Space Coast—NASA-Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral is just north of us—and many high-tech corporations and government and military organizations are located nearby. Our location provides an abundance of internship and employment opportunities for our students.

If you like to fly, the sky’s all yours—we have over 300 days of ideal flying weather each year, and our College of Aeronautics is ranked as one of the safest flight schools in the U.S. Our aviation majors especially appreciate that Melbourne is home to an international commercial airport that is just a 10-minute drive from campus.

There’s plenty to do on the ground, as well! Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean, with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches, minutes from the Indian River Lagoon, the most biodiverse estuary in North America, and a short trip to the Florida Keys or the Orlando theme parks. We also have a rich campus life that includes a wide range of intramural and collegiate sports, clubs and social activities.

A signature feature of Florida Tech's aviation meteorology degree program is the opportunity for first-year students to collaborate with faculty on weather research, often starting on projects within their first few weeks on campus.

As an aviation meteorology student, you’ll carry out a capstone research project in your senior year, choosing from a wide variety of topics—such as thunderstorm development along sea breeze fronts or the effects of coastal buildings and landforms on wind behavior.

Students are also encouraged to take part in an annual national forecasting competition where they can compete with other meteorology students from around the country. (Florida Tech has claimed several winners over the years!)

Aviation meteorology students can intern at local companies in both the aviation and meteorology fields. Students have gained valuable experience through internships at organizations such as the National Weather Service, JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines.

Internships are an excellent way to explore career options while also making connections that can help later, when you are ready to start your career.

Interested in air traffic control? An air traffic control (ATC) specialization is offered in conjunction with the B.S. in aviation meteorology - flight.

This specialization provides in-depth knowledge of ATC and the aviation industry and hands-on experience with industry-standard air traffic control programs to ensure graduates have the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed as air traffic controllers.

The ATC specialization meets the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program and is FAA-approved.

Graduates of the AT-CTI program may be eligible to bypass the Air Traffic Basics Course covered during the first five weeks of qualification training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. You must successfully complete all required training at the FAA Academy for employment with the FAA.

Learn more about air traffic control at Florida Tech.

Florida Tech is a world-class aviation university, and one of the best schools for pilot training. University flight training is conducted under the provisions of Federal Aviation Regulations Part 141.

Flight training is an integrated series of four courses designed to qualify you for the Commercial Pilot Certificate with instrument and multiengine ratings and a minimum of 190 hours of flight training.

If you've had previous flight and ground training, advanced placement or transfer credit may be possible.

For safety and compliance with federal regulations special requirements apply to flight students, such as medical clearance and English language proficiency. Please see the university catalog for additional information.