Commercial sUAS (Drone) Pilot
This program is intended to prepare students to successfully operate small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) in a commercial setting. Specifically, this program provides students with the requisite knowledge to pass the Federal Aviation Administration's Part 107 examination and obtain commercial licensure. Targeted individuals are those with an interest in utilizing sUAS technology for data acquisition and decision support in fields such as agriculture, public safety, utilities, surveying, insurance, real estate, and cinematography. As these skills are applicable across several fields, multiple-use cases will be highlighted throughout the program.
Work and Employment
This program will train students within the CTE areas of agriculture and agricultural education, business, marketing, computer education, technology and engineering education, and family and consumer sciences. Students who are interested in the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Career Clusters could find jobs within the fields of agricultural production, precision agriculture, pest management, wildlife management, or forestry. Students will also be prepared for entry-level employment with the Business, Marketing, and Computer Education CTE areas for positions in urban and regional planning, marketing, digital communications, and insurance. Students in the Technology and Engineering area would qualify for positions in transportation, distribution, logistics, law enforcement and national security, architecture, surveying, and video technology and film. In the Family and Consumer Science area, employment possibilities would include inspections for insurance or real estate purposes and promoting tourism through aerial photography.
Estimated Program Cost
The following figures are based on 2024-25 tuition and fee rates and the course fees in the Class Schedule for the required minimum number 3 credit hours.
| In-District | Out-of-District | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $450.00 | $1,080.00 | $1,206.00 |
| Fees | $54.00 | $54.00 | $54.00 |
| Course Fees | * $0.00 | * $0.00 | * $0.00 |
| Total Tuition and Fees | $504.00 | $1,134.00 | $1,260.00 |
* Note: Course fees may vary depending upon the classes that a student completes within an academic program. The course fee above is only an estimation and represents the maximum course fees possible; it is likely that course fees will be lower than the estimation above.