Professional Pilot Bachelor's Degree

Thrilling flights. Panoramic views. Adventurous opportunities. The life of a professional pilot is full of exhilarating moments.

Offered as a bachelor's degree, K-State Salina's award-winning professional pilot program is the perfect place to begin your aviation journey. Boasting a premium fleet of 30+ aircraft and flight training devices and a large and active regional airport steps away from the classroom, your education and experience will far outreach the highest of expectation.

Why our program?

Our flight operations curriculum does more than train pilots – students receive training above and beyond the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) minimum requirements, creating professionals that are confident to fly in all conditions, troubleshoot and solve problems, make ethical decisions and exceed the expectations of the aviation industry. With the degree option's longstanding history at the university, K-State Aerospace and Technology Campus has turned people passionate about aviation into the best pilots in the skies.

K-State Salina's professional pilot degree option is FAA regulation part 141 approved, allowing students to complete commercial pilot training in as little as 190 hours instead of 250 hours, for a bachelor's degree. The training also allows students to qualify for a Restricted Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (R-ATP) in as few as 1,000 hours instead of 1,500 for a bachelor's degree. (Students are required to meet the minimum credits for R-ATP approved courses. Earning a degree does not equate to an automatic R-ATP.) The R-ATP can be beneficial to students by providing them the ability to fly for the airlines earlier. Training and education is provided by our elite staff, comprised of experts with years of both industry and education experience.

 

Program Details

K-State Salina students are pursuing a collegiate-level aviation degree. Academic courses and flight instruction complement each other in a holistic college experience that prepares students for future aviation careers. Every attempt is made to balance student enrollment and available flight training resources with safety and quality instruction.

Unprecedented demand for the flight training program means students are not guaranteed a flight instruction slot upon enrollment. Waitlists, a common occurrence in Part 141 flight programs, are utilized to ensure fair entrance into flight training for all students as spots become available.

Students are added to a training list at the time of enrollment for each rating. Once a flight instruction slot is available, students are assigned a dedicated flight time that aligns with their academic schedules. Students not given a flight instruction slot are not required to pay for enrollment in the flight lab until placed in a flight instruction slot. Academic advisors work closely with students to ensure appropriate course load enrollment is maintained to continue progression towards degree completion.

 

What to Expect

 

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