An early start combined with summer classes allow first-year professional flight students to complete their degree and enter the workforce one year early.
WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. – Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s first-year students may now complete their bachelor’s degree in professional flight technology in just three years instead of the traditional four years, saving both time and money. Because their program will begin in June instead of August, students who take advantage of this new “Degree in 3” professional flight program will also get to fly sooner than other first-year professional flight students who begin in the fall.
The Polytechnic’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology announced the new Degree in 3 initiative that would allow select professional flight students to start their degree early this summer and complete the traditional four-year program in three years. As a result of this program, participating students will save approximately $20,000 to $30,000 in tuition and living expenses, and will enter the job market sooner — bringing the total value of this professional flight Degree in 3 program to more than $60,000.
“There is a global shortage of pilots and we are part of the solution,” said Manoj Patankar, the Raisbeck Engineering Professor of Aviation Technology and head of the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology. “This new three-year program expedites the process and makes our world-class professional flight degree more affordable.”
Summertime flying offers other advantages to professional flight students, according to Brian Dillman, associate professor in aviation and transportation technology. “The three-year program leverages better flying weather during Indiana’s summers and improves our aircraft utilization — a win-win solution for all.”
“Professional flight students in this new Degree in 3 program won’t take summers off,” added Patankar. “They’ll fly year-round, just like professional pilots in the airline industry.”
Students admitted to the professional flight program for fall 2019 who are likely to earn their private pilot certificate by June 1, 2019, and meet other selection criteria will be invited to participate in the new program. The School of Aviation and Transportation Technology has contacted all eligible professional flight students to determine their interest.
Students can find more information about the professional flight Degree in 3 program online at polytechnic.purdue.edu/degrees/professional-flight-degree-3-program.
About Purdue Polytechnic Institute
Purdue Polytechnic Institute, one of 10 academic colleges at Purdue University, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a range of disciplines: aviation, computing, construction management, engineering technology, technology leadership and technology education. In addition to Purdue University’s main campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue Polytechnic offers select degree programs in nine Indiana communities.
About Purdue Polytechnic’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology
Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, one of six departments and schools in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, administers seven world-class undergraduate majors and a graduate program, including an aviation-focused Ph.D. program in Technology. It is one of the most recognized programs for the quality of its graduates. Faculty members work closely with undergraduate and graduate students and all segments of the aviation industry to conduct research related to grand challenges in sustainability, safety and quality.
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