Florida Tech combines the benefits and resources of a larger school (think world-class faculty members, high-tech facilities and a high-quality curriculum) with a close-knit academic community, small class sizes and one-on-one time with professors.

Florida Tech’s 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. If it’s about aeronautical science, our faculty know it, teach it and research it.

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.

The B.S. in aeronautical science with flight is certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to receive the maximum time reduction allowed toward the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. Graduates of this program are eligible for a restricted ATP at 1,000 flight hours.

We know that cutting-edge technology and facilities are an important part of what makes an aeronautical program successful. At Florida Tech, you’ll find facilities and resources that measure up to other top aviation universities.

The Emil Buehler Center for Aviation Training and Research, located just minutes from campus near the Melbourne Orlando International Airport, is home to our aircraft fleet, featuring Pipers with state-of-the art glass-cockpits. The research center houses facilities for weather/flight planning, simulators and more. 

The College of Aeronautics’ Skurla Hall is home to a first-rate computer lab with many different applications and networking capabilities that allow hands-on learning in aviation topics, including 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 supervision of a flight instructor and practice in air traffic control (ATC).

Our 130-acre campus is located in a high-tech corridor on the 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. You can’t find a better location for immersion in aeronautical science.

Flight students appreciate that we have over 300 days of ideal flying weather each year, and that our College of Aeronautics is ranked one of the safest flight schools in the U.S. Melbourne is home to an international commercial airport that is just a 10-minute drive from campus.

When it’s time to relax, Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean, with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches. We are minutes from the Indian River Lagoon, a highly biodiverse estuary, and it’s a short trip to the Florida Keys and 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.

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

The programs in our College of Aeronautics take a multidisciplinary approach to research that spans fields including engineering, human factors, safety, psychology, computer science and biology. As an undergraduate, you'll have opportunities to tackle and present group research projects on topics from aviation management and human factors to safety, aviation environmental science and more.