Starting in August, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will be offering a two-year associate degree in air traffic management (ATM). The Florida-based school’s accelerated program is designed for those who want careers in air traffic control (ATC) towers.
The program has been approved by the FAA and is part of the agency’s Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Initiative (AT-CTI) that allows qualified individuals to bypass training at the FAA academy in Oklahoma City and proceed directly to ATC facilities for on-the-job training, provided they pass the same rigorous written and simulator evaluations upon earning their Embry-Riddle degrees.
Students who wish to be controllers must also pass the air traffic skills assessment (ATSA) exam and meet the medical and security requirements to fulfill the requirements of the AT-CTI program.
Embry-Riddle stresses that the new degree is in addition to the university’s Bachelor of Science in air traffic management that was approved by the FAA last year and has already produced its first graduates.
“This unique program will prepare students to be safe and effective air traffic controllers at a critical time for aviation,” said Embry-Riddle president P. Barry Butler. “Embry-Riddle is proud that this new [associate’ degree program will provide an additional avenue to get well-trained controllers into the workforce now and for years to come.”
The courses are offered at the Daytona Beach, Florida, campus, and the curriculum is adapted from Embry-Riddle’s Bachelor of Science in ATM.
The students enrolled in the ATC program train on cutting-edge simulators in the university’s labs. These systems create a dynamic and immersive experience using AI-assisted voice recognition and high-fidelity visualizations.
“Our air traffic management graduates set the gold standard for reliability, safety, and excellence,” said Alan Stolzer, dean of the college of aviation at Daytona Beach. “This program will maintain that same standard for excellence when educating these students to serve in our nation’s air traffic control facilities.”
For the students who make it through the program, there will be jobs available, as the university notes that U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced a multiyear campaign to train and hire ATCs to replace those who are retiring and “aging out.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a median salary for air traffic controllers is nearly $145,000 per year. According to the FAA, the average certified professional controller makes over $160,000 annually.
“Air traffic control is an exciting, dynamic, and lucrative profession,” said Mike McCormick, Embry-Riddle associate professor and ATM program coordinator. “The field attracts outstanding students who want to serve and safeguard pilots, crew, and the flying public while having meaningful careers.”
