By JD Cox, Assistant Professor of Biology, ARGO Lab Coordinator
(318) 357-6174
coxjd@nsula.edu
December 20, 2024
NATCHITOCHES –The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected Northwestern State University’s Remote System Science and Technology undergraduate certificate program for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems-Collegiate Training Initiative program (UAS-CTI).
“Recognition of our program by the FAA is a great step forward,” said JD Cox, assistant professor of biology and coordinator of NSU’s Advanced Remote and Geospatial Operations (ARGO) lab. “It shows that that NSU is preparing students for today’s job market and training them on tomorrow’s technology. Partnering with the FAA brings a new level of legitimacy to our drone program and shows that we are committed to providing a top-quality education in remote and uncrewed systems.”
The FAA’s UAS-CTI program recognizes institutions that prepare students for careers in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones. In order to qualify for the initiative, schools must offer a bachelor’s or associate degree in UAS, a degree with a minor, concentration or certificate in UAS. Schools must provide curriculum covering various aspects of UAS training, including hands-on flight practice, maintenance, uses, applications, privacy concerns, safety and federal policies concerning UAS.
NSU offers an undergraduate certificate in Remote Systems Science and Technology (RSST). The program consists of 12 credit hours of core classes which cover the fundamentals of unmanned systems operation including hands-on training with remote systems, laws, policy and ethics related to UAS operation and applications best practices. The remaining six hours of the certificate consist of specific course work from each student’s area of study. This approach creates an integrated approach to remote systems integration across disciplines and better prepares students to enter the workforce in their area of interest.
The Remote Systems Science and Technology Program is administered by NSU’s ARGO Lab, the central hub for drone technology, remote sensing and mapping. NSU provides both on and off campus services including drone photography, videography, mapping, remote sensing, geospatial analysis and geodata hosting.
“We offer customizable training on drone operation, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing and preparation for the FAA drone licensing exam,” Cox said.
For more information contact Cox at coxjd@nsula.edu, argolab@nsula.edu or www.nsula.edu/argo
