About This Program
The Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Studies program prepares students for a successful career in the aviation industry. With a focus on practical training and hands-on experience, you will gain the skills needed to succeed as a pilot, air traffic controller, aircraft mechanic or any other aviation-related role. Our state-of-the-art facilities and experienced faculty provide the perfect learning environment, while internships and co-op programs offer real-world experience. Read more...
Contact Information
- cae@kent.edu | 330-672-2892
- Speak with an Advisor
- Chat with an Admissions Counselor
Program Delivery
- Delivery:
- Mostly online
- In person
- Location:
- Kent Campus
Accreditation
The B.S. degree in Aeronautical Studies is accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International, Federal Aviation Administration.
Admission Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.
First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.
First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.
Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog.
Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.
Transfer students must have a minimum 2.250 overall GPA in all college-level coursework for admission to the Aeronautical Studies major.
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) | ||
| AERN 15000 | INTRODUCTION TO AERONAUTICS | 3 |
| AERN 25100 | INTRODUCTION TO AVIATION MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| AERN 25250 | ELEMENTS OF AVIATION WEATHER | 3 |
| AERN 25350 | FUNDAMENTALS OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL | 2 |
| AERN 25351 | FUNDAMENTALS OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL LABORATORY | 1 |
| AERN 30000 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN AERONAUTICS | 1 |
| AERN 35020 | AIRCRAFT PROPULSION SYSTEMS | 3 |
| AERN 35040 | AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS I | 3 |
| AERN 35341 | AIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS | 3 |
| AERN 45030 | AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS II | 3 |
| AERN 45099 | AERONAUTICAL STUDIES CAPSTONE (ELR) 1 | 3 |
| or CAE 45092 | AERONAUTICS AND ENGINEERING INTERNSHIP/COOPERATIVE EDUCATION (ELR) (WIC) | |
| AERN 45130 | PHYSIOLOGY AND HUMAN FACTORS OF FLIGHT | 3 |
| AERN 45135 | AVIATION SAFETY THEORY | 3 |
| AERN 45150 | APPLIED FLIGHT DYNAMICS I | 3 |
| AERN 45250 | AVIATION LAW | 3 |
| AERN 45791 | AVIATION SECURITY AND POLICY SEMINAR (WIC) 1 | 3 |
| Aeronautics (AERN) Electives | 18 | |
| Aeronautics (AERN) or Engineering (ENGR) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) | 9 | |
| Elements of Flight Theory Elective, choose from the following: | 3-5 | |
| ELEMENTS OF FLIGHT THEORY | ||
| NON-PILOT ELEMENTS OF FLIGHT THEORY | ||
| ELEMENTS OF FLIGHT THEORY I and PRIVATE PILOT FLIGHT I | ||
| Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) | ||
| COMM 15000 | INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) | 3 |
| MATH 11010 | ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS (KMCR) | 3 |
| MATH 11022 | TRIGONOMETRY (KMCR) | 3 |
| PHY 13001 | GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS I (KBS) | 4 |
| PHY 13012 | COLLEGE PHYSICS II (KBS) | 2 |
| PHY 13021 | GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS LABORATORY I (KBS) (KLAB) | 1 |
| UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
| Kent Core Composition | 6 | |
| Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each) | 9 | |
| Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) | 6 | |
| General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) | 9 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 | |
- 1
A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.
Graduation Requirements
| Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA |
|---|---|
| 2.000 | 2.000 |
Roadmap
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
| Semester One | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| AERN 15000 | INTRODUCTION TO AERONAUTICS | 3 | |
| ! | MATH 11010 | ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS (KMCR) | 3 |
| UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 | |
| Elements of Flight Theory Elective | 3-5 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 16 | ||
| Semester Two | |||
| AERN 25250 | ELEMENTS OF AVIATION WEATHER | 3 | |
| AERN 25350 | FUNDAMENTALS OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL | 2 | |
| AERN 25351 | FUNDAMENTALS OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL LABORATORY | 1 | |
| COMM 15000 | INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) | 3 | |
| ! | MATH 11022 | TRIGONOMETRY (KMCR) | 3 |
| Aeronautics (AERN) Elective | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 15 | ||
| Semester Three | |||
| ! | PHY 13001 | GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS I (KBS) | 4 |
| ! | PHY 13021 | GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS LABORATORY I (KBS) (KLAB) | 1 |
| Aeronautics (AERN) Elective | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 14 | ||
| Semester Four | |||
| AERN 25100 | INTRODUCTION TO AVIATION MANAGEMENT | 3 | |
| ! | PHY 13012 | COLLEGE PHYSICS II (KBS) | 2 |
| Aeronautics (AERN) Elective | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 14 | ||
| Semester Five | |||
| AERN 35020 | AIRCRAFT PROPULSION SYSTEMS | 3 | |
| AERN 35040 | AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS I | 3 | |
| Aeronautics (AERN) Elective | 3 | ||
| Aeronautics (AERN) or Engineering (ENGR) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) | 3 | ||
| Kent Core Requirement | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 15 | ||
| Semester Six | |||
| AERN 30000 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN AERONAUTICS | 1 | |
| AERN 35341 | AIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS | 3 | |
| AERN 45030 | AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS II | 3 | |
| AERN 45130 | PHYSIOLOGY AND HUMAN FACTORS OF FLIGHT | 3 | |
| Aeronautics (AERN) Elective | 3 | ||
| Aeronautics (AERN) or Engineering (ENGR) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 16 | ||
| Semester Seven | |||
| AERN 45099 or CAE 45092 | AERONAUTICAL STUDIES CAPSTONE (ELR) or AERONAUTICS AND ENGINEERING INTERNSHIP/COOPERATIVE EDUCATION (ELR) (WIC) | 3 | |
| AERN 45150 | APPLIED FLIGHT DYNAMICS I | 3 | |
| AERN 45250 | AVIATION LAW | 3 | |
| Aeronautics (AERN) Elective | 3 | ||
| Aeronautics (AERN) or Engineering (ENGR) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) | 3 | ||
| Credit Hours | 15 | ||
| Semester Eight | |||
| AERN 45135 | AVIATION SAFETY THEORY | 3 | |
| AERN 45791 | AVIATION SECURITY AND POLICY SEMINAR (WIC) | 3 | |
| General Electives | 9 | ||
| Credit Hours | 15 | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 | ||
University Requirements
All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.
NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.
| Requirement | Credits/Courses |
|---|---|
| Flashes 101 (UC 10001) | 1 credit hour |
Course is not required for students with 30+ transfer credits (excluding College Credit Plus) or age 21+ at time of admission. | |
| Diversity Domestic/Global (DIVD/DIVG) | 2 courses |
Students must successfully complete one domestic and one global course, of which one must be from the Kent Core. | |
| Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) | varies |
Students must successfully complete one course or approved experience. | |
| Kent Core (see table below) | 36-37 credit hours |
| Writing-Intensive Course (WIC) | 1 course |
Students must earn a minimum C grade in the course. | |
| Upper-Division Requirement | 39 credit hours |
Students must successfully complete 39 upper-division (numbered 30000 to 49999) credit hours to graduate. | |
| Total Credit Hour Requirement | 120 credit hours |
Kent Core Requirements
| Requirement | Credits/Courses |
|---|---|
| Kent Core Composition (KCMP) | 6 |
| Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (KMCR) | 3 |
| Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (KHUM/KFA) (min one course each) | 9 |
| Kent Core Social Sciences (KSS) (must be from two disciplines) | 6 |
| Kent Core Basic Sciences (KBS/KLAB) (must include one laboratory) | 6-7 |
| Kent Core Additional (KADL) | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 36-37 |
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Explain the physics of flight, aerodynamics and the effects of the atmosphere.
- Describe the operation of aircraft systems and how they integrate.
- Demonstrate the process of air traffic control and describe the components of the National Airspace System.
- Investigate physiological and human factors as they relate to aviation safety.
- Accomplish successful academic work in aviation and associated academic disciplines in preparation for professional work in the aviation industry.
The educational objectives of the program are the following:
- Exhibit the qualities of excellence, integrity, leadership, management and professionalism within their area of professional specialization in aviation.
- Demonstrate a professional commitment to safety and contribute to the safety culture within their area of professional specialization in aviation.
- Demonstrate the ability to improve aerospace for generations to come through experiential learning, creativity and innovation within their area of professional specialization in aviation.
- Manifest the college’s core values in the areas of collaboration, compassion, inclusiveness, innovation, integrity, respect and perseverance within their area of professional specialization in aviation.
Full Description
The Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Studies prepares students for entry-level technological positions in aviation and related areas. Although focused on a broad foundation of aeronautically-related subjects, the program provides a significant number of electives that allow students to explore other areas of interest or earn a minor in a particular area of study.
The mission of the Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Studies is to prepare students for a broad range of professional careers in aviation by equipping graduates with more than foundational knowledge of aviation, as well as specialized knowledge from associated disciplines.
The major is well suited for the following students:
- Transfer students with military credits;
- Professional flight experience, certificates and/or ratings; and
- Students who love the field of aviation but wish to seek a more entrepreneurial pathway into the field.
Students may apply early to the M.S. degree in Aviation Management and Logistics and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program policy in the University Catalog for more information.