Huntington, WV — Today Mountwest Community & Technical College www.mctc.edu announces the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected its Geospatial Science & Technology Program for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems-Collegiate Training Program Initiative or the UAS-CTI.

“I am very excited that we have received approval as the first UAS-CTI in the state of West Virginia. This is an excellent opportunity for the College as well as current and prospective students seeking an education and career opportunities in the field of Drone Technology.” said Megan Click, Assistant Professor, UAS Pilot, and Program Coordinator for the Geospatial Science and Technology Program.

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 associates degree in UAS or 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.

The Geospatial Science and Technology Program at Mountwest Community & Technical College offers a 2-year AAS degree concentration in Drone Technology. The creation of the Drone Technology concentration was funded in June 2018 with a 3-year grant through the West Virginia Community & Technical College System. Fall 2019 MCTC welcomed the first cohort of students into the Drone Technology concentration. The curriculum includes FAA UAS Certification Prep, Intro to Drone Technology Uses and Applications, UAS Safety, hands on UAS flight, FAA rules & regulation, sport drones, flight simulators as well as courses in GIS. The program uses both multi-rotor and fixed wing drones for students to receive hands-on training using various drones for applications from industrial inspections to agriculture and vegetation health monitoring.

Please visit the Mountwest website www.mctc.edu for more information.