![Aims Community College UAS Associate's Degree](https://dronelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/UAS-AimsCommunityCollege-17-300x117.jpg)
by DRONELIFE Staff Author Ian M. Crosby
This fall, Goals Community College will begin offering an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Associate of Applied Science Degree, the primary of its kind to be offered in Colorado. Goals is just the fifteenth two-year college in the US to supply a level on this field. The school has offered a UAS certificate since 2021, preparing students to take the FAA small UAS certification exam and gain the fundamental credentials to fly drones professionally. The brand new associate degree program will offer more in depth training in response to industry growth and increased demand for UAS expertise.
“It provides students with the fundamentals of flying with professional-level drones and the flexibility to construct and program their very own drones.” said UAS Chief Instructor Pilot Jake Marshall on the creation of the brand new program. “We just grew. Students, high schools and the community wanted more.”
The Goals Unmanned Aircraft Systems Sciences program will provide students with opportunities to realize experience, including working on mapping construction sites for Weld County and filming regional television commercials. “Students are involved with some extracurricular projects beyond just the category we provide,” said Marshall. “We’re increase this case for the necessity and now we’re adding the classes to support all this.”
This system might be held within the currently under construction Gateway Constructing on the expanded Windsor Campus, opening in January 2024. The constructing will feature a drone fabrication and design lab, and the campus might be incorporating a drone takeoff and landing pad area. “The classroom is about up to assist with data production and understanding the post-production strategy of collecting all this data,” Marshall said. “This facility allows our students to design and construct drones and test them.”
Marshall states that a UAS profession is best suited to those that are obsessed with technology, possess an entrepreneurial spirit and are adaptable to vary. “You’re going to be a component of the pioneer stage of the industry,” he said. “I would like our students to be leaders and a part of the subsequent evolution of drones to perform our societal needs.”
UAS systems and applications are growing quickly, with certified pilots in increasing demand. The FAA expects a median annual job growth rate of 24.7 percent, while market research indicates an estimated increase of 100,000 drone-related jobs by 2025. The common annual salary for a UAS operator is $80,000 per 12 months. “There are some established firms and latest ones are beginning each day,” added Marshall. “All of them need pilots to take their firms to the subsequent level.”
Read more: