Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS)
This new program is designed to meet the rapidly growing demand for drone pilots in the booming $82 billion uncrewed aircraft industry through FAA-aligned training, hands-on research, and industry partnerships. The program includes 120 credit hours over four years. As the UAS sector is expected to create 100,000 jobs and contribute over $82 billion to the U.S. economy in the next decade, Hampton’s program prepares students for roles in FAA regulations, flight operations, data collection, and systems integration.
The university is also a member of the FAA UAS-Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS_CTI) along with an elite network of academic partners recognized for their rigorous UAS training standards. The Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management with a concentration in Uncrewed Aerial Systems (AUSM) program is available this Fall 2025.
Check out our UAS curriculum below.
Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS)
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, all Aviation courses listed below must be completed during the semester the courses fall underneath.
Freshman Year
Semester One
This course is required for all Aviation majors. Its purpose is to prepare new students for the university experience and success in the Aviation program by discussing students’ responsibilities, career opportunities, writing for the Aviation industry, and the use of productivity technology.
Prerequisite: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 1
Co-requisite: AVN 111.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lab
Credit Hours: 3
Everyone is affected by the weather and climate. Dramatic uncontrolled events like hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and heat waves often focus our attention. Other less dramatic, but important events like droughts, air pollution, and climate change also cause great concern. This course is designed to investigate many of these weather phenomena on a rational physical basis. This course satisfies the university general education core requirement in physical science.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Introductory sequence in composition, contributing to the liberal education of students, regardless of their majors. Approaches writing as a process and provides experience in writing with various aims and rhetorical strategies. ENG 101 emphasizes the expressive and expository aims, focusing upon the persuasive and literary aims.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
A one-semester required orientation course designed to improve the quality of the freshman experience for entering students by helping them understand the purpose and value of higher education at Hampton University, as well as the larger context in which that education takes place and the multicultural nature of the problems and concerns which it addresses; to develop positive attitudes toward the teaching learning process; and to acquire coping skills essential for successful college life.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 1
CREDIT HOURS 14
Semester Two
Provides an overview of aviation and introduces students to the many opportunities and challenges of the profession. The course covers the fundamentals of flight aerodynamics and technology, and an introduction to aircraft systems and operations. Also, safety of flight, human factors, aeronautical chart interpretation, basic navigation, an introduction airspace, and aviation weather factors are covered.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: AVN 111
Schedule Type: Lab
Credit Hours: 3
Introductory sequence in composition, contributing to the liberal education of students, regardless of their majors. Approaches writing as a process and provides experience in writing with various aims and rhetorical strategies. ENG 102 includes the development of a research paper.
Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion (“S”) of ENG 100 (for those placed in this course), satisfactory completion of ENG 101 (“C” or better).
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Surveys the period from the French Revolution (1789) to the present, years when many aspects of the contemporary world were shaped. Themes emphasized include economic, religious, social (gender, race, age, families, communities), ecological, political and military history. Selected historical events in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas will be considered.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
HEA 200 or Two (2) Physical Education Activities HEA 200 Health Education
Designed to help the student to understand himself/herself as a human organism; to become familiar with various influences that affect health; to coordinate experiences for more effective understanding of healthful living in the world today; and to aid himself/herself in solving personal health problems.
Physical Education Activities
Two (2) physical education activities selected from Physical Education service courses numbered 104 through 231.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 2
CREDIT HOURS 17
Sophomore Year
Semester Three
Factors and procedures relating to aviation safety, techniques for accident prevention, procedures used in accident investigations, the human factors (physiological and psychological), the effect of weather, mechanical and maintenance issues, mid-air collisions, and runway incursions.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: AVN 107
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
A foundational study of airport operations and systems and includes analysis of the role of the airport manager in planning, finance, and administration, public relations, social, political, and environmental considerations, operational requirements, and facility maintenance.
Prerequisite: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
An introduction to principles and practices with emphasis on the sole proprietorship, servicing and merchandising companies. The accounting cycle is applied to the analysis of transactions resulting in preparation, analysis and interpretation of financial statements.
Prerequisites: MAT 117 or higher
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
A one-semester course in Speech Communication involving a participative learning experience. Emphasis will be placed on intrapersonal, interpersonal and public communication. Class projects, situational exercises, public speaking, group discussion and dyadic and nonverbal communication are used as reinforcement material. Passing grade is “C.”
Prerequisite: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
The first of a required two-semester interdisciplinary course that is organized around a theme, Enduring Human Values and Cultural Connections. The course introduces sophomore students to western and non-western philosophies and cultural legacies through the study of works of art, dance, drama, music, and literature from Antiquity through the Renaissance.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
CREDIT HOURS 18
Semester Four
An introduction to principles and practices with emphasis on the partnership and corporate forms of business including manufacturing companies. It incorporates managerial concepts in planning, controlling, analyzing and internal reporting as it affects the decision-making process and emphasizes the preparation and analysis of the statement of cash flow.
Prerequisite: ACC 203
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
This course is a progressive foundational introduction to air traffic control. It focuses on the interpretation of the FAA orders and regulations that govern the air traffic control system, roles and responsibilities of control positions, concepts of spacing, sequencing, and separation, visual and radar traffic patterns, communication, terminology, and principles of ATC procedures.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture/Lab
Credit Hours: 3
Techniques for enhancing teamwork, interpersonal communications and relationships, leadership, and coping strategies in the professional aviation environment. Included are the recognition of human behavior that affects the safety of aviation operations, such as anger, stress, and fatigue, and the strategies to handle those behaviors.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
An introduction to the fundamentals of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including their developing role in the modern aviation industry. Topics include an introduction to structural elements, avionics, flight control and guidance systems, navigation, remote sensing, human factors and integration into commercial and military airspace. Emphasis is on future employment in the field with a focus on commercial airspace.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Functions and their graphs. Polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions. Systems of linear and nonlinear equations. Sequences and series.
Prerequisite: MAT 105 or by placement.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 4
CREDIT HOURS 16
Junior Year
Semester Five
Prerequisite: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: CSC 151
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 4
A first course on modern market economies. Emphasizes the determination of national income, fluctuations, and growth; the monetary system; the problems of inflation and unemployment; and international trade.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Select one course from the following: HIS 105, 107: ART 200, 305, 306, or 407; ENG 214, 215, 323, 328 or 329; Foreign Language (above 202); HUM 202; MUS 200, 201, 202, or 305; Philosophy 203, 204, 210, 301, 304 or 305; THE 120, 205, 206.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Methods of collecting, organizing, presenting, analyzing, and interpreting business and economic data. These include descriptive statistical methods such as mean, standard deviation and distribution, and inferential statistical methods such as confidence interval, hypothesis testing, one way ANOVA and simple regression. Emphasis will be placed on the application of statistical analysis in decision making.
Prerequisite: MAT 117
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
CREDIT HOURS 16
Semester Six
Prerequisite: AVN 295
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
This course is a survey of legal concepts concerning aviation as related to operation, contracts, insurance and liability, regulating statutes, and case law. Topics include tort law, FAA regulation, and commercial/business law relative to the aviation industry.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Survey of historical developments of and current issues within the air transportation system covering facilities, impact of regulations, problems encountered in commercial air transportation, future requirements, airline operations, economics, and social implications.
Prerequisite: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Options selected from Economics (202), Geography (201, 202), Military Science (MSC 201), Political Science (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 304, 305, 308, 310, 311, 317, 320, 341, 409, 499), Psychology (203, 205, 300, 301, 302, 304, 305, 306, 308, 311, 312, 402, 404) and Sociology (205, 210, 215, 304, 305, 315, 320, 322, 324, 326, 328, 401, 402, 405, 406, 414, 416, 422, 499).
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
CREDIT HOURS 15
Senior Year
Semester Seven
Prerequisites: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
This a work study program under the agreement with an organization within the aviation industry. Students must meet eligibility requirements and be recommended by the Department Chair.
Prerequisite: None
Schedule Type: Lecture/Hybrid
Credit Hours: 3
A treatment of advanced topics of interest in aviation not routinely covered by existing courses. May be repeated when topics vary.
Prerequisites: Permission of the department chair and course instructor.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
This course exposes students to basic research for business. The course includes: problem identification, research planning, research methodology, sampling methods, data gathering, statistical analysis techniques, and writing research reports. The role of research in business decision making will be explored. This course is designed so that students are able to use research to solve real world problems faced by the business community.
Prerequisite: MGT 215
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
CREDIT HOURS 12
Semester Eight
Prerequisites: AVN 401
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Designed as a capstone course for all aviation courses of study. Emphasis will be placed upon participating in an assessment designed for the student’s area of study which may include any or all of the following: comprehensive oral and/or written examination, comprehensive project, FAA or other industry certification, independent research project, or assigned by academic adviser and approved by department chair.
Prerequisites: Senior standing
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite: None
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Survey of behavioral science theories and research contributing to understanding the individual and groups in organizations. Representative topics include motivation, group and intergroup behavior, leadership, power and influence, decision-making, job design, organizational change and development.
Prerequisites: Junior standing
Schedule Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
CREDIT HOURS 15
TOTAL CREDIT HOURS 120
