Job seekers interested in getting into the unmanned systems industry often ask me what they should do from an education perspective to be competitive. This question was recently raised in an industry group on LinkedIn. There were several answers including colleges that have added an unmanned emphasis (or full program) to their aviation/aeronautics degrees, private schools offering unmanned degrees, and vocational options.
The following answer was provided by Mr. Ted Beneigh, Professor of Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle University. I appreciate Mr. Beneigh’s suggestion that unmanned is not “one size fits all” and encompasses multiple disciplines and specialties. In other words, to get where you want to go, you first have to determine your destination.
“There are several aspects of UVS education. Engineering, operations, and maintenance are a few. Robotics covers a significant portion of non-UAS training. First, a student needs to identify which specific area of UVS education he/she desires. Next, the student should try to narrow down which aspect of UVS education he/she wants; again engineering, operations, or maintenance. After these decisions have been made, there are several universities that will provide an excellent education in the selected field.”
(Above statement quoted with full permission of Mr. Beneigh.)
