Aerospace, Professional Pilot Concentration, B.S.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Aerospace, Professional Pilot, B.S., Academic Map   

Degree Requirements

Total hours in program: 120

Curriculum: Aerospace, Professional Pilot

Curricular listings include General Education  requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

Additional Requirements

In addition to all academic requirements, this concentration requires students to obtain pilot certificates through flight training conducted at the MTSU Flight School. All required flight training must be conducted in a flight lab, in University-owned and maintained aircraft, and by flight instructors screened and trained for their positions by MTSU. All flight labs will be conducted from the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport. Admission to the University does not guarantee enrollment in a flight lab. To enroll in a flight lab, students must submit a Flight Lab Request Form for each and every semester they wish to fly. The deadlines to submit Flight Lab Request Forms are as follows:

Fall semester-June 30
Spring semester-November 15
Summer session-April 15

Flight Lab Request Forms submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Enrollment in flight labs is limited and selection is made from eligible candidates who are best qualified based on cumulative GPA. Incoming freshmen typically do not receive a flight lab for their first semester. Effective with the Fall 2020 catalog, students will be required to have 12 hours of college credit post high school graduation to be eligible for a flight lab. To become eligible for a flight lab, candidates must meet the following minimum standards:

1. have a college cumulative grade point average of 2.50 (Note: Effective with the Fall 2020 catalog, students must have a college cumulative grade point average of 3.00.);
2. have a current Second Class FAA medical certificate;
3. must be in good standing within the department and University (if a transfer student, candidate cannot be on probation in any form);
4. have no physical disability that would prohibit completion of the course requirements;
5. have the full required amount of flight lab funds deposited in their flight accounts by the first day of classes;
6. have completed all required prerequisite classes for the desired lab;
7. for US citizens or permanent green card holders, present a valid current passport OR an original state-issued birth certificate AND a valid government-issued picture ID on the first day of class; for international students, receive approval from the Transportation Security Administration and the Alien Flight Student Program (AFSP) prior to the first day of class. 

Retention in the Professional Pilot concentration is based on maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or better (Note: Effective with the Fall 2020 catalog, students must have a college cumulative grade point average of 3.00.) and making consistent and satisfactory progress in flight training. Violation of any MTSU safety practice or procedure or any FAA regulations will result in immediate termination from the flight program. Lab students are required to complete four syllabus events per seven-day week and will be held to a strict attendance policy. There are substantial lab fees for each flight lab. Flight fees will be paid directly to MTSU, and students must maintain a positive balance in their training account at all times. Lab fee information and a complete explanation of all requirements for flight labs can be found in the Additional Lab Information packet obtained through the MTSU Aerospace website, at the MTSU Flight School, or Aerospace Department main office.

Students admitted to the Professional Pilot program must receive all required flight training beyond the Private Pilot Certificate at the MTSU Flight School. Credit for flight time, including cross-country flight time obtained by the student after becoming a Private Pilot, is very limited and is determined by FAA and MTSU regulations. Transfer students who come to MTSU already holding the Instrument Rating may be admitted; however, they must complete the Commercial Single-Engine Certificate, the Commercial Multi-Engine Certificate, and the Flight Instructor Certificate at the MTSU Flight School. Such students are not eligible to receive a letter of authorization for a 500-hour reduction in flight time requirements for the R-ATP. Students entering MTSU who already hold a Commercial Pilot Certificate are not eligible for the Professional Pilot concentration.

NOTE: Students interested in military flying careers should contact their local Armed Forces recruiting officer or MTSU’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program representatives. Air Force ROTC program information can be obtained by calling (615) 963-5931. For information regarding the Army ROTC program, call (615) 898-2470. Please see Army ROTC  for additional information.