BS Aviation Management

Founded in 1927, Saint Louis University's Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science holds the first federally certified flight certificate in the country. Today, Saint Louis University is the only Jesuit university with a flight program, making us a premier institution for flight education. This Jesuit heritage means students learn to make ethical decisions that contribute to their personal and professional goals and allow them to enrich the community in which students live and work.

Students receive a holistic education that includes foundational and advanced courses in flight science and aviation management rounded out by the traditional core classes and elective courses. Students learn to fly in technically advanced light aircraft: the Diamond DA-20, Piper Archer PA28-181 with Garmin G1000nxi and Piper Seminole PA44. Advanced students further their studies of larger aircraft in a state-of-the-art Canadair Regional Jet-700 simulator.

Additional program highlights include:

The flight portion of SLU's Bachelor of Science in Flight Science curriculum is approved by the FAA under Part 141. Graduates of the program will have earned the following FAA certificates and ratings: private pilot certificate, instrument rating, commercial pilot certificate with single- and multi-engine ratings, and certified flight instructor.

Two concentrations are offered as part of the major: flight science and aviation management.

Students enrolled in SLU's flight science concentration are encouraged to diversify their educational experience and explore areas outside their major.

The goal of SLU's aviation management concentration is to prepare graduates to manage aviation operations and prepare them as socially responsible leaders. Students gain a strong foundation in technical skills and are equipped with a sufficient breadth of experience in liberal arts and sciences to make a difference in their professional and personal lives.

From air carrier operations to manufacturing to airport management, the aviation management curriculum includes the necessary coursework and experience to serve the business and safety needs in aviation.

Under the Institutional Authority Program, students who graduate from Saint Louis University are eligible for a transcript endorsement leading to a restricted ATP certificate with 1,000 or 1,250 hours of flight experience, depending on the number of approved credits completed. This also allows students to qualify for the ATP certification at the age of 21 instead of waiting until age 23. Students who graduate from unapproved institutions require 1,500 hours of flight experience before ATP certification.

Saint Louis University has been approved to provide a transcript endorsement certifying graduates for a 250-hour or 500-hour reduction towards the ATP Certificate for the Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics with a concentration in flight science or aviation management. To qualify for this reduction, students must complete 30 credits of approved coursework to be eligible for the 250-hour reduction or complete 60 credits of approved coursework to be eligible for the 500-hour reduction.

Students completing the flight science concentration or minor are eligible to participate in one of the "pipeline" or "pathway" programs that Parks College participates in with the following airlines: