Thanks to a new partnership with Kansas State Polytechnic University, Butler Community College, located in the Wichita, Kan., area, is rolling out a new unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) major.
Wichita-area high school students may take advantage of the highly sought-after degree by applying to the Early College Aviation Academy, says Butler. Once accepted into the program, high school juniors will be able to take high school and college curriculums simultaneously (one half day at their home high school and one half day at Butler’s Rose Hill campus) and graduate with their high school diploma and an associate degree at the same time.
Once students graduate from Butler’s UAS program (from either the Early College Academy or the traditional campus route), they can, upon acceptance, transfer into Kansas State Polytechnic’s UAS program and, within two years, receive a bachelor’s degree in the program. Students also have the option to directly enter the workforce, notes Butler.
“This is an excellent opportunity for Butler students, including academy students, to be prepared for this dynamic, emergent job market,” comments Butler’s vice president of academics, Lori Winningham.
“We are excited to partner with Butler Community College in bringing the unmanned aircraft systems degree option to the Wichita market,” adds Alysia Starkey, associate dean for academics at Kansas State Polytechnic. “Joint partnerships such as this are increasingly important in today’s higher-education environment. Through this collaboration, Butler Community College and K-State Polytechnic will work together to ensure the career preparation for the highly competitive UAS job market remains accessible and affordable for the citizens of Kansas. Thank you to the faculty and staff at both institutions for their hard work in making this partnership possible.”
