As the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry continues to grow, Kansas State University Salina (K-State Salina) has added a new bachelor's degree in UAS engineering technology, as well as a UAS minor, to be offered this fall.
Complementing the university's already-existing bachelor's degree centered on UAS piloting and field operations, this new course of study will concentrate on UAS design and implementation. The new UAS minor will focus on flight operations and data acquisition and management. According to K-State Salina, doctoral-level faculty members will lead both programs.
The university, one of the first in the nation to offer a bachelor's degree in UAS, says that students enrolling in the UAS engineering technology degree will explore UAS software, data, sensors, actuators, camera systems and other functionalities that are critical in accomplishing mission tasks. Further, K-State Salina says the courses will focus on the fundamentals of electronic circuits, communication and control systems, manufacturing and materials technology, and machine design.
‘When most people think of an unmanned system, they usually envision the pilot – not the engineers who design, build and keep it operating properly,’ says Saeed Khan, K-State Salina's engineering technology associate professor and lead of the new program. ‘But the growing UAS industry needs graduates who have technical expertise and a passion for problem-solving.’
K-State Salina has also created a UAS minor for students outside of the UAS program and students from other universities who are interested in the growing sector.
‘Students majoring in areas that include professional pilot, agriculture, biology, wildlife science, landscape architecture and even filmmaking can now experience how UAS technology can be utilized in their field of study. The unmanned industry is expanding, and this minor will make students more marketable,’ says Michael Most, K-State Salina's associate professor of UAS.
