The Batten College of Engineering and Technology is launching a new minor in Drone Engineering, open to students of all majors.
Officially titled "Engineering, Design, and Operation of Uncrewed Aerial Systems," the minor will be available starting Fall 2025.
The program is housed within the Institute for Autonomous and Connected Systems (IACS), a multidisciplinary institute that fosters collaboration among experts in autonomous systems across the Colleges of Engineering and Technology, Arts and Letters, Education and Professional Studies and Sciences.
According to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the drone industry is projected to generate more than 100,000 jobs by 2025, highlighting the growing demand for professionals in this field.
The minor is designed to complement a wide range of fields, including agriculture, energy, disaster mitigation, insurance, real estate, geology, geography and surveying.
The minor curriculum includes two required courses:
- ENGN 485: Introduction to Uncrewed Aerial Systems
- ENGN 486: Multirotor UAS Design and Construction
Students can then choose two additional courses from a selection of 11 options, covering topics such as flight vehicle aerodynamics, propulsion systems, fundamentals of electric vehicles and microcontrollers.