Studies & Degrees in Aeronautical Management Technology
Aeronautical Management Technology Study Programs
Aeronautical management technology is the name some universities, mainly in the United States, give to their aviation degrees. These programmes combine the technical side of flying with the management of the air transport system. Students learn how aircraft, airports, airlines and air traffic control work together, and they choose a track: flying, controlling traffic, managing air transport operations or operating drones. The subject is close to aviation management and air transport management, and it is different from aeronautical engineering, which is about designing and building aircraft.
A typical programme covers aviation regulations and safety, meteorology, navigation, aircraft systems, airport and airline operations, and business subjects such as management and economics. Arizona State University (ASU), which uses the name aeronautical management technology for its aviation programmes, describes them as degrees that combine academic studies with professional flight and aviation training.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degrees in the United States. ASU offers its Bachelor of Science in aeronautical management technology in four tracks: air traffic management, air transportation management, professional flight and unmanned aerial systems. It also has a Bachelor of Applied Science in aviation for students who already hold an aviation-related associate's degree. In the State University of New York (SUNY) system, Farmingdale State College offers bachelor's degrees in Aeronautical Science and Aviation Administration and describes itself as the only SUNY school with four-year degrees in aviation.
- Flight training inside a degree. In a professional flight track, students earn pilot certificates while they study. At Farmingdale State College, students graduate with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating. Flight training has its own costs: ASU states that flight training costs are separate and are paid directly to its flight provider, and that the minimum age to begin flight training in its programme is 18.
- Degrees in Spain. An official Spanish bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya teaches a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Systems Engineering at its Castelldefels school, with majors in Air Navigation and in Airports. It covers airport and air navigation infrastructure and air transport and air traffic management systems. The Universidad Camilo José Cela lists a Grado en Transporte y Logística of four years and 240 ECTS credits for the wider transport sector.
- Degrees in Chile. The Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María offers Ingeniería en Aviación Comercial, a five-year programme (10 semesters) on air transport and civil aviation, and a two-year Técnico Universitario en Mantenimiento Aeronáutico for aircraft maintenance.
- Master's degrees. ASU lists graduate options such as a Master of Science in human systems engineering (aviation human factors). In Spain, official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.
Licences and accreditation
A degree is not a licence. Pilots, air traffic controllers and maintenance mechanics need a licence from the aviation authority of the country where they work, and the rules differ by country. In the United States, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), air traffic controllers must be US citizens, pass medical and background checks and complete training at the FAA academy. That closes this career in the United States to most international students. The Chilean maintenance programme prepares graduates to apply to aviation authorities for a maintenance mechanic licence.
Check programme accreditation as well. ASU's degrees are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and Farmingdale State College states that its professional pilot programme is accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI).
Where to study
SpainExchange lists six active schools for this subject: three in Spain, two in the United States and one in Chile. In Spain they are the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona and two private universities in the Madrid region, the Universidad Camilo José Cela and the Universidad CEU San Pablo. In the United States they are Arizona State University and SUNY, and in Chile the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María.
The US programmes are taught in English and the Chilean ones in Spanish. The Castelldefels school of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya publishes how many groups are taught in English each semester. Aviation uses English as its working language, so a good level of English is needed everywhere.
Careers
Graduates work for airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, aviation authorities, maintenance organisations and consultancies. Typical roles are airline or airport operations officer, flight dispatcher, safety officer, air traffic controller and pilot, depending on the track and the licences obtained.
For the United States, the BLS projects that employment of airline and commercial pilots will grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035 and that employment of air traffic controllers will grow 2 percent in the same period. Airline pilots typically need a bachelor's degree and experience as a commercial or military pilot.
Frequently asked questions
Is aeronautical management technology the same as aeronautical engineering?
No. Aeronautical engineering deals with the design of aircraft. Aeronautical management technology prepares students to operate and manage aviation: flying, air traffic, airports and airlines.
Will the degree make me a pilot?
Only if you choose a professional flight track and obtain the pilot certificates. Flight training usually has extra costs on top of tuition fees.
Can international students become air traffic controllers in the United States?
Generally not. According to the BLS, air traffic controllers there must be US citizens and complete training at the FAA academy.
How long does the degree take?
A bachelor's degree takes four years in the United States and in Spain, where a grado has 240 ECTS credits. Ingeniería en Aviación Comercial in Chile takes five years.