MSU and ATP Team Up to Offer an Aviation Degree

Long Beach - Mountain State University (MSU) and Airline Transport Professionals (ATP) are pleased to announce a new bachelor’s degree option for aviation students, the Bachelor of Science in Airline Transport Professional Pilot Operations. With flight training conducted by ATP, the new degree program will provide students with access to a highly focused professional pilot degree complete with extensive multi-engine flight training and nationwide airline job placement opportunities.

David Robbins, director of aviation at MSU, stated, “Airlines hire the most qualified pilots available, preferring applicants with a bachelor’s degree and high-quality flight experience.” To meet this market demand, MSU and ATP have joined together to offer a program that incorporates academics and airline-oriented multi-engine flight training into a bachelor’s degree program in aviation.

The program allows students to complete flight training at any of ATP’s 22 locations across the country while attending classes through MSU. Approximately 16 months into the degree program, students will have completed their flight training and may begin to work as flight instructors, building flight time while continuing toward an aviation bachelor’s degree. In addition to gaining the necessary FAA pilot and flight instructor certificates, students will develop skills in leadership, management, communications and a solid base of aviation coursework including human factors, aviation law, and aviation security.

Since the initial announcement of the new program in late August, both ATP and MSU have seen strong and growing interest in the program. MSU chose ATP to provide the flight training for the new professional pilot degree program because of ATP's 26-year track record training professional pilots in multi-engine aircraft across the U.S., its extensive fleet of multi-engine aircraft and its airline oriented flight training operation. The ATP flight training program is designed to not only build students’ flying skills, but also to replicate the airline environment with centralized dispatch procedures, airline style scheduling and many other features that prepare new pilots for airline culture as well as airline flying.

"What makes this degree unique is how the college coursework complements students' flight training and professional pilot careers. With recent legislation requiring more flight experience of airline pilot applicants, it’s important that career pilots build high-quality flight experience as quickly and economically as possible. Graduates of this program will be the first of a new generation of airline pilot applicants," said Derrick Dennis, president of ATP. For additional information about the program, please call 800.255.2877, e-mail info@atpflightschool.com, or visit www.ATPFlightSchool.com/degree.

About MSU – www.mountainstate.edu

Mountain State University, founded in 1933, is a not-for-profit independent institution based in Beckley, W.Va., serving more than 9,000 students a year in such market-relevant fields as business, accounting, computer science, information technology, criminal justice, nursing, medical sonography, and leadership. In addition to its main campus in Beckley, MSU has campuses in Center Township, Pa.; Martinsburg, W.Va.; Mooresville, N.C.; Orlando, Fla.; and Washington, D.C.; as well as a site in Hickory, N.C. Many degrees are also offered online. For more information, call 866.367.6781.

About ATP – www.atpflightschool.com