Embry-Riddle Worldwide to Offer Free, Open-to-Public Online Drone Operation Course

Dec. 8, 2017
Scheduled to run from Jan. 22 to Feb. 4, the open-to-all course covers everything new users need to know in order to safely operate personal drones.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide Campus will once again offer a free, two-week Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on drone operation called Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Key Concepts for New Users. 

Scheduled to run from Jan. 22 to Feb. 4, the open-to-all course covers everything new users need to know in order to safely operate personal drones. Participants will learn about equipment, airspace, legal requirements and flight planning tools, as well as how to step up to the next level and become commercial drone operators.

“We have had consistently great feedback about this course,” said Dr. Kristy Kiernan, who is the lead educator for the class. “We are especially excited about the updates and changes we have made to reflect the most up-to-the-minute information in this rapidly changing part of aviation.”

The instructors for the class include full-time Embry-Riddle faculty members and experts from the unmanned aircraft systems industry. Embry-Riddle has offered this MOOC annually since 2015.

“One of the strengths of this class, and of Embry-Riddle in general, is the partnership we have with industry,” Dr. Kiernan said. “Our students get the best academic experience, plus the benefit of contact with real-world challenges.”

Registration for the sUAS MOOC begins Dec. 11 at worldwide.erau.edu/massive-open-online-courses.

The next upcoming MOOC offered by Embry-Riddle Worldwide will be:

  • Aviation Maintenance (Feb. 26 to March 11) - A free, two-week course covers aircraft maintenance, inspections and how to effectively manage global challenges facing the industry. Participants will learn about the different types of maintenance and inspection classes, as well as how to integrate safety into daily operations, while also maintaining efficiency. Instructors for the class include full-time Embry-Riddle faculty members and experts from the aviation industry. Registration for the Aviation Maintenance MOOC begins Jan. 15.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University offers a bachelor’s degree in specializing in Unmanned Aircraft Systems at its Daytona Beach and Prescott, AZ campuses, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Unmanned Systems Applications and a master’s degree in Unmanned Systems through its online Worldwide campus. Embry-Riddle also offers professional development courses.

About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 80 baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., through the Worldwide Campus with more than 125 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and through online programs. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv.