Professional Pilot
All Flight Students
For initial consideration, all applicants must meet Marshall University’s general freshman or transfer admission requirements. Admission to the Bachelor of Science program in Commercial Pilot - Fixed Wing will be selective each year, depending on both the number of applications received and the capacity to enroll new students. Not all applicants who qualify for general admission to the university will be admissible to this program.
As required by FAA regulations, and determined by the Bill Noe Flight School, students must speak, read, write and understand English. Prior to commencing flight training, non-U.S. citizens must complete all Transportation Security Administration (TSA) background checks and appropriate approvals.
Marshall requires that all flight students have at least a Second Class Medical when starting the flight program. However, we recommend students get a First Class Medical prior to flight training to make sure they do not have any medical conditions that could disqualify them from flying with airlines. Medicals must be done by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). Prospective students will find AMEs by location using the resource at https://designee.faa.gov/#/designeeLocator.
Upon admission to the program and before beginning AVSC coursework, students who do not have at least a Private Pilot certification must apply for and receive a Student Pilot certificate. See https://www.faa.gov/pilots/become/student_cert/ for details. Contact the Bill Noe Flight School if you have questions.
Transfer Student / Intercollege Transfer Policy
Transfer students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25 or Chief Instructor approval.
Students who hold one or more FAA pilot certificates will not need to repeat required courses for these certifications but must discuss their specific situations with the Chief Instructor before enrolling.
Students allowed to enroll with previous FAA pilot certifications, however, must complete AVSC 105 Transition Lab, a course designed to train students to operate the Cirrus SR20. Successful completion requires students to pass the knowledge and practical test requirements of the FAA certification standards at a level commensurate with the pilot certification held while operating the Cirrus SR20 aircraft. Students with previous FAA pilot certifications must successfully complete AVSC 105 before proceeding with further flight courses.
Transfer students who completed college-level courses from a regionally accredited institution of higher education may receive credit for those courses. Please review the Admissions section in the Undergraduate Catalog for more information regarding the university’s transfer policies.
Graduation/ Other Requirements
The Professional Pilot B.S. degree requires a minimum of 120 hours for graduation.
Progression Requirements
Flight students are expected to complete each flight course in one semester. However, with permission, students experiencing extensive uncontrollable situations, such as weather, may complete the course the following semester with permission. Any student failing to complete the course requirements in that following semester may be dismissed from the program due to lack of progress. Students must maintain a minimum of a C or better in all courses required for the major. AVSC ground schools (AVSC 200, AVSC 215, and AVSC 329) also require an 80% minimum score for all exams.
Course Requirements
The Core Curriculum is designed to foster critical thinking skills and introduce students to basic domains of thinking that transcend disciplines. The Core applies to all majors. Information on specific classes in the Core can be found at https://www.marshall.edu/gened/.
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Core Curriculum | ||
Core I: Critical Thinking | ||
FYS 100 | First Yr Sem Critical Thinking | 3 |
GEO 230 | Intro to Meteorology (CT) | 4 |
PSY 201 | Introductory Psychology (CT) | 3 |
Core II | ||
CMM 213 | Fund Interpersonal Com | 3 |
Core II Fine Arts | ||
Core II Humanities (Writing Intensive section recommended) | ||
Core II Multicultural/International (Writing Intensive section recommended) | ||
ENG 101 | Beginning Composition | 3 |
ENG 201 | Advanced Composition | 3 |
GEO 230 | Intro to Meteorology (CT) | 4 |
MTH 121 | Concepts and Applications (CT) | 3 |
PSY 201 | Introductory Psychology (CT) | 3 |
Major-Specific Requirements | ||
General Education | ||
CMM 213 | Fund Interpersonal Com | 3 |
GEO 230 | Intro to Meteorology (CT) | 4 |
Required Aviation Core Courses | ||
AVSC 102 | Flight School Orientation | 3 |
AVSC 231 | Aviation Law and Regulations | 3 |
AVSC 241 | Cognition and Aviation Safety | 3 |
AVSC 310 | Aerodynamics & Performance | 3 |
AVSC 311 | Aircraft Systems | 3 |
AVSC 325 | Evolution of ATC Systems | 3 |
AVSC 355 | Aviation Weather | 3 |
AVSC 450 | Crew Resource Management | 3 |
Required Aviation Flight Courses | ||
AVSC 200 | Private Pilot Ground School | 4 |
AVSC 205 | Solo Flight Lab | 1 |
AVSC 210 | Private Pilot Cert ASEL Lab | 2 |
AVSC 215 | Instrument Ground School | 3 |
AVSC 220 | Instrument Certification Lab | 3 |
AVSC 305 | CFII Lab | 1 |
AVSC 329 | Commercial Ground School | 3 |
AVSC 330 | Commercial Phase I Lab | 3 |
AVSC 335 | CFI Ground School | 3 |
AVSC 340 | Commercial Phase II ASEL Lab | 3 |
AVSC 345 | Initial CFI ASEL Lab | 3 |
AVSC 375 | Commercial AMEL Add-On Lab | 1 |
Elective Aviation Courses | ||
Any four of the following courses: | ||
Systems Management | ||
Airport Operations and Mgmt | ||
Air Transportation Operations | ||
International Aviation | ||
Drones: Remote Sensing & GIS | ||
Internship in Aviation Ops |
Semester Plan
The following semester plan presents a sequence of courses that allows students to complete the degree in eight semesters. Individual student plans will depend upon the courses they have completed, the availability of courses, and other factors.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours are required for the baccalaureate degree.
- Six hours of Writing Intensive (WI) credits are required for the degree. Students are encouraged to select WI sections of courses when available within the plan of study.
The Core Curriculum is designed to foster critical thinking skills and introduce students to basic domains of thinking that transcend disciplines. The Core applies to all majors. Information on specific classes in the Core can be found at https://www.marshall.edu/gened/.
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
First Semester | Credit Hours | |
AVSC 102 | Flight School Orientation | 3 |
AVSC 200 | Private Pilot Ground School | 4 |
AVSC 205 | Solo Flight Lab | 1 |
CMM 213 | Fund Interpersonal Com | 3 |
FYS 100 | First Yr Sem Critical Thinking | 3 |
UNI 100 | Freshman First Class | 1 |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Second Semester | ||
AVSC 210 | Private Pilot Cert ASEL Lab | 2 |
AVSC 215 | Instrument Ground School | 3 |
AVSC 220 | Instrument Certification Lab | 3 |
ENG 101 | Beginning Composition | 3 |
GEO 230 | Intro to Meteorology (CT) | 4 |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Second Year | ||
First Semester | ||
AVSC 329 | Commercial Ground School | 3 |
AVSC 330 | Commercial Phase I Lab | 3 |
MTH 121 | Concepts and Applications (CT) | 3 |
PSY 201 | Introductory Psychology (CT) | 3 |
ENG 201 | Advanced Composition | 3 |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Second Semester | ||
AVSC 231 | Aviation Law and Regulations | 3 |
AVSC 241 | Cognition and Aviation Safety | 3 |
AVSC 335 | CFI Ground School | 3 |
AVSC 340 | Commercial Phase II ASEL Lab | 3 |
Core II Fine Arts | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Third Year | ||
First Semester | ||
AVSC 375 | Commercial AMEL Add-On Lab | 1 |
AVSC Elective | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
Systems Management | ||
Airport Operations and Mgmt | ||
Air Transportation Operations | ||
International Aviation | ||
Drones: Remote Sensing & GIS | ||
Internship in Aviation Ops | ||
Core II Humanities | 3 | |
Core II Multicultural/International | 3 | |
Free Elective | 3 | |
Free Elective | 2 | |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Second Semester | ||
AVSC Elective | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
Systems Management | ||
Airport Operations and Mgmt | ||
Air Transportation Operations | ||
International Aviation | ||
Drones: Remote Sensing & GIS | ||
Internship in Aviation Ops | ||
AVSC 345 | Initial CFI ASEL Lab | 3 |
AVSC 355 | Aviation Weather | 3 |
Free Elective | 3 | |
Free Elective | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Fourth Year | ||
First Semester | ||
AVSC Elective | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
Systems Management | ||
Airport Operations and Mgmt | ||
Air Transportation Operations | ||
International Aviation | ||
Drones: Remote Sensing & GIS | ||
Internship in Aviation Ops | ||
AVSC 305 | CFII Lab | 1 |
AVSC 310 | Aerodynamics & Performance | 3 |
Free Elective | 3 | |
Free Elective | 3 | |
Free Elective | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 16 | |
Second Semester | ||
AVSC 450 | Crew Resource Management | 3 |
Free Elective | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
Systems Management | ||
Airport Operations and Mgmt | ||
Air Transportation Operations | ||
International Aviation | ||
Drones: Remote Sensing & GIS | ||
Internship in Aviation Ops | ||
AVSC 311 | Aircraft Systems | 3 |
AVSC 325 | Evolution of ATC Systems | 3 |
Free Elective | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Total Credit Hours | 121 |