2026-2027 University Catalog
Professional Flight Technology, BS
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About the Program
The Professional Flight Program in the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology prepares students for careers as professional pilots in commercial airlines, corporate aviation, cargo operations, charter services, and governmental flight organizations. The program combines structured flight training conducted under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations with a comprehensive academic curriculum that develops technical competence, operational judgment, leadership, and safety expertise. Students progress through a carefully sequenced pathway of flight and ground instruction leading to FAA certifications, including the Private Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot Certificate, and Multi-Engine Rating. Flight laboratories, ground trainers, and advanced simulator experiences provide progressive skill development in visual and instrument flight, cross-country navigation, abnormal and emergency procedures, crew resource management, and airline-style standard operating procedures.
The academic component provides a strong foundation in aerodynamics, aircraft propulsion, aircraft systems design and analysis, meteorology, aviation law, and regulatory compliance. Students examine human factors, threat and error management, and operational safety mitigation using real-world case studies and safety data. Coursework in aviation operations management and airline industry operations develops systems thinking, data-informed decision-making, and an understanding of complex aviation production and service environments.
Advanced coursework emphasizes turbine aircraft systems, large transport aircraft operations, international flight planning, professionalism, and command leadership. Students engage in scenario-based simulator training that replicates transport-category aircraft environments, reinforcing technical proficiency, communication, teamwork, resilience, and leadership under operational pressure.
The program culminates in a capstone experience that integrates technical knowledge, safety principles, regulatory frameworks, and operational strategy to address contemporary aviation challenges. Graduates leave prepared not only to meet FAA certification standards but also to contribute as disciplined, safety-focused professionals within high-reliability aviation organizations.
The Professional Flight Program develops pilots who combine aeronautical skill, regulatory competence, ethical responsibility, and leadership capacity-positioning them for long-term success in a dynamic and globally connected aviation industry.
Degree Requirements
120 Credits RequiredDepartmental/Program Major Courses (62 credits)
Required Major Courses (62 credits)
Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (46 credits)
Grade Requirements
- Students must earn a “C” or better in all AT courses.
- Purdue policy states that a student may attempt a course no more than three times. An attempt is defined as all courses displayed on a student transcript having grades of (including, but not limited to) A, B, C, D, E, F, W, WF, I and IF.
GPA Requirements
- 2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Science degree.
Course Requirements and Notes
- A course can only satisfy one departmental/program major degree requirement within a unique plan of study.
- A course may be used to satisfy two separate departmental/program major degree requirements
- Thematic Area Selective Requirement
- Option I: Any University - approved minor.
- Option II: 12 consecutive credit hours in a foreign language.
- Option III: 6 credit hours of 20000 or higher-level courses AND 6 credit hours of 30000 or higher-level courses from any of the following departments: AT, AFT, EAPS, ECON, ENTR, HTM, MGMT, OBHR, OLS, POL, or TLI.
- Option IV: 9 credit hours of 50000 level courses AND 3 credit hours of 30000 or higher-level courses.
Non-course / Non-credit Requirements
Pass/No Pass Policy
A student may elect the Pass/Not-Pass (P/NP) grading option for courses without an AT prefix. A student may not elect this option for more than 20 percent of the total credit hours required for graduation.
AT prefix courses may be taken for P/NP only under extenuating circumstances and in close coordination with advisors and faculty. Some AT prefix courses have been established as P/NP for all students and are therefore required to be taken in that manner. For further information regarding P/NP, students should refer to the Purdue Regulations, Grades and Grade Reports, Pass/Not-Pass Option & Scholastic Indexes.
- The following courses are only offered as Pass/No Pass: AT 14500, 21000, 21100, 24302, 24802, 25302, 35100, 35300, 36500, 48400
Transfer Credit Policy
- SATT adheres to the admissions office Transfer Credit Course Equivalency Guide.
- Students may submit requests (with accompanied Syllabi) for Non-Purdue course evaluations for AT courses that are not reflective in the Transfer Credit Course Equivalency Guide.
University Requirements
University Core Requirements
For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the University Senate Website. - AI Working Competency (UCC: AI)
- Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (UCC: BSS)
- Human Cultures: Humanities (UCC: HUM)
- Information Literacy (UCC: IL)
- Oral Communication (UCC: OC)
- Quantitative Reasoning (UCC: QR)
- Science #1 (UCC: SCI)
- Science #2 (UCC: SCI)
- Science, Technology, and Society (UCC: STS)
- Written Communication (UCC: WC)
Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement
To obtain the Civics Literacy credential, all Baccalaureate degree seeking students will complete the Civics Literacy Podcast pathway - Complete 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement that use C-SPAN material and pass the required quizzes per episode. After the pathway has been successfully completed, students will take the Civics Literacy knowledge test. Civics Literacy does not impact a student’s GPA or bear any financial costs. More details about each pathway and how to complete the requirement can be found on the Civics Literacy Student Dashboard in myPurdue. Upper Level Requirement
- Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level (30000+) courses.
- Students should be able to fulfill most, if not all, of these credits within their major requirements; there should be a clear pathway for students to complete any credits not completed within their major.
Additional Information
Students of Purdue University School of Aviation and Transportation Technology (SATT) are required to fly in the University’s training aircraft during several courses within the Professional Flight Training Plan of Study. SATT operates Piper Archer and Seminole as the primary trainer fleet. Although these aircraft are very capable, height, size and weight specifications vary by aircraft. Students whose personal size (height, weight, width, etc.) is significantly larger or smaller than average may require additional assessment to ensure their ability to safely pilot University training aircraft. Please review the aircraft configurations highlighted on the Fleet - Purdue Polytechnic Institute website to determine if an additional assessment is warranted. Contact the Aviation Safety Manager at avsafety@purdue.edu to set up an appointment to discuss options and/or questions prior to the course beginning. Sample 4-Year Plan
The following sample plan of study is a suggested arrangement of courses. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student.
Pre-Requisite Information
For pre-requisite information, log in to mypurdue.purdue.edu and click here. World Language Courses
World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor. (ASL-American Sign Language; ARAB-Arabic; CHNS-Chinese; FR-French; GER-German; GREK-Greek(Ancient); HEBR-Hebrew(Biblical); HEBR-Hebrew(Modern); ITAL-Italian; JPNS-Japanese; KOR-Korean; LATN-Latin; PTGS-Portuguese; RUSS-Russian; SPAN-Spanish) Critical Course
The ♦ course is considered critical. In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.” Disclaimer
The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion. Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. |
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