UAS program at OSU ranked nation’s second best
Monday, August 31, 2015
The unmanned aerial systems program at Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology has been ranked the second best in the nation by Successful Student website in a ranking of the top 15 programs in the U.S.
OSU’s program was named the country’s second best in an online listing, http://successfulstudent.org/15-best-drone-training-colleges/. The site recognized OSU’s first-in-the-nation graduate-level UAV concentration and the school’s facilities including a dedicated flight test facility with two runways, a control room and a hangar where more than 200 custom unmanned aircraft have been tested.
“I am happy that all of the hard work of the students, staff and faculty here in developing this program over the past 20 years has been recognized,” said Andy Arena, professor and T.J. Cunningham Endowed Chair in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at OSU.
The Successful Student website’s description of OSU’s program included its opportunities for student research in a wide variety of current and future unmanned system applications.
“Research opportunities are abundant through the UAS program, which covers a wide area of topics, including: UAS structure and design, flight path management, communications and operations, and aerodynamics,” wrote editors for the website.
“Oklahoma State University has long been known as the go-to university for advanced unmanned aircraft design and build, so it is gratifying to hear that the addition of the UAS option at the graduate level has been recognized as well,” said Jamey Jacob, the Ray and Linda Booker Professor of Aerospace Engineering.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., was named the top UAS school, namely for its ROTC program that trains unmanned vehicle pilots for the military.
The top 5 programs according to Successful Student:
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.,
- Oklahoma State University
- Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Ind.
- Kansas State University, Salina, Kan.
- University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D.
Citing a 2013 report by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, Successful Student said the UAS industry will have an economic impact of $82 billion and create 100,000 jobs by 2025.