47 - Aviation

The student will study the transportation industry’s process of moving people and cargo around the world. Topics will include governmental regulation and the associated security concerns/procedures.

The student will study current trends in aviation/ transportation fiscal management from the perspective of project development and monitoring, including accounting, budgeting and purchasing. Studies in innovative and strategic financial decision-making will be introduced which include issues such as purchasing vs. leasing, outsourcing, and fractional ownership.

This course will explore the impact of the human element on safety in the various modes of transportation. Topics will include human information processing, group interactions, decision making, fatigue, and safety management systems.

Governmental bodies, domestic trade organizations and international advisory groups issue regulations, guidelines and procedural standards which directly impact transportation. This course highlights the degree to which regulation shapes the industry.

A Safety Management System (SMS) is a dynamic management system based on Quality Management System (QMS) principles in a structure scaled appropriately to the operational risk, and applied in a safety culture environment in aviation and transportation. Safety management must be a cardinal priority for every transportation organization, including private enterprise and regulatory agencies. This course will cover not only concepts of SMS, but also the history of quality management, and present critical QMS concepts such as quality tools, strategic planning, deployment, statistical performance measurement, leadership/management, and documentation.

A study of the role of human resource management including hiring practices, initial employee training, professional development, and establishing employee benefit packages. Ethical concerns underlying labor relations, employee dissatisfaction, collective bargaining, labor/management conflicts, and other human resource management issues and trends will be discussed.

A select study of contemporary issues in aviation and other transportation industries. Topics may include such contemporary issues as incorporating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles into the National Airspace System, airspace capacity and the Next Generation Air Transportation System, planning responses to intermodal transport systems, and current trends in transportation security. Subject matter will vary.

A select study of contemporary issues in aviation and other transportation industries, focusing on the security function.

An examination of the role of research and statistics in facilitating the decision making process. The student will learn how to select a research topic, collect data, perform a statistical analysis, develop a conclusion, and make a written/oral presentation of the results. Emphasis will be placed on the appropriateness of the research, and the accuracy of the interpretation of results.

This course is designed for the student completing the Masters Degree in Aviation and Transportation Administration. The student will employ acquired knowledge through one of the following options: Thesis (students selecting this option must attend a weekend workshop and meet at scheduled times with an advisor); Practicum/Internship (requires a journal and culminating paper based on relevant questions); or Development and Presentation of Case Study/Action Plan.