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University programs

Aerospace is a research-driven industry, and Canada needs a steady supply of sharp and disciplined minds to maintain its innovative edge and push forward in aircraft design and productions, composites, integration, artificial intelligence and advanced propulsion systems. This is where universities come in.


January 9, 2018  By David Carr

The Canadian aerospace industry invests almost $2 billion annually in R&D, and is the number one investor in research and development compared with all other Canadian manufacturing sectors. Aerospace manufacturers also partner more with academia, government and others more than any other manufacturer.

As a student in a university with an aerospace diploma program you will work hands on alongside creative thinkers and designers to research and develop the products that will enter the global supply chain, while building a path to excel and position yourself as a leader in this exciting industry.

But it’s not just aerospace. A university degree is also regarded as a valuable asset by the airline industry when hiring pilots with the potential to transition from the flight deck to executive management. Many excellent Canadian universities have aerospace engineering and other programs at the undergraduate, graduate and PhD levels to support great careers in the aerospace and air transport sectors.


BRITISH COLUMBIA

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Fraser Valley University | Fraser Valley, B.C.
Fraser Valley University (UFV), in partnership with Coastal Pacific Aviation, a renowned flight training company located at Abbotsford International offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (Aviation) degree to equip you with the flight and business skills you need to succeed in the aviation industry.

Graduates not only have the potential to become flight captains, they can also assume management responsibilities for an airline or airport.
Learn more: www.ufv.ca


ALBERTA

MacEwan University | Edmonton
MacEwan’s Business Management Aviation Major is a unique partnership between MacEwan University and Transport Canada-approved training centres. The Aviation Major provides a mix of skills that prepares students for the business of flight. Five courses from the Business Management diploma are replaced with aviation training, leaving students with instruction in many core business skills, including accounting, marketing and strategic management.
Learn more: www.macewan.ca

Mount Royal University | Calgary
Mount Royal University’s Aviation Diploma program combines flight training with an academic diploma, preparing students to handle the role of a pilot both in the air and on the ground. Students will receive more than 420 hours of aviation education and will have a foundation in aviation-related studies including, aviation economics and management, safety management systems, aircraft systems, advanced meteorology, and GPS and crew management. Practical flying experience is accumulated on Mount Royal’s fleet of four, single-engine aircraft and three multi-engine aircraft. The fleet is equipped with the latest GPS avionics, and is located at the Mount Royal Hanger at Springbank Airport just west of Calgary. While making flights across Western Canada, students will earn more than 200 hours of total flying experience. In addition to the Commercial Aviation Diploma, Mount Royal also offers Private Pilot Licence training.


ONTARIO

Carleton University | Ottawa
Carleton Aerospace is an organized research group concentrating many researchers at Carleton University to encompass the full breadth and depth of aerospace and aeronautics. It features one of the largest groups of professors conducting aerospace research in the country. Aerospace Engineering students at Carleton actively participate in design projects.

Carleton is a long-time leader in aerospace and has chalked up a number of impressive firsts, including introducing the First Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering program in Canada, in 1988, and first undergraduate course on rotorcraft in Canada. The university has one of the largest undergraduate aerospace programs in Canada, and one of the largest graduate aerospace populations.
Learn more: aerospace@carleton.ca.

Ryerson University | Toronto
The mission of Ryerson University’s Aerospace Engineering graduate program is a combination of several interconnected objectives: to provide an excellent academic experience for graduate students within the realm of aerospace engineering that will better enable them to realize their potential upon graduation; to bring relevance to the program through strong interaction with the aerospace industry as it related to both education and research; and to conduct innovative, internationally recognized research across a spectrum of key areas that are of significant to the Canadian and global aerospace industries.
Learn more: www.ryerson.ca

University of Toronto | Toronto
The University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) offer many exciting research activities for prospective undergraduate and graduate students. The undergraduate program is offered through the Engineering Science Program. At the graduate level, UTIAS offers research-intensive programs leading to MASc and PhD degrees, and a professionally-oriented program leading to the MEng degree. The scope of research includes aeronautical engineering (aircraft flight systems, propulsion, aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics and structural mechanics) and space systems engineering (spacecraft dynamics and control, space robotics and mechatronics, and microsatellite technology).
Learn more: www.utias.utoronto.ca

University of Waterloo | Waterloo
The University of Waterloo’s Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) and Bachelor of Science (BSc) programs have been designed to provide a strong base for careers in a diverse array of aviation and aerospace industries. Through a strong partnership with the Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre, students will complete a Professional Pilot Program where courses are offered over a period of six academic terms, beginning in second semester. Overall, the flight-training component is offered concurrently with the courses.
Learn more: www.uwaterloo/aviation

University of Windsor | Windsor
The University of Windsor’s Aeronautics Leadership program provides students with a unique opportunity to combine a university education with flight training. Students take classes on the University of Windsor campus in areas of Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Business, Science and Engineering. The Aeronautics Leadership curriculum is diverse and flexible, giving students the chance to explore various areas of study. This education is coupled with commercial flight training, which is run by Journey Air at the Windsor International Airport.
Learn more: www.uwindsor.ca

Western University | London, Ont.
The Commercial Aviation Management (CAM) program at the Western University is a stepping stone to a career in aviation. CAM students graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Organizational Studies (BMOS), with specialized courses in aviation management. Western is the first Canadian university to offer an aviation management program, and the only university to offer a four-year university degree in Aviation Management. The CAM program was developed in response to the changing Canadian aviation industry, which is increasingly requiring a university degree.
Learn more: www.welcome.uwo.ca


QUEBEC

Concordia University | Montreal
For graduates with longer-term executive career ambitions in aviation and aerospace, the Aviation Management Institute (AIM) at Concordia University offers courses in aviation management and leadership development. Part of Concordia’s John Molson School of Business, AMI has established partnerships with leading universities and international aviation organizations. It has developed e-learning programs for the International Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Airports Council International (ACI).

AMI offers online programs such as the Aviation Security (AVSEC) Professional Management Certificate (PMC). Created in partnership with ICAO, this is the first and only certificate of its kind in the world, designed to provide specialized training focused on the evolving and critical area of aviation security. AMI’s Airport Executive Leadership program helps to develop airport industry leaders and advance the professionalism of airport management practices.
Learn more: www.concordia.ca

Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal | Montreal
The master’s program in Aerospace Engineering aims to broaden candidates’ technological and scientific knowledge of aerospace engineering and to train highly specialized engineers. The program is offered in conjunction with McGill and Concordia universities, Ecole de Technologie Supérieure, Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke and a number of aerospace companies in the Montreal region. Students must follow at least two specialization courses (with the exclusion of case studies) given by the other participating institutions. Candidates who successfully complete the professional master’s in Aerospace Engineering program obtain a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree.
Learn more: www.polymtl.ca   

McGill University | Montreal
McGill University offers an Air and Space Law LL.M. with Thesis or Non-Thesis. A Master’s Thesis is a 30,000-word project. It should constitute a sustained analytical contribution to an ongoing academic discussion or to developing concepts and practices. Non-Thesis 15,000-word Supervised Research Project. The paper constitutes a substantial piece of critical writing, of publishable length and quality that elucidates particular ideas or problems within an area of law. The Thesis program is suited to students who wish to focus on original scholarly research and writing under the supervision of a law professor. In turn, the Non-Thesis program is suited to students who wish to gain a wide exposure to a range of taught courses within, and related to, the domain of Air and Space Law.
Learn more: www.mcgill.ca/law


NEW BRUNSWICK

Mount Allison University | Moncton, N.B.
Offered in partnership with the Moncton Flight College, Mount Allison’s aviation program allows students to earn an undergraduate degree incorporating flight and ground school training. The major is an interdisciplinary science program, featuring study in depth of subject that are relevant to aviation. Before graduation, students must complete over 200 hours of flying, hundreds of hours of ground training and hold a Commercial Pilot Licence with multi-engine and instrument ratings.
Learn more: www.mgta.ca/aviation
Learn more: www.mtroyal.ca

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