An aviation program for University of North Texas

A proposed University of North Texas aviation logistics program has been presented to the university’s Provost and is awaiting approval. If approved, it will be the first four-year aviation degree at any public school in Texas, said Terry Pohlen, director of the Center for Logistics Education and Research.

The program would focus on the logistics of transportation by air, and students would earn a Bachelors of Science degree in Aviation Logistics, Pohlen said. With the degree, students could seek work as commercial pilots, airport directors and even Air Force pilots, he said. Approval by the Provost would then go to the Board of Regents for review in May or June of this year. “If everyone agrees to this, the program would be at NT by fall 2010,” Pohlen said.

NT’s decision to pursue an aviation program came because the need for aviation professionals in Texas is currently not being satisfied, Pohlen said. With major aviation companies such as Lockheed Martin, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and Bell Helicopter all based in North Texas, there is need for professionals in the immediate area, he stated.

The program will provide a broad view of how aviation fits into a logistics network, and students should leave the program knowing how to manage the movement of people and freight, Pohlen said. Expansion of the program would include focuses on public administration, engineering and aerospace medicine.