Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Minor

Location(s): Brookings Main Campus

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Student and instructor flying a drone.

Program Coordinator/Contact

Bob Watrel, Department Head
Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences
109 Wecota Hall
605-688-4511

Program Information

An uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers controlling it from the inside. Uncrewed Aircraft Systems or UAS is the system behind what makes a drone or UAV work. This includes the equipment, accessories, and software needed to allow a UAV to fly autonomously or remotely. Uncrewed Aircraft Systems is a technology with many commercial applications, some of which include remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), precision agriculture, construction, resource management, engineering, cinematography, and emergency services. The minor provides the knowledge and skills necessary to apply this technology to a field of study or field of work. The minor covers mission planning and safety, how to acquire data using sensors, how to process acquired data, ethical considerations, and the basic components required to operate a UAS, among others. This minor provides the knowledge necessary to attain the FAA Part 107 small UAS license.

Course Delivery Format

Coursework for the program is delivered in multiple formats including face-to-face lecture and online courses.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems minor, students will be able to:

Describe UAS design, its components, and its current applications.
Describe and apply small UAS laws, safety, and ethical considerations.
Demonstrate relevant knowledge required to pass FAA 107 small UAS commercial pilot test.
Plan and execute UAS missions in order to collect, process, and analyze UAS data.
Identify, discuss, and summarize research applications, commercial applications, and limitations of small UAS
Demonstrate the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Requirements for Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Minor: 18 Credits

AVIA 200 - Aviation Safety Credits: 3
GEOG 270 - Introduction to Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Credits: 3
GEOG 387 - UAS Photography and Videography Credits: 3
GEOG 483 - UAS Remote Sensing Credits: 2
GEOG 483L - UAS Remote Sensing Lab Credits: 1

Select from the following

Please select two courses from the following list. Credits: 6

AST 426 - Technology Applications for Precision Agriculture Credits: 2
AST 426L - Technology Applications for Precision Agriculture Lab Credits: 1
AVIA 300 - Human Factors in Aviation Credits: 3
BLAW 433 - Real Estate (COM) Credits: 3
CM 400 - Risk Management and Construction Safety Credits: 3
GEOG 280 - Introduction to Remote Sensing Credits: 3
GEOG 372 - Introduction to GIS (COM) Credits: 2
GEOG 372L - Introduction to GIS Lab (COM) Credits: 1
GEOG 386 - UAS Applications for Emergency Management Credits: 3