A prerequisite to employment with the FAA as an air traffic controller is a two- or four-year degree. The degree must be from a school on the FAA approved list, known as Collegiate Training Initiative, or AT-CTI, schools, found in the resources section. The only exceptions are former military controllers, civilian controllers who worked for the military and individuals with prior experience as a controller. Initial hiring as a controller requires a medical examination and a security check. All controllers must be U.S. citizens, speak English well enough to be understood clearly and be hired before reaching age 31 in most cases.
LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, promotes itself as both the first school in Texas and the first evangelical Christian school to be approved by the FAA. It offers an associate degree in Air Traffic Control that requires four semesters plus one final summer semester. Besides core courses, general education courses such as English composition, college algebra, Biblical literature, a social science elective and a general science laboratory course are part of the curriculum. Core courses include flight science, radar, tower operations, meteorology and practical air traffic control labs. LeTourneau also offers a bachelor of science in air traffic management.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, offers a bachelor's of science in air traffic management. This program, approved by the FAA, offers state-of-the-art facilities along with former air traffic controllers as professors. According to Embry-Riddle, its Air Traffic Control Simulation Laboratory is the largest in the United States, containing the latest in technology. The Aviation Sciences Building, completed in 2002, houses the largest aeronautical sciences program in the United States. For students seeking a degree at a traditional university setting, Purdue University in Indiana offers a bachelor's degree in aviation technology.
Embry-Riddle offers a master of science in aeronautics. The degree is designed for personnel already employed in the industry, including air traffic controllers, or students seeking a master's degree prior to employment. The degree requires the completion of core courses, designed to examine the role of air transport, followed by courses in a specialized area, one of which is air traffic management. Two tracks of air traffic management are offered; one for students who have not been air traffic controllers and one for current air traffic controllers.