Purdue University offers a Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Control Program, and the school offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Technology. Students learn the basics of aircraft science, flight fundamentals, aircraft operation and general physics. Students must also take introductory courses such as English composition, algebra and trigonometry. This is an eight-semester program, and you receive between 15 and 18 credits per semester. This school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Advanced Air Traffic Control's training program is broken up into three areas: simulation, classroom and on-the-job training. The simulation allows students to virtually control air traffic, and you also learn about different runway configurations. In the classroom, you learn basic ATC communication skills and the importance of controlling air traffic. You also learn how to read and decipher Terminal Area Forecasts and Terminal Area Observations. The final section of the course requires students work in the Tower Simulation lab, where they learn how to become a control tower operator. The course lasts one year. The school is located in Valdosta, Georgia.
The University of Alaska Anchorage has a Air Traffic Control program, and it is part of the FAA's College Training Initiative program. This is a preparatory course for students who wish to attend the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Students learn about air traffic control regulations and how to guide plans through inclement weather. They also participate in air-traffic simulations in the ATC Tower simulator, where they learn how to guide planes on a landing approach. Only a maximum of four to eight students are allowed in the lab per session. This is an 18-month program, and you receive an Air Traffic Control Associate of Applied Science degree. Or, you can pursue a four-year Bachelor of Science in Aviation Technology degree, which requires 122 credits.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is located in Daytona Beach, Florida, and the school offers a Bachelor of Science in Air Traffic Management. This program is also part of the FAA CTI program. You learn both in the classroom and on simulators within the Air Traffic Control Simulation Laboratory. You learn FAA operations and guidelines and how to guide planes in the air. This course prepares you for an entry-level air traffic controller position.