SRU introduces aviation partnership with Beaver County college
Slippery Rock University has recently made efforts to promote an educational path with high career demand nationally and abroad: aviation.
SRU said in a university news article it’s positioning itself to be a leader in aviation education, announcing a new partnership with the Community College of Beaver County’s aviation school that allows students to co-enroll at the two colleges. The pathway would let students pursue both an associate degree from CCBC and a four-year bachelor’s degree from SRU.
This new pathway would allow students to secure “a solid foundation for growth in the high-demand field of aviation,” SRU said on its aviation pathway webpage. The program is designed for students interested in becoming pilots while building an academic foundation needed for long-term career growth in the aviation field.
The pathway will prepare students for a career that is projected to be in great need in coming years. Various projections show thousands of new pilots will be needed in coming years due to retirements and increased travel.
“This pathway is designed to empower lasting excellence for ambitious students,” said Justin Zackal, SRU’s associate director of marketing and communication. “Achieving a bachelor’s degree while training as a pilot provides proven and expanded knowledge, increased earning potential and a related four-year degree to expand their technical knowledge to secure influence and become a front-runner in the aviation industry.”
For the aviation pathway, students will simultaneously enroll and have full access to advising, campus resources and support services at both colleges.
Students would complete flight training through CCBC. This includes aviation coursework and completing required hours of hands-on flying training. Meanwhile, coursework is done at SRU through relevant majors.
Eligible bachelor's degree programs at SRU for the pathway include homeland security, corporate security, computing, cybersecurity, mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and industrial and systems engineering.
Nicole Dafoe, dean of SRU’s College of Engineering and Science, told the Butler Eagle this new pathway helps ensure graduates are equipped with technical knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the aviation industry.
Dafoe said the new aviation pathway is part of university efforts to benefit the community through local collaborations with other colleges and businesses, and create new opportunities for careers in demand.
“It’s a great opportunity for students who really want to become a pilot. For those who want that bachelor’s degree, we can provide that experience,” Dafoe said. “It’s absolutely great for students. I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting with prospective students, and it seems there’s interest. It’s a good job — the demand is out there.”
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2024 median annual salary for airline and commercial pilots was $198,100.
“Our well-known aviation programs have placed a professional pilot in the cockpit of every major airline in the United States and an air traffic controller in every FAA control tower in the country,” said John Higgs, dean of the Johnson School of Aviation Sciences in the SRU news article. “We are excited to see this program soar as students start strong at CCBC and finish stronger at Slippery Rock.”
