Cheryl Welch

Cheryl Welch has over 15 years of experience as an instructor. Her entertaining style of teaching helps keep students interested and focused on the subject being taught and was recognized by the American Society for Training and Development as an award winning talent.

History Majors take part in SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience)
College of Sciences and Humanities

Three students stand in front of display of signatures on top of Declaration of Independence in the Department of History.

The Department is happy to report that we’ve been deeply engaged with Kent State’s SURE Program, which gives undergraduate students the opportunity to work one-on-one with professors on bespoke projects that amplify and enhance their advanced degree engagement. We spoke to two History majors about their experiences. One is Sara Mae Dickens, who worked with Dr. Kim Gruenwald of the Kent Campus, and the second is Aidan James, who worked with Dr. Leslie Heaphy on the Stark Campus:Sara heard about SURE through her academic advisor, who suggested the program as a good method for gathering honors cr...

Aviation Science - M.S.

The Master of Science in Aviation Science prepares students to advance the future of aviation and aerospace through an interdisciplinary, research-focused curriculum. Designed for emerging leaders in industry, government and academia, the program integrates aviation safety, human factors, unmanned aircraft systems, advanced air mobility, aviation operations, management, law and policy. Students benefit from specialized laboratories, advanced flight simulators, expert panels and collaborative learning opportunities that connect research with real-world aviation challenges. The program equips graduates to address complex issues in aviation science, safety, operations and emerging technologies at regional, national and global levels.

Program Information for Aviation Science - M.S.

Program Description

Full Description

The Master of Science degree in Aviation Science prepares students to advance knowledge and practice across the aviation and aerospace domains. This interdisciplinary, research-intensive program emphasizes aviation safety, human performance, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), advanced air mobility (AAM), aviation management and aviation law and policy.

Students engage in a curriculum that integrates core coursework, research tools, seminars and residencies, with specializations in aviation human factors, aviation operations management and aviation law and safety. Hybrid delivery combines online learning with on-campus residencies that foster scholarly community, collaboration and professional networking. The residencies foster scholarly community, provide access to specialized laboratories and simulators and support interdisciplinary collaboration and professional networking.

Research opportunities are supported by access to Kent State’s UAS laboratories, advanced flight simulators and AAM infrastructure planning tools.

Graduates of the program are prepared for leadership roles in academia, industry and government, contributing to the advancement of aviation science, safety, operations and policy at regional, national and global levels.

Admissions for Aviation Science - M.S.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in aviation, engineering or a related discipline from an accredited college or university
  • Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • Goal statement1
  • Three letters of recommendation1
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:2
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET score
1

Current Kent State undergraduate students who want to apply to the combined B.S./M.S. degree program should contact the College of Aeronautics and Engineering via email to discuss the process and request waivers for certain admission requirements.

2

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Application deadline: March 1
      All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted after this deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.
  • Spring Semester
    • Rolling admissions

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Apply advanced research methodologies to collect, analyze and interpret quantitative and qualitative data in aviation and aerospace contexts.
  2. Design and evaluate systems, operations or policies that enhance safety, efficiency and human performance in aviation, aerospace, unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility.
  3. Integrate legal, regulatory and policy frameworks into decision-making processes for aviation operations, management and emerging technologies.
  4. Produce and defend original scholarly research that contributes new knowledge to the field of aeronautics through publication and professional dissemination.
  5. Lead interdisciplinary projects and collaborations that address complex challenges in aviation and aerospace at regional, national and global levels.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
AERN 55135AVIATION SAFETY THEORY 3
AERN 55250AVIATION LAW 3
AERN 55791AVIATION SECURITY AND POLICY SEMINAR 3
AERN 65087AVIATION FUTURES: SAFETY, SYSTEMS AND SOCIETY 2
AERN 65101STRATEGIC OPERATIONS AND SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT IN GLOBAL AVIATION 2
AERN 65240AVIATION SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 2
AERN 65355ETHICS IN AVIATION 2
BA 64005ANALYTICS FOR DECISION MAKING 2
POL 60003QUANTITATIVE METHODS I 3
POL 60010QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS 3
or RMS 65516 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
Culminating Requirement
Thesis or Capstone/Specialization Option, choose from the following:6
Thesis Option
AERN 65199
THESIS I 1
Capstone/Specialization Option 2
AERN 65499
CAPSTONE IN AERONAUTICS
Specialization Electives, choose from the following:
AERN 65092
PRACTICUM IN AVIATION SCIENCE
AERN 65151
AVIATION LAW, POLICY AND GOVERNANCE FOR EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
AERN 65202
AVIATION ECONOMICS, POLICY AND EMERGING MARKET MODELS
AERN 65231
MODELING AND SIMULATION FOR AVIATION SYSTEMS
AERN 65235
HUMAN ERROR ANALYSIS IN AVIATION
AERN 65300
AIRLINE TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS
AERN 65496
INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION IN AERONAUTICS
Minimum Total Credit Hours:31
1

Students selecting the thesis option must continually register for AERN 65199 for maximum 6 credit hours toward the degree. Students may need to register for AERN 65299 to complete the thesis requirement; however, those credit hours will not count toward the degree.

2

Students selecting the capstone/specialization option will complete a total of 6 credit hours, comprising 2-4 credit hours of AERN 65499 and 2-4 credit hours of specialization electives. Students should meet with their advisor to discuss the capstone project topics well before their final semester.

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000
  • No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
  • Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.

Residency Requirement

To meet the program's residency requirement, students must complete at least one of the program's courses in person on the Kent Campus. AERN 65087 is offered as a six-day, on-campus seminar. The course introduces graduate students to the major forces shaping the future of aviation, including safety management, human-machine systems, advanced air mobility, sustainable and electric aviation, regulatory change and emerging technologies. Activities include expert panels, hands-on labs, scenario modeling and a futures analysis portfolio. Students complete this seminar within their first nine months in the program.

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • Mostly online
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

What does delivery mean?

Examples of Possible Jobs and Salaries for Aviation Science - M.S.

Operations research analysts

21.5%

much faster than the average

112,100

number of jobs

$91,290

potential earnings

Management analysts

8.8%

much faster than the average

1,075,100

number of jobs

$101,190

potential earnings

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

6.1%

faster than the average

216,700

number of jobs

$102,010

potential earnings

Financial and investment analysts

5.7%

faster than the average

368,500

number of jobs

$101,350

potential earnings

Additional careers
  • Aviation operations research analysts
  • Aviation management analysts
  • Aviation and transportation policy analysts
  • Airport operations managers
  • Airline revenue management analysts
  • Airline network planning and scheduling analysts
Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

Send Your Funding Award to Kent State

Non-public (private school) and homeschool students will receive their CCP funding award notification from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW). This notification confirms whether the student received state CCP funding for the upcoming academic year.

This form must be submitted to Kent State's CCP office as soon as possible. Students can email the CCP funding award to the CCP office at ccp@kent.edu through their Kent State email.

How students receive their funding award

Understand the Funding Application

Before applying for state funding, students must apply and be accepted at Kent State University to provide the acceptance letter in the funding application.

The CCP funding application is completed online through the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's CCP funding portal. Parents or guardians must make an OH|ID account to access and submit the funding application.
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