Professional Pilot
Professional Pilot Bachelor's Degree
Thrilling flights. Panoramic views. Adventurous opportunities. The life of a professional pilot is full of exhilarating moments.
Offered as a bachelor's degree, K-State Salina's award-winning professional pilot program is the perfect place to begin your aviation journey. Boasting a premium fleet of 30+ aircraft and flight training devices and a large and active regional airport steps away from the classroom, your education and experience will far outreach the highest of expectation.
Why our program?
Our flight operations curriculum does more than train pilots – students receive training above and beyond the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) minimum requirements, creating professionals that are confident to fly in all conditions, troubleshoot and solve problems, make ethical decisions and exceed the expectations of the aviation industry. With the degree option's longstanding history at the university, K-State Aerospace and Technology Campus has turned people passionate about aviation into the best pilots in the skies.
K-State Salina's professional pilot degree option is FAA regulation part 141 approved, allowing students to complete commercial pilot training in as little as 190 hours instead of 250 hours, for a bachelor's degree. The training also allows students to qualify for a Restricted Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (R-ATP) in as few as 1,000 hours instead of 1,500 for a bachelor's degree. (Students are required to meet the minimum credits for R-ATP approved courses. Earning a degree does not equate to an automatic R-ATP.) The R-ATP can be beneficial to students by providing them the ability to fly for the airlines earlier. Training and education is provided by our elite staff, comprised of experts with years of both industry and education experience.
Program Details
K-State Salina students are pursuing a collegiate-level aviation degree. Academic courses and flight instruction complement each other in a holistic college experience that prepares students for future aviation careers. Every attempt is made to balance student enrollment and available flight training resources with safety and quality instruction.
Unprecedented demand for the flight training program means students are not guaranteed a flight instruction slot upon enrollment. Waitlists, a common occurrence in Part 141 flight programs, are utilized to ensure fair entrance into flight training for all students as spots become available.
Students are added to a training list at the time of enrollment for each rating. Once a flight instruction slot is available, students are assigned a dedicated flight time that aligns with their academic schedules. Students not given a flight instruction slot are not required to pay for enrollment in the flight lab until placed in a flight instruction slot. Academic advisors work closely with students to ensure appropriate course load enrollment is maintained to continue progression towards degree completion.
What to Expect
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Career options for professional pilot graduates include, but are not limited to:
- Airline Pilot
- Airline Captain
- Cargo Pilot
- Charter Pilot
- Corporate Pilot
- Flight Instructor
- Military Pilot
Students at K-State Salina will be eligible to apply to the Propel Career Pathway once they have completed flight training and are flight instructing in the school’s aviation program. Successful applicants will receive a Conditional Job Offer (CJO) to Endeavor Air, Delta's wholly owned regional carrier, with a streamlined, guaranteed path to a Delta pilot career.
Additional Delta Air Lines Propel Career Pathway Program Criteria:
- Student or graduate of a U.S.-based 4-year AABI-accredited flight education program (of which K-State Salina is)
- Actively flight instructing as a certified flight instructor (CFI) and within 12 months of meeting K-State Salina's Restricted-Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) Certificate.
- FAA First Class Medical Certificate
- Must hold a current passport or other travel documents enabling the bearer to freely exit and re-enter the U.S. (multiple re-entry status)
- Legally eligible to work in the U.S. without sponsorship now or in the future
Learn more about the courses in the program with the Professional Pilot Course Guide.
Our professional advisors are there every step of the way to guide you through your educational journey.
Transferring to K-State Salina? View the transfer matrix (pdf) to see how your courses will transfer. For official information on courses that will transfer, please meet with your advisor!
K-State Salina's professional pilot program is AABI-accredited - view the mission and student achievement data.
Learn more about this process at the Selective Admissions Process website.
My K-State Story
"Because of K-State, I know someone at almost every major airline, in corporate and cargo as well as the army, coastguard, air force, and navy." -Seth Short, alum
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