After being thrown into the national spotlight after false reports surfaced about its new master’s program, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is clarifying the focus behind the degree.

An Associated Press article reported that the program offered a degree in “drone warfare.” But the program, formally called the Master of Science in Unmanned and Autonomous Systems Engineering, is not related to warfare in any way, said Nickolas Macchiarella, chair of the aeronautical science department at ERAU.

“We do not have a master’s in drone warfare or anything related to warfare,” he said in an email.

ERAU is the first school of its kind to offer a Master of Science in Unmanned and Autonomous Systems Engineering, Macchiarella said.

The program, which currently has four students, started this fall and is listed under the school’s college of engineering, said Charles Reinholtz, a professor and chair of the department of mechanical engineering at ERAU. The program requires 30 credits, according to the ERAU website.

Reinholtz said he has encountered protesters who thought the program was associated with the drone strikes happening in the Middle East. He has also received feedback from students who have seen protesters, he said.

“The department is very broadly based, covering topics such as unmanned boats, autonomous underwater vehicles and ground vehicles,” Reinholtz said.

Reinholtz said an autonomous system being used inside a car is demonstrated when a car skids and has the technology to reposition itself. Within the university’s program, there is also a focus on autonomous aircraft, he said.

Students in the program are equipped to work for companies such as Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., Tesla Motors and Caterpillar Inc., he said.

As one of the program’s developers, Reinholtz said it was created because students have shown interest in the topic and companies have found the technology lucrative.

Admission requirements for the program include having a bachelor’s degree in an ABET accredited engineering program, international equivalent or closely related engineering discipline; a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0; completion of the Graduate Record Examination; and completion of the application before the deadline.

Some classes that are offered in the program include ME 503: “Unmanned and Autonomous Vehicle Systems,” EE 528: “Sensors and Data Links” and SYS 505: “System Safety and Certification,” according to the school’s website.

Reinholtz also said he favors hands-on, project-based classes where students and professors have to work together.

“We have to try and solve problems together and we are on the same team,” he said. “It is just a fun environment to be in and I enjoy getting to know the students like that.”

 

Published on September 26, 2013 at 12:55 am