The “nearly limitless growth potential in virtually every type of commercial market application” for drones has opened an entirely new field of education geared to certifying unmanned aerial vehicle pilots, unmanned systems engineers or unmanned systems project managers, according to John Minor, 
Provost of Phoenix, Arizona based Unmanned Vehicle University, the only university in the world licensed to offer graduate degree programs in Unmanned Systems Engineering and Project Management Certificates in unmanned systems technology.
The university offers Doctorate Degrees in Unmanned Systems and Master’s Degrees in Unmanned (Air, Ground, Sea or Space emphasis) Systems Engineering and a cCertificate in UAS Project Management as a totally online curriculum. The university said this week that its expert UAV instructor pilots have a combined experience of over 60,000 hours in small UAVs (sUAS), Predator, Reaper, Global Hawk, Hermes, Heron, Aerostar and others. Most of the university’s faculty has PhD degrees in engineering and have combined experience of over 500 years.
The key to capitalizing on this exciting new career opportunity, according to Minor, is unmanned systems training and education, or, more specifically in the case of unmanned aerial vehicles, pilot certification.
“Every high value added career in America today requires education,” Minor said, adding, “Education doesn’t always mean a four year degree but it does mean high quality, specialized training from an institution that has a proven track record of education by professionals and subject matter experts in that particular field. In the field of unmanned aerial vehicles that institution is Unmanned Vehicle University.”
Minor explained that, “According to the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of the unmanned systems and robotics communities, the rapid adoption of drones in a wide variety of commercial markets is going to create more than 100,000 jobs and $82-billion in economic impact over the next ten years. I don’t think there’s another career field creating as many opportunities as this anywhere in the United States, let alone the world.”
Minor said every standard being contemplated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires the operator of a commercial unmanned aerial vehicle be certified to operate the drone.
“The simple truth is that you are not going to be in a position to capitalize on this rapidly growing and expanding career opportunity unless you have the right education and the certification to flourish as a certified vehicle operator, unmanned systems engineer, technologist, or unmanned systems project manager,” he stated.
“As FAA regulations become finalized, and they will, you are going to see drones incorporated into just about every industry known to man,” Minor said. “I’m not exaggerating. Drones reduce risk, save money, and dramatically increase the productivity of every field they are used in.”
“Major news organizations, film and television production companies, law enforcement agencies, government agencies like the EPA, major agriculture businesses and search and rescue organizations are all already focused on incorporating drones into their daily operations,” Minor said. And, “A lot more will follow. All individuals seeking job opportunities in the drone industry, those transitioning to a second career, or those who want to start up a new drone-related business should kick start their ambitions by taking the flight training and/or unmanned systems academic or certificate courses that Unmanned Vehicle University offers.”
According to Minor, “Unmanned Vehicle University’s role in the unmanned industry is to provide the world’s best drone pilot training, educate the public about the economic impact and the good that drones can provide and to provide significant opportunities for research into new unmanned system technologies and operations that will make drones, safer, more reliable, more effective, more efficient and more useful to mankind.”
Minor pointed out that there is a wide range of career opportunities waiting to be filled in a variety of commercial markets, including delivery and fulfillment, logistics, security and law enforcement, first responders, wildfire management, search and rescue, news gathering, photography, film and television production, oil, gas and mineral exploration, disaster relief, live event production, agriculture and real estate top the list of an ever growing number of commercial markets.
