EAST GREENWICH – New England Institute of Technology students now have the ability to study and learn the hands-on skills necessary to be successful in the emerging electronics, robotics and drone technology industries with the school’s new associate’s degree focusing on these high-tech fields, according to a mid-May release by the institute.
Senior vice president and NEIT provost, Douglas H. Sherman, said in a statement, these skills will be very useful in the coming years as these industries flourish.
He added: “Graduates from this program will be qualified for a wide range of entry-level positions in robotics, drone mission programming, automated manufacturing, research and development, new product design, product testing, field service, controls engineering, installation, marketing, and customer service.”
Specifically, the Federal Aviation Administration expects to add 100,000 drone technology-related jobs and, according to an Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International report, the drone industry will add $13.6 billion to the nation’s economy within three years of being approved.
The hands-on educational models include robotic control systems and drone applications, data acquisition, control and communication, digital electronics, microprocessor control and programmable automation controllers in a simulated professional atmosphere.
ERD program curriculum will consist of robotic programming languages, robotic architecture and operating systems and software interfaces. The structure of the program will begin with electronic foundation courses and lead up to aerial drone, robotics and automation systems. Technical elective courses including drone engineering, renewable energy systems, computer networking, CAD and manufacturing quality will also be accessible.
Those students pursuing a career in drone technology will prepare and sit for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Section 107 Commercial Small Unmanned Aircraft System exam for pilot certification.
For more information regarding the ERD program, visit the website or contact NEIT’s admissions office by phone at 800-736-7744 or by email at NEITAdmissions@neit.edu.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey.
