Airport Management, BS

The field of airport management is a unique discipline with its roots in general business, but driven by the high-tech world of aviation and transportation. In this program, students concentrate on subjects as diverse as wildlife hazards, ecosystem management, and emergency planning and control.

Our location, adjacent to LaGuardia Airport, provides an excellent learning environment. Students can investigate firsthand the areas of airport planning, management, business and finance, control of ground vehicles, communication systems, airport security, fire and rescue services, and airport maintenance. Students may also pursue a variety of areas of elective study, including supply chain management, Fixed Base Operations and other technical, aviation and management areas. Eligible students may complete the AT-CTI program as described in the section entitled, “Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative,” and the Safety Management Systems (SMS) or other certificate programs as described in the “Certificates” section. 

Language Requirement

To ensure that our graduates are well prepared to work in a global environment, a foreign language requirement has been included in our management curriculum. The language requirement can be satisfied by enrollment in two terms of either French or Spanish. A native speaker of either French or Spanish is therefore expected to complete the other language offered or if he or she has not studied another language at the college level. The computerized language lab in the Teaching and Learning Center should be utilized for review and enhancement for at least two hours per week.

Vaughn College recognizes that many of our students come to Vaughn already documented as speaking two or more languages. To address this, Vaughn has instituted a policy that is academically sound and provides flexibility: Students who have studied a foreign language at another college (with a 2.0 or higher) or have taken a foreign-language AP exam (with a 3.0 or higher) will be given transfer credit. On the other hand, those who have become multilingual through other means should substitute six liberal arts credits in place of the language requirement.

Program Objectives

Graduates will:

Be prepared for careers in airports and related businesses, for entry- to mid-level positions of administrative responsibility in public or private enterprises or managing agencies and for further study at the graduate level.

Student Learning Outcomes

The airport management program learning outcomes are as follows. Graduates will be able to:

1. Apply major concepts within the traditional areas of business and management.
2. Apply understanding of professional, legal, ethical, economic and global issues.
3. Demonstrate an ability to obtain and process information in order to make decisions and solve problems as used in the airport industry.
4. Deliver effective, ethical and professional oral and written communication.
5. Apply decision-support tools as well as quantitative concepts and skills to address managerial issues and decision making.
6. Contribute to the development of a high performing team and collaborative environment.