CCBC and Southern Illinois University Partner to Offer Aviation Bachelor’s Degree at Aviation Sciences Center

Monaca, PA –Southern Illinois University (SIU) has begun to offer its aviation management bachelor’s degree program at Community College of Beaver County’s Aviation Sciences Center, located at the Beaver County Airport in Chippewa Township, PA. This new partnership provides a convenient and affordable way for CCBC aviation graduates and other aviation professionals to complete the SIU aviation management bachelor’s degree on-site locally.

“CCBC’s aviation programs are well known for their excellence, particularly in air traffic control, and SIU Aviation has been known as an industry leader in aviation flight, aviation management, and aviation technologies degree offerings,” said Dr. Samuel R. Pavel, Department of Aviation Management and Flight, Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

“We know first-hand the quality of programs that SIU offers as SIU is one of the Top 5 four-year collegiate aviation programs in the United States,” said Col. (R) Bill Pinter, Dean of Aviation Sciences at CCBC. “Through the partnership of CCBC and SIU, CCBC graduates are able to attend SIU at a discounted rate and will be considered in-state residents for tuition and fees costs. This dramatically reduces the costs by approximately 60 percent.”

The structure of the SIU Aviation Management degree allows for all of CCBC’s associate degree aviation coursework to be used as an integral part of the bachelor’s degree requirements. CCBC students can complete the Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management degree with no more than 60 additional semester hours of study.  This accelerated degree program involves weekend classes, every other weekend, requiring only 16 months for completion. Additionally, degree completion does not require any visits to SIU or other requirements to take classes in Illinois.

“Students who complete SIU’s bachelor’s degree build on the already strong associate degree obtained from CCBC.  This additional level of degree coursework allows graduates to be more competitive in the job market,” commented Dr. Samuel R. Pavel.  “CCBC Aviation students who complete the aviation management bachelor’s degree will also be more promotable in their aviation industry jobs once they are hired.”

The SIU Aviation Management program has a long history of being offered off-campus and the degree curriculum is structured to correspond with associate degree programs. SIU has offered the degree on and off their campus for more than 40 years.

“As an institution, CCBC welcomes SIU to our campus. This partnership will significantly assist our graduates in attaining increased levels of collegiate education necessary for future, advanced employment opportunities,” added Col. Pinter.

Similar to CCBC’s aviation programs, faculty hired to teach in SIU’s off-campus aviation management programs are from the aviation industry or have had extensive aviation industry experience.

“This not only gives the students a top-quality education but also introduces them to professionals around the country for networking purposes,” commented Dr. Pavel.  “For example, the airline management course is taught by a retired American Airlines executive.  We will also make sure on-campus faculty teach once a semester to provide the students a connection to SIU.”

With the addition of the onsite bachelor’s degree opportunity with SIU, students now have the option to begin studying aviation at CCBC in their sophomore year of high school through the CCBC Aviation Academy and continue studies at CCBC to earn an associate degree and then a bachelor’s degree on campus through SIU. This unique advantage provides students with a pathway to earn an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree at a quicker rate and at a significantly reduced cost.

Aviation students and graduates who are interested in learning more about the SIU aviation management bachelor’s degree should contact Mr. Carmen Romeo at 724-480-3616 or carmen.romeo@ccbc.edu.