Our purpose is to provide aviation majors with the knowledge and skills of a competent pilot, air traffic controllers, and/or industry professional, along with strong business fundamentals that provide long-term competitive professional advantages.
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OU is one of approximately 33 institutions worldwide with AABI-accredited programs
#1
ranked the top "university to consider when pursuing a degree in aviation" by Flying Magazine
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areas of academic concentration
Aviation Management - Air Traffic Management Concentration
Aviation Management - Flying Concentration
Aviation Management - Non-Flying Concentration
Professional Pilot - Airplane
Professional Pilot - Helicopter
We invite you to learn more about the School of Aviation by exploring our academic top five list (pdf).
If you’re planning to choose the Professional Pilot or Aviation Management – Flying concentration, you must apply by November 1 for a flight slot. Flight major applications are accepted during the fall term application timeframe only. Due to the limited number of flight slots OU has each fall, the demand for one of these slots is great.
Due to unprecedented market interest in the field of aviation, the OU School of Aviation has limited flying spots for fall 2025 freshmen. Students interested in Professional Pilot-Airplane, Professional Pilot-Helicopter, or Aviation Management-Flying concentrations for fall 2025 are encouraged to apply to the University of Oklahoma when the application opens on August 1. Interested students can only apply for the fall term. OU’s admissions application for these flying concentrations will remain open until November 1. No second or separate application outside of OU’s admissions application is required. Admitted students will then have until January 15 to complete the School of Aviation’s One Stop Packet. No later than March 1, admitted students with completed One Stop Packets will be notified of competitive flying spot admission. This secondary admission process is independent from admission to the university. Students then have until May 1 to send their medical certificate and submit their enrollment deposit to reserve their spot in the incoming freshmen class. Although the starting term at OU is the fall semester, flying spots are assigned either for the fall, spring, or summer term. Flight experience is not required and preference is not given to students with a pilot's license.
Due to unprecedented market interest in the field of aviation, the OU School of Aviation has very limited flying spots for fall 2025 transfer students. Students interested in Professional Pilot-Airplane, Professional Pilot-Helicopter, or Aviation Management-Flying concentrations for fall 2025 must apply by no later that November 1, 2024. Interested students can only apply for the fall term.
No second or separate application outside of OU’s admissions application is required.
Admitted transfer students with the intended major of Professional Pilot - Airplane, Professional Pilot - Helicopter, or Aviation Management - Flying will then have until February 15, 2025, to complete the School of Aviation’s One Stop Packet and complete OU’s transfer commitment form to be further considered. No later than March 15, 2025, admitted transfer students with completed One Stop Packets and who have completed OU’s transfer commitment form will be notified of competitive flying spot admission. This secondary admission process is independent from admission to the university. Students then have until May 1 to send their medical certificate to secure their flying slot.
Although the starting term at OU is the fall semester, flying spots are assigned either for the fall, spring, or summer term. Aviation cannot guarantee up front which semester you will start flying. Flight experience is not required and preference is not given to students with a pilot's license.
Note to incoming transfers: The flight sequence typically requires, at minimum, six semesters to complete. The Aviation Management-Flying concentration usually requires six semesters of flying for degree completion while the Professional Pilot concentration requires eight semesters of flying for degree completion.
Because of the limited number of flight slots each fall, as well as the very competitive nature of the process to receive a slot, OU maintains a waitlist for these spaces. Applicants who are waitlisted will be notified by the Office of Admissions and Recruitment of their status. OU cannot guarantee that any offers of flight slots from the waitlist will be made annually; getting off the waitlist depends on whether eligible students choose later not to accept a flight slot. If you have any questions regarding the flying slot waitlist, please contact the Office of Admissions and Recruitment at admissions@ou.edu or 405-325-2151.
If you are interested in an Aviation Management – Non-Flying or Air Traffic Management concentration, we encourage you to submit your application to OU for priority admission. These concentrations are not limited by space and are open to all students, including freshmen and transfer students. Students interested in these majors will follow general admission application dates and deadlines.
Here are just a few reasons why OU is a smart and affordable choice for your aviation degree:
Only students accepted into the Aviation Management – Flying Concentration or Professional Pilot Concentration AND get a flying spot will be able to fly. Unfortunately, students in other non-flying aviation or aerospace programs will NOT be able to fly.
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Faculty, adjunct faculty, and instructors bring a combined 300 years of operational aviation and real-world experience into the classroom from disciplines of airlines, corporate aviation, air traffic control, Department of Defense, airport management, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and government.
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We offer students the opportunity to apply to aviation internships all over the country. Currently, we’re connected to paid and volunteer opportunities at Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Raytheon, Tinker Air Force Base Airfield Operations, OAC, Leidos, and more.
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The OU School of Aviation includes learning labs like the Simulation Center with state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control and Advanced Aviation Training Device simulation. Students are exposed to a wide variety of weather conditions and gain proficiency in weather-related decision making in flying and controlling.
