Founded in 1927, Saint Louis University's Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science holds the first federally certified flight certificate in the country. Today, Saint Louis University is the only Jesuit university with a flight program, making us a premier institution for flight education. This Jesuit heritage means students learn to make ethical decisions that contribute to their personal and professional goals and allow them to enrich the community in which students live and work.<br>Students learn to fly in technically advanced light aircraft: the Diamond DA-20, Piper Archer PA28-181 with Garmin G1000nxi and Piper Seminole PA44. Advanced students further their studies of larger aircraft in a state-of-the-art Canadair Regional Jet-700 simulator. Students receive a holistic education that includes foundational and advanced courses in flight science and aviation management rounded out by the traditional core classes and elective courses.<br><br>Additional program highlights include:<br><br>Saint Louis University is the only Jesuit university in the United States to offer aviation science degrees, and students are offered a much more well-rounded curriculum to educate the whole person.<br>The flight training is conducted out of St. Louis Downtown Airport which is located between Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and Scott Air Force Base, providing aviation students with a complex and dynamic environment to learn to fly in.<br>The test scores achieved by the aviation students on the FAA knowledge and practical tests required for certification or ratings on average exceed the national average test scores.<br>The Department of Aviation Science has been granted a Letter of Authorization from the FAA making graduates eligible for a maximum reduction of 500 hours towards the 1,500-hour requirement for the Airline Transport Pilot Certicate.<br>Benets of SLU's flight science concentration include several internship and career opportunities. SLU's Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science provides valuable internship opportunities with Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and other carriers. Other corporate internships are also available. These internships are highly competitive.<br><br>SLU's flight science concentration prepares graduates to begin their path in the aviation industry leading to a career as a professional pilot in the airline, corporate and military sectors. After earning their flight instructor certicates, graduates who do not enter a military career track typically seek a flight instructor position to develop their experience for onethree years at which time students are qualied for a position with a regional airline.<br><br>The aviation management concentration prepares graduates for entry-level positions within the aviation and space industries, and/or government agencies. Career opportunities for graduates include management and supervisory positions with commercial airlines, the aircraft/aerospace industry, airports and governmental agencies, as well as positions as contract negotiators, budget analysts, project administrators, personnel directors and positions in sales, marketing and advertising.