UND is one of the first institutions in the country selected for a new Collegiate Training Initiative for unmanned aerial systems.
That new initiative is sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration.
UND has offered degrees in unmanned aerial systems since 2009, and was the first in the country to offer that degree.
"In the UAS program, we have about 185 students," said UAS program director Paul Snyder. He said UND has had a long relationship with the FAA.
"This shows the FAA recognizes the need to collaborate with schools, to make sure we have up to date UAS training that matches the requirements set up by the national airspace systenm they have to fly in," Snyder said. "We have to make sure the workforce is ready for the future."
Snyder said UND has always wanted to be a "thought leader" in this area.
"We're out flying these aircraft almost every day," Snyder said. "And if we can give that input, and gain knowledge from the other schools as well, we can make it a better program, and a win-win."
