Story ID: 
Embry-Riddle Adds Fast-track ATC Controller Degree
By: Amy Wilder
Caption: Accelerated two-year program launches in August and will focus on tower training
Word Count: 328
To address air traffic controller shortages, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is launching an associate’s degree in air traffic management in August. The two-year program has been approved under the FAA’s Enhanced Air Traffic Controller Training Initiative (AT-CTI), enabling qualified graduates to bypass the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City and report directly to air traffic control facilities for on-the-job training.
To qualify for the enhanced AT-CTI pathway, students must pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA), meet medical and security requirements, and complete all FAA-mandated evaluations. “This unique program will prepare students to be safe and effective air traffic controllers at a critical time for aviation,” said Embry-Riddle president P. Barry Butler.
The associate of science in air traffic management program is the latest offering at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Florida campus and complements the university’s existing four-year bachelor of science in the same discipline, which was approved for the FAA initiative in late 2024. The associate’s program focuses exclusively on tower operations, while the bachelor’s program includes en route and terminal operations alongside tower training.
Administered by the university’s department of applied aviation sciences, the program adapts the curriculum from the existing bachelor’s degree and will be taught by faculty with more than 150 years of collective ATC experience. Instruction will incorporate high-fidelity simulators with dynamic air traffic scenarios and immersive visualization systems.
The offering arrives as the FAA and Department of Transportation continue a broad hiring campaign to expand the controller workforce. The FAA reports that certified professional controllers currently average more than $160,000 annually in salary, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median at nearly $145,000.
“Air traffic control is an exciting, dynamic, and lucrative profession,” said Mike McCormick, associate professor and air traffic management program coordinator. “The field attracts outstanding students who want to serve and safeguard pilots, crew, and the flying public while having meaningful careers.”