Becomes First Woman-Focused Professional Pilot Program

Texas Woman’s University has decided to join the fight against the pilot shortage in a groundbreaking way. It will become the first woman-focused university in the nation to open a professional pilot program.

"Experts have been warning us about the pilot shortage for decades now because, at a certain age, pilots have to retire,” said Brittany Dinsmore, the TMU associate director and chief flight instructor.

TWU heard the concerns and, in 2023, kickstarted its aeronautical sciences program with a $15 million grant from the Doswell Foundation. This is the university’s largest donation to date and will be used for faculty, equipment, and scholarships in the new Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences.

The program’s main motivation is to increase the number of women in commercial pilot and aviation management careers. Currently, the number is tragically low, with women making up only 5% to 10% of commercial pilots worldwide. TWU’s new school could help in addressing this industry underrepresentation.

The university offers both Professional Pilot and Flight Operations Bachelor’s Degree options for students. Program courses will be taught on TWU’s Denton campus, with flight lessons held at Denton Enterprise Airport (KDTO). Their fleet, which comes in their partnership with the U.S. Aviation Academy, consists of Cessna 172s, 152s, and Piper PA-44s.

"What we're really excited about with our program is that we're kind of seeing a reverse. So, in traditional aviation programs like the one I went to, it's usually mostly men. And you might get two or three women. But what we're seeing with our inaugural class that's coming in, it's actually 25 women and two men. So, we've completely reversed the ratio," continued Dinsmore.

The Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences is opening this semester with a cap of around 30 students. They were fully booked for this fall, with classes having started on August 26.

FMI: www.twu.edu/aviation