ERAU to Offer "Airline Management" Degree for Post-Bacc Students

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has joined hands with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to begin offering a new kind of Master's degree in Airline Management. 

The new program will fall under the existing Master of Business Administration in Aviation (MBAA) program through its College of Business. The core program will leverage resources from the ERAU worldwide campus with courses taught by Embry faculty and IATA instructors. Overall, the program will see the addition of a new certificate in Airline Management, as well as major-specific courses in revenue management, business models, cost controls, and ancillary revenue. Once complete, graduates will have much of the professional toolkit required to take on a career in airline management, whether assisting in an operational, executive, or financial capacity. Courses will be held virtually, with weekly Q&A sessions with professors and instructors.

The school says the move was natural following the complicated, problem-fraught period following the 2020 pandemic. IATA, while not exactly a household name in the US, is a juggernaut in air travel abroad, representing nearly 300 airlines in total that account for more than 80% of the world's air traffic. Their belief is that the industry has a great need for management that can help chart a company's course through troubled economic waters. 

“As aviation rebuilds from the Covid-19 crisis, laying the foundation for the workforce of the future is essential,” said Frederic Leger, IATA’s senior vice president for commercial products and services. “Companies across the aviation value chain are recruiting once again and, hence, the importance of having programs in place which will provide the right skill set for the talent of the future.

Embry-Riddle's dean over the College of Business, Maneesh Sharma, said that the program offers the best of both worlds by taking the academic grounding of the school with the real-world know-how of IATA personnel. 

“This is an MBAA specifically focused on airline management with courses taught by both Embry-Riddle Worldwide faculty and IATA instructors with extensive industry experience. We combined the best of IATA and the best of Embry-Riddle.”

FMI: www.erau.edu