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Course Syllabus

GEO 2845 Drone Operations and Safety Certification

  • Division: Natural Science and Math
  • Department: Chemistry and Geology
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 1; Lecture: 1; Lab: 0
  • Prerequisites: None
  • Corequisites: None
  • Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
  • Semester Approved: Fall 2026
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2031
  • End Semester: Summer 2032
  • Optimum Class Size: 12
  • Maximum Class Size: 15

Course Description

Professionals in many fields (natural resources, earth sciences, agriculture, engineering, construction, etc.) use drones and other small remotely operated aircraft as vital tools in their work. This course will cover material necessary to pass the FAA Part 107 test to receive a small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) commercial pilot license. It will also overview drone operations and applications.

Justification

Mapping based on aerial imagery and other remote sensing data obtained by sUAS (drones) is an increasingly important part of many field, including natural resources, earth science, agriculture, construction, and engineering. Applications range from search and rescue, agriculture, firefighting to range and wildlife management. This course helps students in these fields to understand the rules and regulations governing use of sUAS, prepare for the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate test, and gain basic skills in obtaining sUAS data. Similar courses are taught at other USHE institutions (e.g., AVSC-1410 at UVU, TEua 1011 at USU, and LLPOT 629 at U of U).

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to successfully apply the material required for the FAA exam, which covers the following areas: Regulations, Airspace and requirements, weather, Loading and performance, and sUAS operations.
  2. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of common applications of small unmanned aerial systems.

Course Content

The course will cover topics and knowledge areas found on the FAA Part 107 exam, including topics such as: sUAS regulations, loading and performance, sUAS operations, weather, airspace requirements, and flight operations/planning. At the instructor's discretion, the course may also include discussion and/or assignments covering topics such as sUAS applications, data collection, and hands-on flight experience.