Bachelor of Aviation

The Bachelor of Aviation is a versatile degree with options to major in Flight Operations or Airport and Airline Management, preparing you for a career as a pilot, or diverse roles in airport management.

The Airline and Airport Operations major will prepare you for a career as an airline and airport professional by providing the core theoretical foundations of aviation operational management and giving you the opportunity to apply your knowledge in a relevant work environment. You will benefit from practical learning experiences throughout your studies including case studies, projects and assessments, and undertake an industry placement in your final unit. If you choose to study on campus in Cairns, you will also benefit from learning in-situ at the Cairns Domestic Airport and experience real-time case studies from your classroom window.

In this major, you will study a wide range of topics specifically tailored to the airline and airport operations environment, and develop skills in critical thinking, decision making, problem solving and teamwork. You will also develop an understanding of the relationship between human physiology/psychology and the aviation environment by focusing on the function and limitations of the human body. You will be introduced to the application of safety processes and how they are applied within the aviation industry and to the laws that are relevant to airline and airport operations.

The Flight Operations major will prepare you for a career as a professional airline pilot capable of managing a multi-crew environment. In this major, you will study the academic and aeronautical knowledge requirements of the Air Transport Pilot License and Command Instrument Rating. You will build knowledge and skills relating to aerodynamics, navigation, meteorology and flight planning, as well as being introduced to the laws that are relevant to aviation, multi-crew environments and the development and maintenance of a safety management system.

The Graduate Diploma of Aviation (Flight Operations) will provide you with the aeronautical experience required for a career as a commercial pilot. During your study, you will gain the aeronautical experience required to apply for a Recreational Pilot Licence, Private Pilot Licence, Command Instrument Rating, and Commercial Pilot Licence.

You will benefit from our national network of flight partners and industry partnerships. CQU's partnership with Aviation Australia provides students with the opportunity to undertake a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Multi-Crew Cooperation Course (MCC) in the third year of the Bachelor of Aviation (Flight Operations). A CASA-approved MCC course is a requirement to operate as a pilot in a multi-crew flight.

The Bachelor of Aviation (Flight Operations) in conjunction with the Graduate Diploma of Aviation (Flight Operations) prepares graduates for aviation careers in the air transportation industry as a professional airline pilot. Graduates will have all the aeronautical knowledge and flight training required to hold an Air Transport Pilot Licence, Commercial Pilot Licence with Command Instrument Rating. Graduates may be eligible to apply for cadetship or traineeship offered by some airlines. Graduates may also be eligible to apply for Australian Defence Force positions.

The Airline and Airport Operations major will prepare you for a career in aviation management. Aviation management is a broad and dynamic field and there are unlimited amounts of aviation business administration jobs that are necessary to keep air travel moving safely. This major provides a broad range of skills, both technical and managerial, that will prepare you to become an aviation professional who understands the theory behind airline and airport operations and can apply these principles to a practical work environment for long-term careers in airline and airport management. Graduates may find employment with airlines and related organisations such as airports, government agencies, tourism authorities, freight forwarders, airport ground handling companies, consulting firms, IT firms and air safety authorities.