OC REGISTER: Fullerton College is launching a bachelor of science degree in drone and autonomous systems beginning in fall 2026, the school announced Tuesday at a special event on campus fittingly replete with a drone light show.
This will be the first bachelor’s degree the community college has ever offered. It will also be the first-of-its-kind drone bachelor’s program on the West Coast, school officials said.
“Drones and autonomous systems are revolutionizing and transforming industries,” said Jay Seidel, chair of the Fullerton College Drone Technology program. “This new baccalaureate degree is a testament to our commitment to innovation and providing our students with the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow.”
For years, Seidel has run Fullerton College’s successful drone technology program. The school already offers two associate degrees and four specialized certificates in the field, and Seidel has facilitated partnerships where students practice drone piloting with all sorts of organizations, including media publishers, utilities and research institutes.
Currently, for instance, Seidel is training students to work with the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach to use drone camera technologies to monitor marine life off the coast. Previously, his students flew drones to further research with Cal State Long Beach’s Shark Lab.
Seidel says the new bachelor’s degree will approach drone systems from a bird’s eye view, giving students a fuller picture of opportunities in the nascent industry beyond work as a remote pilot. He expects about a dozen students to enroll in the first baccalaureate cohort.
More at link:
Fullerton College to launch first bachelor’s degree program in school history — in flying drones