Educational Programs

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Learn about MCTC's more than 130 liberal arts, career and technical programs.

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Date: July 9
Time: 5–7 p.m.
Where: T Plaza
Parking: Helland Center and the Plaza

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Fall semester begins Aug. 26.

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Air Traffic Control

Program description

Get ready for an exciting career in the Aviation Field! MCTC’s Air Traffic Control Program, an FAA- approved Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI), gives you the skills you need to separate and control aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS). With hands-on training, you’ll learn progressively complex exercises in the classroom and in realistic simulation labs, preparing you for this important job in the Aviation industry.

Program start and location

The three-semester Air Traffic Control program accepts 64 students each summer. Courses are taught on MCTC’s main campus and at the MCTC Aviation Center in Eden Prairie, MN.

Degree options and requirements

Air Traffic Control A.A.S. Degree—60 Credits

Click here for program and course information.

Click here for additional admission requirements.

What you will learn

  • You will learn the core skills needed to enter the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control career field.
  • You will gain knowledge of basic aviation terms and the application and interpretation of weather conditions.
  • You will develop an understanding of the rules and procedures needed to direct the safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic in terminal and en route center environments.
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  • You will become comfortable making sound decisions and solving problems as an individual and in a group during complex air traffic control exercises.
  • You will receive extensive hands-on training to operate the computer and radar system in use today by the National Airspace System.
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Points of pride

  • MCTC’s Air Traffic Control training program has a history of excellence. It started in 1991 as one of the five original programs approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
  • The program has a renowned reputation, attracting students from all over the country for its concentrated coursework, personalized instruction, sophisticated lab technology and strong graduation and placement rates.
  • The curriculum covers the breadth of air traffic facilities in the National Airspace System, including terminal, but with a concentration in the en route (center) environment, broadening career options for graduates.
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  • You will receive top-notch instruction in the only program in the country that conducts training on simulation systems identical to those found at FAA sites.
  • This specialized curriculum prepares you for a rewarding, stable and well-paying career. The program’s graduation rate is near 100 percent. Since the program started, the FAA has hired 800 of MCTC graduates to staff the country’s air route traffic control centers.
  • MCTC offers flexible scheduling options, including Online and on-site training that help you train efficiently and effectively. 
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Where you could work

  • Government and military aviation facilities
  • Airports
  • Regional and major airlines

Potential job titles

  • Air Traffic Controller (Tower Option)
  • Air Traffic Controller (Enroute Option)
  • Certified Professional Controller (CPC)
  • Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS)

Occupational outlook

Air Traffic Controllers earn high pay with good benefits, and even in a recession, are infrequently laid off, according to the bureau of labor statistics. The employment of Air Traffic Controllers is expected to grow 13 percent through the year 2018.

Beyond-the-classroom opportunities

Frequent guest speakers have included an NTSB inspector, an aviation mechanic and an aviation instrument expert, military personnel, alumni from the program and tower chiefs from Minneapolis and Flying Cloud airports. Faculty members have ties with numerous professional organizations, including: Women in Aviation International, National Air Traffic Controllers Association and Professional Women Controllers, Inc.

Academy

This program is part of the Academy of Education and Public Services. Click here for more information.

Articulation Agreements and Common Course Outlines

Click here for articulation agreement information.

Click here for Common Course Outline information.

Community College Grads Out-earn Bachelor's Degree Holders

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Nearly 30% of Americans with associate's degrees now make more than those with bachelor's degrees, according to Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. In fact, other recent research in several states shows that, on average, community college graduates right out of school make more than graduates of four-year universities.

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11 Jobs with Top Pay That Do Not Require a 4-Year Degree

11 jobs with top pay, but do not require a 4-year degree
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MCTC’s Air Traffic Control and Welding and Metal Fabrication programs were recently featured in a KARE 11 report on high paying jobs that do not require a 4-year college degree. 

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