Texas Southern University

Located in Houston, Texas, Texas Southern University offers two aviation bachelor’s degree paths, both rooted in management. The school also offers a drone certification program. Texas Southern’s mission is to prepare a cadre of leaders from diverse social, economic, and academic backgrounds that contribute to solving the challenges of global transportation environments.

Program Highlights

Texas Southern University is an FAA-approved Part 141 pilot school and flight operations are conducted at the Houston Hobby Airport (KHOU), a 20-minute drive from the main campus.

Programs offered include:

• Bachelor of Science
  • Aviation Management-Private Pilot
  • Aviation Management

The school is part of Region 4 of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association.

Value

Texas Southern University tuition is higher than most public universities. Students will pay about $13,000 for base tuition, which does not include flight expenses.

On top of base tuition, flight students will have additional costs for flight courses. Over the course of four years, before financial aid or scholarships, flight costs will be about $85,000, which is relatively average.

Texas Southern University offers scholarships to help mitigate the cost of tuition and flight, including the:

• Eisenhower Scholarship
• Transportation Club of Houston Scholarship
• Naomi Lede Scholarship

Students can also seek outside aviation scholarships, and the school accepts veteran’s benefits such as the GI Bill.

A partnership between Texas Southern and American Airlines provides students with the opportunity to network and gain conditional job offers while still enrolled.

Fleet and Facilities

The program has four aircraft and two full-motion Redbird flight simulators. The fleet includes:

• Cessna 172s
• Beech Travelairs

Graduates may be eligible for the restricted ATP of 1,000 hours.

Campus Life

Texas Southern University is a small to midsize school with a little more than 5,000 students. Five residential communities are available to international students. Six dining options are also available.

There are more than 130 organizations and clubs available to meet the interests and needs of a very diverse student body. These include, but are not limited to, professional, social, multicultural, political, religious, and community service organizations.

Texas Southern University is known for its outstanding band performances. Its band, Oceans of Soul, has competed in many “battles of the bands” events.

The Bottom Line

Texas Southern University’s aviation program is relatively new, but in the years since its opening, students have found success in the aviation industry. Graduates of the program have been employed as airport management and operations, flight crew schedulers, air traffic control, and airline pilots. Flying out of a Class B secondary airport gives student pilots the experience needed from day one to be successful and safe professional pilots.