In the summer of 2018, the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) awarded accreditation to our graduate certificate in geospatial intelligence. USGIF accreditation means that our undergraduate geoscience program passed the highest standards for GEOINT curriculum, faculty expertise, and research programs. Furthermore, the accreditation shows that NCCU has supported our program with state-of-the-art teaching facilities. NCCU is now one of the only 17th USGIF-accredited schools in the nation.
NCCU has approved the uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) certificate program with a starting date of Spring 2023. As one of the few minority-serving institutions that offer a degree in geospatial sciences, NCCU is in a unique position to enhance student and surrounding community readiness for the rising UAS industry.
Through the establishment of the UAS certificate, NCCU is poised to become the second HBCU in the nation to become a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft Systems Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS-CTI) school, a status that would elevate NCCU student recruitment efforts and community support.
Whereas the majority of existing UAS programs are focused on UAS flight operations and technical/engineering aspects of UAS, NCCU’s existing geoscience course offerings provide a uniquely applied UAS certificate to enhance workforce readiness across numerous concentrations.