Fullerton College Announces New Drone Bachelor’s Degree, the First of Its Kind on the West Coast

Students looking to take their education “to new heights” will soon have the opportunity to earn their bachelor’s degree in drone technology and autonomous systems through a newly announced program at Fullerton College.

Beginning in fall 2026, the Southern California community college will offer a bachelor of science degree in drone and autonomous systems. It will be the first-of-its-kind offered on the West Coast, according to the school.

The program will include courses in drone operations, management, applications, and programming, preparing students for career opportunities in industries that are integrating drone and autonomous technology into their operations.

Additionally, the curriculum will cover the basic laws governing drones and autonomous vehicles, as well as how to navigate regulatory compliance and ethical considerations.

“Drones and autonomous systems are revolutionizing and transforming industries,” Jay Seidel, chair of the Fullerton College Drone Technology program, said in a statement. “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.”

The bachelor’s degree will join Fullerton College’s Drone Technology program, which currently offers two associate degrees — in drone and autonomous systems and autonomous systems development — and four specialized certificates.

Seidel started the program in 2018 with a single class offered on drones, gradually expanding it to include additional courses, certificates, and associate degrees.

In an interview with BestColleges, Seidel said the drone program remains a popular choice for students at Fullerton College because of how applicable drone technology is to a wide variety of careers and industries including surveying, construction, search and rescue, journalism, photography, and real estate.

“We enhance the students in different majors. They’ll come over from geography, marine biology, administration of justice, and they learn drones, the use of drones, and get their license, and then they go back and continue to finish their major… But, now their skills are enhanced, and they’re more marketable in the field that they’re getting into,” he said.

Seidel describes the new bachelor’s program as “an affordable approach to get a bachelor’s degree in a high-tech field” and recommends the program to anyone interested in a managerial or larger-operation position in their respective field.

Students who graduate from the program will not only get their degree but also several other stackable credentials they will be able to use when finding a job, including Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certifications.

“They’ll get a lot of stackable certifications … that will kind of position them for multiple fields, plus, they will be very knowledgeable and not afraid of technology and the advancement of technology and how to utilize different technologies so they will be an asset to the workforce in the future,” he said.

Workforce development was the goal of the drone program from the start, and Fullerton was the first to offer a registered apprenticeship program for drone piloting that is both state- and federally certified.

Through the apprenticeship program, students have the opportunity to work with companies such as the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District, Flying Lion, and Birds Eye Aerial Drones.

Fullerton’s new bachelor’s degree in drone technology and autonomous systems doesn’t just put the school at the forefront of a growing industry — it’s also the first bachelor’s degree offered by the institution.

Thirty-eight of the 116 community colleges in the California Community Colleges (CCC) system currently offer or plan to offer bachelor’s degrees, with programs ranging from respiratory care and dental hygiene to automotive technology, and biomanufacturing.

CCC introduced the pilot Baccalaureate Degree Program at 15 community colleges in 2014. By 2021, the program was permanently expanded to include up to 30 baccalaureate degree programs across two application cycles per academic year, according to the CCC.

All four-year degrees the CCC offers are unique to the system, meaning they cannot replicate California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) programs.

Seidel says he doesn’t plan to stop at just one bachelor’s degree in the drone program and wants to continue to expand the program.

“As more and more businesses adopt and more industries adopt autonomous systems, whether it’s air, terrestrial or submersible, water, maritime, we’re looking to continue to incorporate all those systems and training in our field … we’re moving, because the future keeps moving,” he said.