West Los Angeles Community College Launches Avionics Bachelor’s Degree Program

West Los Angeles Community College (WLAC) has announced a new bachelor's degree program in avionics, adding to its Associate degree in aviation maintenance. This will be the only community college avionics bachelor's program in the United States.

Bachelor's degree in avionics

The Office of the Chancellor for the California Community Colleges has granted WLAC permission to launch a bachelor’s degree in 'Aviation Maintenance: Avionics', preparing students for a career in maintaining aircraft electronic systems.

WLAC said,

"Our avionics bachelor's program—the only such community college program in the country—will provide students a comprehensive education in the electronics of aviation, allowing them to move to well-paying careers in the aviation industry."

The college worked directly with Boeing to devise the new avionics degree as the aviation industry faces a pressing need for new graduates. Pilots are not the only aviation professionals in short supply - according to Boeing, 610,000 new maintenance technicians will be needed globally within the next two decades to maintain the world's commercial fleet.

Photo: WLAC

A career in avionics is certainly worth it from a financial perspective - data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals the average annual mean wage for an avionics technician in 2022 was $90,570. As for community college bachelor degrees, a UC Davis Benefits and Opportunities report states that community college graduates earn twice as much as they did without a degree, and 98% gain employment within their field of study.

Check out our homage to technicians on Aviation Maintenance Technician Day last month!

Under $10k program

A four-year degree at WLAC will cost less than $10,000, compared to around $23,000 at California State University or $55,000 at the University of California. This will be the second Bachelor's degree on offer at the college after its Dental Hygeine degree launched in 2014.

Photo: guys_who_shoot/Shutterstock

Dr. Carmen Dones, Dean of Academic Affairs, commented,

"I believe the success of our launch and implementation of the Dental Hygiene Baccalaureate Program was a factor in our being approved to launch the BS. in Avionics. We worked in partnership with Boeing to create this unique degree opportunity that is essential for the airline industry. As with our dental hygiene program, this higher-level degree not only gives our graduates the skills to be technicians, but also gives them broader opportunities for higher levels of employment, managerial roles, sales, teaching and more."

First-year students who are California residents may also qualify under the $0 Tuition Promise Program, which can grant up to two years of tuition fee exemption.

A nationwide first

WLAC's avionics program will be the first of its kind at a community college in the US, offering an affordable entry point to a career in aviation maintenance. The college has taught an Associate aviation maintenance degree since 1974 - now its avionics Bachelor's degree will prepare students in all things related to an aircraft's electronic systems.