Taking Flight at the Belle Glade Campus: New Drone Course Opens This Fall

Palm Beach State College is set to launch a new drone training course on Oct. 6, giving students an opportunity to develop the skills needed to operate, maintain and troubleshoot unmanned aircraft systems.

“Palm Beach State College’s new drone training course will prepare students and working professionals for entry-level opportunities in commercial drone operations, a field with growing workforce demand across South Florida," said Andraes Alexander, DBA, executive dean of PBSC's Loxahatchee Groves campus and academic dean of the Loxahatchee Groves and Belle Glade campuses.

Located at the PBSC Belle Glade campus, the 12-week non-credit course will provide supervised flight training, instruction in drone safety and operations, and hands-on experience with UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) maintenance. The first phase includes 220 hours of training.

The $2,625 program cost includes FAA exam fees. Scholarships are available through The Hand Foundation, a private nonprofit foundation created by Dolly and Homer Hand which funds scholarships for undergraduate and trade students. They are also the namesake for the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center at the Belle Glade campus, PBSC’s first performing arts center which opened 1982.

“Thanks to support from the Hand Foundation, students can build toward specialized career pathways in agriculture, public safety and other emerging industries,” said Alexander.

Designed to prepare students for FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot license exam, supervised drone operations, and drone maintenance, the program offers an accessible entry point into a high-demand field. "By beginning with a non-credit certificate, students can rapidly develop workforce-ready skills while establishing a stackable pathway to advanced training, supporting both immediate employment opportunities and long-term career advancement," said Deborah Gordon director of PBSC's Corporate and Continuing Education (CCE) division. Students also will have the opportunity to connect with novice and experienced drone pilots and compete in a U.S. Drone Soccer competition.

Classes are scheduled with working adults in mind. Students will meet in person one evening each week from 5 to 9 p.m. for flight and lab instruction. They also will participate in a live online Canvas session once a week, offered from 6 to 8 p.m. or 7 to 9 p.m., and complete coursework on their own time between meetings.

PBSC plans to launch a second phase of the program in spring 2027, with specialized training tracks under development in public safety and first response, precision agriculture, engineering and infrastructure inspection, real estate, GIS, mapping and surveying, and other areas.

More information and registration details will be announced soon.