CSM Pioneers MD Aviation Tech Degree

The College of Southern Maryland received approval from the Maryland Higher Education Commission for a new Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology, positioning the institution as the state’s first to integrate Federal Aviation Administration Part 147 certification for airframe and powerplant credentials.

The program addresses rising demand in Southern Maryland’s aviation sector, anchored by Naval Air Station Patuxent River and its tenant Naval Air Systems Command, which drives thousands of jobs through testing, engineering and maintenance operations. As regional airports like those in St. Mary’s and Charles counties expand alongside aerospace firms, the need for certified technicians intensifies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects five percent national growth for aircraft mechanics through 2034, with Maryland anticipating more than 12 percent, reflecting the area’s military and commercial activity.

CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson emphasized the initiative’s role in regional talent development. “The Aircraft Maintenance Technology program is one example of how CSM is committed to creating new, innovative opportunities for students to succeed in order to meet the talent pipeline needs in Southern Maryland,” Wilson said. “We are excited to welcome the future aviation maintenance technicians who will fill these important roles in our regional workforce and are grateful to our many community partners who shared their input during the program development phase.”

Dean of the School of STEM and Professional Studies Dr. Bernice Brezina highlighted the program’s alignment with evolving technologies. “This program represents a major step forward for CSM and the region,” Brezina said. “As aviation technologies advance, so must the training that prepares the next generation of technicians. Our graduates will be ready to keep aircraft safe, support innovation, and strengthen the Southern Maryland workforce.”

Development began in summer 2024, when CSM formed a 30-member Aviation Program Advisory Board with input from aviation businesses, local governments, military bases, school systems and community organizations. Board members, including representatives from St. Mary’s County Department of Economic Development, submitted support letters to MHEC underscoring the workforce shortage. One letter noted CSM’s history as a collaborative partner in local industries and projected the program would bolster economic growth by supplying skilled professionals to the expanding aviation field.

An FAA-recommended consultant, coordinated by CSM Director of Grant Development Tora Wright, assisted faculty in crafting the curriculum, syllabi and lab design to meet federal standards. “Industry engagement is essential for workforce development. It’s important to hear all voices, from industry leaders, to organizations, and the voices of students,” Wright said. “It shows the community is behind you and we’re meeting a need. Having that community support from those different voices makes our program stronger and helps our students.”

The consultant’s expertise proved crucial for MHEC’s March 2025 approval, detailed in the commission’s program proposal documents, which outline learning outcomes such as diagnosing airframe issues, maintaining propulsion systems and complying with FAA regulations. Once FAA certification arrives — a prerequisite for student credentials — CSM plans to start classes, targeting more than 20 graduates annually. The curriculum spans diagnostics, inspections, hydraulics and composites, preparing enrollees for roles like airframe and powerplant mechanics, quality inspectors or maintenance planners.

This effort responds to persistent gaps documented in the Aviation Technician Education Council’s 2025 Pipeline Report, which recorded the second-highest year-over-year rise in new mechanic certificates for 2024 but warned of a 10 percent shortage in 2025 due to retirements and commercial air transport demands. The report urges expanded training to capture underutilized talent pools, including veterans with aviation experience, a demographic relevant near Patuxent River where NAVAIR employs over 18,000 civilians and contractors.

Southern Maryland’s aviation ecosystem traces to the 1940s establishment of Patuxent River Naval Air Station, which tested early jets and now oversees global fleet readiness through NAVAIR’s warfare centers. The base contributes $8.7 billion annually to the economy across Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties, sustaining 33,000 direct and indirect jobs. Initiatives like SoMD 2030, a workforce partnership involving the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance, emphasize STEM pipelines to retain talent amid federal contracting opportunities. Recent data shows 98 aviation positions open locally, from avionics technicians to production planners, underscoring the urgency.

CSM’s program builds on this foundation by embedding hands-on lab work with industry-standard tools, ensuring compliance with FAA Part 147 guidelines that require 1,900 clock hours for certification. Students will conduct mock inspections and repairs, mirroring procedures at facilities like the base’s aircraft intermediate maintenance department. Entry requires a high school diploma or equivalent, with prerequisites in math and physics to handle topics like aerodynamics and sheet metal fabrication.

Credits transfer seamlessly to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Bachelor of Science in Aviation Sciences, which added an Aviation Maintenance concentration in 2024 at Salisbury Regional Airport. UMES’s FAA-certified program, a 12-month diploma pathway, collaborates with CSM to create a four-year ladder for advanced roles in management or electronics. This articulation supports MHEC’s goal of aligned credentials, as noted in UMES’s support for CSM’s proposal amid objections to overlapping programs elsewhere.

The advisory board’s diversity — from public schools feeding into CSM’s La Plata, Leonardtown and Prince Frederick campuses to private firms — ensured the curriculum reflects real-world needs, such as electric propulsion systems emerging in unmanned aerial vehicles tested at Patuxent River. Community backing extended to equipment donations and internship pledges, accelerating lab readiness.

As the program launches, it joins CSM’s suite of technical offerings, including cybersecurity and nursing, that have placed over 1,200 graduates in regional roles yearly. Enrollment opens soon, with financial aid available through Maryland’s workforce grants. The initiative not only fills immediate vacancies but fosters long-term resilience in an industry projected to add 1,200 mechanic jobs statewide by 2034, per BLS estimates adjusted for Maryland’s defense concentration.

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