I attended Embry-Riddle's Worldwide Campus (which is their online program) from December of 2004 until August of 2007. I graduated with a degree in Professional Aeronautics with minors in Aviation Safety and Management. Embry-Riddle uses "Blackboard" as the way to access everything online that pertains to the school. It is a unique program for schools which turned out to be very beneficial once you get the hang of it. You can even have virtual classes online in which you interact with the Professor and other students.

From my experience, the instructors are generally very active professionals in their field that teach on the side...some are actually full-time employees by Embry-Riddle. That being said...there is a great deal of experience to gain as well as networking opportunities from them. One Professor I had was actually the Dean of Admissions for University of Miami Law School.

As with any University, you will notice the Professors that are passionate about their job and the ones that aren't. Some of the ones you get are the toughest teachers I've had...others seem like the program is almost a distraction and only get online to grade your papers and tests. Embry-Riddle allows each student to provide feedback on the course as well as the Professor. I took every opportunity to critique the Professors at the end of the course.

Out of 20 or more Professors that I had, I would say two weren't worth anything and I didn't gain anything from the class. A handful went way above and beyond what someone would expect and even to this day I remain in contact with them. The rest I would rank in your average category.

The price of the school....well....is expensive. It increased every year I attended. I believe it is one of the most expensive Aviation schools in the country.

After I graduated, I had my diploma sent in the mail, it arrived in perfect condition along with my transcripts. I was invited to attend a graduation ceremony at the main campus in Daytona Beach in May of 2008, but declined.

All-in-all...I enjoyed my time at Embry-Riddle. I learned a lot and still browse through many of my textbooks from time to time. As a student you can receive substantial discounts on computer software through their bookstore. I believe I purchased Microsoft Office Professional for $50....I think it is around a $400 program.

The school is great for what it teaches. The biggest downfall is the price it is very expensive to come to this school. One of my professors put it " if you wanna play you got to pay." Other than that it is a great school. Everything you learn revolves around aviation. Its also in Daytona Beach and the weather is great.

In terms of curriculum based on the aviation industry you won't find a better school. Everyone you know will be somehow linked to a future in aviation, you're entire life will pretty much be about aviation related matters. Primary courses, especially the Air Traffic Management courses are instructed by incredibly knowledgeable and experienced staff. Simulation courses, which take up a majority of the air traffic cirriculum, give students a hands on approach and understanding to what the air traffic field is all about. I've found on more than one occasion where this has shown a student just which aspect of ATC they are interested in, mainly the difference between being a center controller and terminal controller. Secondary and Minor coursework is generally split 50/50 between normal studies and aviation studies. It depends what you select to take. I focused on ATC, Human Factors (minor), and Aviation Safety.

Campus life isn't all that boring. If you're a social person and get out a lot there's plenty to do. If you're not really into getting out every night you'll still have plenty to keep you entertained. Many students get on campus jobs, and many part time jobs are available throughout the area. ERAU's excellent Blackboard and ERNIE online networks provide students with many tools including a local job search.

Dormitories are somewhat more spacious then what I've seen in state schools and there are no god awful "floor wide public showers", at most you'll have 4 people to a single bathroom. Many people use bikes to get around campus but these aren't necassary as it takes 10 minutes tops to walk from the furthest dorm to the opposite end of the campus. The campus location is pretty much on the airport so expect to get to gawk at aircraft all the time. The city of Daytona Beach itself is less than likeable once you start living there. If you're into the drunken craze of the club scene you may enjoy it, but the rest of us see the dirty sleazy city for what it is. Local government has worked to improve this image over the last few years and are making promising strides. Be warned that certain times of year will bring unbearable amounts of traffic and tourists to the area, including; Bike Week, Biketoberfest, Daytona 500 and the associated races that build up to it, and Spring Break.

Flying weather is great if you want to rent an aircraft or take the associated courses, however, lots of inexperienced and ignorant pilots cloud the airspace of Florida.

In terms of worst Con's to attending ERAU I can suggest 2. First is the tuition, this school costs, and with the OTS program in effect I doubt its worth the debt. Compared to other CTI schools though, I doubt you'll get a better experience unless you go to somewhere like UND. Second con, the school's administration is terrible. Its slowly improved over the years but many many people are still employed who are only looking out for themselves and not the students. Get names, signatures, and do whatever it takes to make any administrative staff you deal with take responsibility for what they tell you, otherwise you'll be trapped in what's referred to as the Riddle Runaround. Finally, although I don't personally think its much of a con, I think it helps you focus on your studies, there is only an 18-20% female student population.

In the end, I may be in quite a bit of debt now, but I've made great friends who are now spread throughout the aviation industry, and I have an excellent aviation oriented education that anyone in the industry will instantly recognize. I'm quite certain the Embry-Riddle name at least made my FAA interview much shorter and incredibly easy because they already knew what they were dealing with.

I attended both the main campus in Daytona Beach, FL and also the Worldwide campus in Orlando, FL. From my experiences, I find the professors to be some of the best in the industry. The costs are quite high though which is why I opted for the Worldwide campus. I really enjoyed my time in Daytona Beach, there's so much to do you can never go bored.

The campus is situated next to the airport and the speedway so you're right in the heart of the action! I did not stay in the dorms but I have several friends who did and from what I gather it all depends which building you end up in. Most are quite new. When I left they closed one of the parking lots (parking sucks...) and were in the process of building a new dorm. There's an abundance of apartment complexes an homes for rent. Some live near campus, some by the beach and some live further inland towards Orlando. Most of the staff at Daytona Beach was very warm and friendly during my time. Financial aid can be quite a hassle so be prepared to wait (on the phone or in person). Early on everyone gets a little bit of the "Riddle Run around" but once settled it's not so bad. I really cherish the time I spent there and many of the professors made the classes a lot of fun. I did have one professor that was a real hard ass an didn't seem to care at all whether you passed or failed, understood or not. All in all if you're fortunate enough to attend here you will enjoy your time.

At the Orlando Worldwide campus the staff was good too. I had many successful and highly knowledgeable professors. Many students choose to fly at nearby GA airports and go after the "Pro Aero" degree (the first and oldest degree program). This results in considerable savings. Many of the classes are NOT offered at Worldwide though. While some Worldwide campuses offer a couple Air Traffic courses many do not because they cannot find professors to teach them. This was the case in Orlando. I took many business classes here from professors that worked in the industry from FAA, Orlando Airport Authority, Consultants, UPS etc. I don't see any difference in the quality of the professor but the one thing is that you're limited in who you can take courses with. I like variety an prefer taking classes from many different professors. I took one or two courses online but found the in class lecture/interactivity much better. Also if you need help with online curriculum it can be difficult! I actually had to go to a nearby University for help!

The costs are very high so be sure that if you go here you come out with a degree in a field where jobs are in demand! The Navy an Air Force ROTC programs are pretty tempting but be aware that it's difficult to get pilot slots. While I attended the main campus I made sure that my money went to getting as many Flight/Air Traffic courses as I could before moving over to worldwide. If you are willing and can afford it, the Air Traffic program is a nice feeder to the FAA (CTI program), be ready to spend at least 50,0 - 70,0 for the minor and likely 100,0+ for the B.S. degree (200,0+ for Aero Sci/Flight). Another thing you can do is get all the general ed stuff knocked out first an then transfer in. Also note that once you start Daytona you cannot leave! If you go to Worldwide campus they will not let you back in! You can take online courses but you cannot transfer to worldwide and go back to Daytona (Only very rare occasions...).

I believe there is something for everyone in Daytona Beach. The weather is great year round, the people are friendly, beaches abound, girls, shopping, bars, clubs. Bike week, Biketoberfest, Daytona 500, Rolex 24 etc. Orlando, Tampa, Jax, Miami are all fairly close. Make friends with a flight student and spend your weekends in Miami, the Bahamas, and/or Key West for fun. It doesn't matter who you are-- There's tons to do!

I would be happy to elaborate on my time/experiences at Embry-Riddle and answer any questions from a no bs perspective...

Where to start. I graduate in 5 days with a degree in Aeronautics. It's a Bachelors, and I've graduated "With Honors", which I find isn't that hard for Riddle. I have three minors, Air Traffic Management (ATC), Meteorology and Homeland Security.

I started as a Pilot, majoring in Aeronautical Science. I soon found that the Flight School option on campus was a joke, I paid 8,000$ and hadn't ever set foot in a real airplane. I quit that, went to fly off campus, changed my major. The dorms arn't too shabby, and you get to know alot of people. I would say that this is a true "university" as I don't ever remember any older people ever being in my classes, my oldest friend was 28, but he was a transfer student. There were a couple guys that went to the military and then came to ERAU.

As far as it's ATC education goes, it's top notch. They teach people everyday how to go from Zero to a well qualified air traffic controller. I am a instrument rated pilot, so I started in the "upper" ATC classes, and didn't have to take the class that begins as "this is an airplane." The next class starts talking about Air Traffic Basics, what VORs are, and how it starts tying together. The next class is more involved, with regulation and 7110.65 topics.

Then, they take you into the brand new (As of 2006) TRACON simulator, where you sit on one side, while your pilot sits on the other. It feels very realistic. They teach Daytona Beach, and they make you learn the phraseology, and basic concepts of Approach Control. After that, you go to Orlando Approach, and they teach you 5 different sectors. W/E Departure, W/E Arrival, Satellite Arrival. It's pretty though, but they teach you the maps, and more advanced functions. Mostly advanced IFR stuff.

They have 4 other classes too, and it's your choice how you do them. The first being Tower, in a brand new tower Sim with 210 degree visuals, where they teach you the basics of local, ground and clearance. They have a step up experimental class where they amped up the traffic to 50 to 60 ops an hour.

The next two classes are based off en-route, and you use the brand new Center Simulators based off of Memphis Center. We learn the real maps that the academy uses, and work R-Side and D-Side as well as the Psuedo Pilot. Throughout the semester you get about 10 times on each position.

The next class, while I didn't take it, was Non-Radar, which I hear is terribly hard, but also very helpful.

The classes are great, and most of the instructors are extremely helpful. There are, like always, though, a couple instructors that arn't so great, but still up to par.

Daytona Beach isn't a bad place to live, but it's high in crime. There are tons of areas to live, and you can always go out to dinner in one of the many restaurants. It's a great area, and you can go to Orlando in an hour, or Tampa in 2.

As many other people have said, it's also a great area to hang out for the many events that we have.

One of the issues that we've had in the past 8 years was that the past administration (Pre 2006) raised tuition rates through the roof. Right now, it's at 900$ per credit hour (generally 15 a semester) so you can see tuition is high, but you can keep costs down by living off campus, and not buying lunch at school.

I highly recommend ERAU for it's CTI program, but there are some other things that I don't like, such as the unhelpful and ungrateful bursar's department, and financial aid departments.

Most classes are pretty easy, and I had two full time jobs throughout my entire college career, and also did flight training off campus. The workload is pretty light, and you have a ton of time to do other hobbies.

If you're looking to go here, PLEASE private message me, and I'll recommend you for a $500 to $1000 tuition scholarship per semester.


I'd recommend this campus versus Prescott, as they have a more developed atc program.

ERAU is a great school and I loved the friends, professors and the experience that I gained from this school. The only thing is that coming from South Florida and moving to Daytona Beach isn't the best thing ever. I hate Daytona. It's boring and a lot of the people are sketch. Also, the school is VERY expensive and the parking was always a hassle for everyone.

But overall, if you want a great education in aviation related stuff, ERAU is awesome.

I graduated in Dec 08 with a BS in Aeronautical Science and a minor in ATM, yes I did all my flying on campus and I wanted to be a pilot but that was the only way my financial aid and scholarships would pay for things, most not all. If you want to fly on campus, simply put dont. I worked as an instructor at air america and they actually teach you to fly, unlike reading an ops manual and doing that riddle teaches you. But as for the ATC courses the professors are experiences and very engaging, with one or 2 exceptions. The basic courses are a joke if you know anything about aviation and an easy A, but like everyone else I would say the upper level courses do give you a interesting and dynamic learning enviroment which is why I choose a minor in atc and will now be headed to ZFW.

As for the campus life, Daytona is what you make it, people say its sleezy, or boring or there are no girls around. Simply thats bull, you can go out and do just fine, but if all you do is hang around your house and campus you will be dissapointed. The weather is awesome year round minus the occasional hurricane, and there is plenty to do in the nearby area, Orlando-45min, Tampa-2hrs, St. Augustine-45min, Jax-1hr, Miami and the keys are a little more of a hike but good for long weekends. And around campus there are over 150 different clubs from professional organizations, greek life, sports clubs, basically anything you can think of.

In the long run you have to think what you want, if your just looking for the CTI reccomendation sure you can do it quicker and much cheaper somewhere else, but if you want a 4 year univeristy degree and a college experience in aviation I would say Riddle is worth it. Otherwise you might wanna look somewhere else.

I graduated Embry Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach Campus last May, 2009. Well I got to walk in the ceremony on May 5, 2009, but had to take 3 online classes to finish up my credits to confer my degree, which was in August. It is the best school for Aeronautical Science, Air Traffic Control, Aerospace Engineering, and all other aeronautical degrees in out nation. The boy to girl ratio sucks, but I mean come on, you don't go to Embry Riddle and pay a shit load a year to go here, if you just want to girls, and party. I had a blast and partied my ass of, and had my share of girls while attending this University. The professors here are the best of the best in their field!!!! Anyways this is my first review on stuck mic, hope you enjoy this and the rest to come. Thanks...


Nick

I attended from August 2007-May 2010 and loved it! Yeah, it's expensive, but keeping up a large fleet of aircraft isn't exactly cheap, so you know where your tuition money is going. The fleet is well maintained and very impressive.

Most professors are experienced in the field of aviation so you get top quality education from people who have "been there" before. Most ATC professors are former controllers, most Aeronautical Science professors are former pilots whether it be Navy/Airline/Corporate/etc, so not only do you get instructed by someone who knows the material, you get some great stories!

The cirriculum was fairly easy in my opinion, but learning about stuff you are genuinely interested in is nice. You learn what you need to know, what you might need to know, and there is less "general education" if you may. You get basic GenEd, but not an overbearing amount of stuff that's going in one ear and out the other.

Daytona Beach is filled with activities ranging from going to the beach, to the night life and there's always something to do. It might not always be free, but I've never gone out and not had fun.

I got all my flight ratings here, and the program is tough, but extremely rewarding. When you bust your ass trying to get a rating and you finally get it, it's the most satisfying feeling! Plus, flying over the ocean every other day is beautiful!

There are many campus clubs that you can join, whether is be Fraternity/Sorority or an interest club like European Car Club or Water Sports. ERAU frequently has on campus entertainment as well. Thursday nights are free movie night in the IC, there are comedians coming throughout the year, concerts, shows, etc. There is always something to do in the spring break city!