Fullerton College will soon give students the opportunity to receive a unique degree in drone autonomy.
The community college will be offering a Bachelor of Science in Drone and Autonomous Systems in 2026, a first of its kind at the college and in the West Coast.
Jay Seidel, the program's director and a professor at Fullerton College, started the program in 2018.
It combined Seidel’s passion for aviation and visual storytelling, and eventually grew into what is now the Fullerton Drone Lab.
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“Personally, I’ve always had a passion for aviation, even when I was a kid,” Seidel said. “But then as I got older I found a passion for photography, videography and visual storytelling. That’s what brought me into journalism.”
Seidel taught journalism for 20 years, but the idea for the drone class sparked after he attended a drone journalism training done by the National Press Photographers Association.
What started out as an idea for a drone class turned into four specialized certificates, two associate’s degrees now a bachelor's degree.
“I just realized that hey, there’s an opportunity here to create a training program that’s on the leading edge to meet the needs for tomorrow’s workforce by preparing the students today,” Seidel said.
Since starting the program, Seidel has dedicated time to developing the program by working with partners in various different industries to see how drones can be utilized and then integrating that into the program.
“There’s a level of excitement that’s off the charts as far as putting this program together,” Seidel said. “But yeah there is a sense of pride, that I’m happy that this is groundbreaking and this is happening at Fullerton College and I’m a part of it.”
According to their website, the program is recognized by the FAA as part of its Collegiate Training Initiative.
Students not only learn about what it takes to fly a drone safely, they are also prepared for a wide variety of careers in which drones can be utilized.
“Being a part of the drone program offers a great community,” said Blake Castillo, a second year student at Fullerton College. Castillo is part of the drone program and working toward a degree in both Administration of Justice and Drone and Autonomous Systems.
After coming across a video of a drone being used as part of a search and rescue team, Castillo said he became interested in the use of drones in the field of public safety.
“It’s a great tool to take advantage of that I’d really recommend if you have already occurring emphasis,” Castillo said. “Drones is a great way to expand on that and to create a little bit more in your portfolio.”
With the support of the college’s president, Dr. Cynthia Olivo, and approval from the State Chancellor’s office, the bachelor’s degree is set to start in Fall of 2026.
“I’m very ambitious for our students because to me, having a bachelor’s degree in drones, I know that will meet the needs of our students being able to compete for great jobs that offer amazing salaries,” Olivo said.
“We are always talking about the jobs that we did not know would exist in the future and this is one of those fields where if you study drone technology and autonomous systems, you can apply it wherever you’d like in your career, and it’s very exciting,” Olivo said.
Seidel explains that the workforce development aspect is a key part of the program.
Two years ago, they launched the first-ever registered apprenticeship program for drone piloting in the country, allowing students to work closely with various industry partners like utility companies and in fields like emergency preparedness, public safety and construction.
Some of their partners include SoCal Edison, Cyberhawk, the CSU Long Beach Shark Lab, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center and the Orange County Water District.
