A new OU Department of Aviation course, intended to prepare students for the future of unmanned flight, is suffering from low enrollment numbers.

Introduction to Unmanned Aerial Systems students will examine the history of unmanned aerial systems and survey current platforms, terminology, challenges to airspace integration and operational theory, instructor Matthew Esker said in an email.

Five students are currently enrolled in the course, but there are 15 seats remaining.

Department administrators selected Esker to teach the course because of his previous experience with unmanned aircraft in the Air Force’s Global Hawk Research and Development Program.

The unmanned aerial systems course was first considered in late 2009, and it was implemented this semester due to growing demand for unmanned aircraft programs, department director Ken Carson said in an email.

Until recently, these systems mainly were used for military and security operations, according to the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Fact Sheet by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The burgeoning fields of unmanned aerial photography, land and crop research, monitoring environmental conditions, rescue operations and law enforcement have contributed to this increasing interest, according to the FAA.

“Unmanned aircraft promises new ways to increase efficiency, save money, enhance safety and even save lives,” according to the FAA fact sheet.

Wider access to unmanned aerial aviation also has become available recently, as the technology involved is getting cheaper and civilian and commercial entities are finding more uses, Esker said.

“Students should take this course to familiarize themselves with a growing sector of our national and state economies,” Esker said.

Worldwide unmanned aerial vehicle expenditures have risen to nearly $6 billion annually and expected to reach $11 billion annually by 2021, according to a 2011 market study by the Teal Group, an aerospace and defense research corporation.

Integration of unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system could create more than 23,000 jobs from 2010 to 2025, according to estimates by the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

Corporations and government soon will demand graduates who have a broad knowledge and understanding of the capacities and limitations of these systems, Carson said.

“The career options for students interested in unmanned aerial systems appear limitless,” Esker said.

Several other programs across the nation also are offering introductory courses and some offer full unmanned aerial systems degree programs. Oklahoma State University became the first in the state to offer a graduate degree program in unmanned aerial systems in 2011.

OU’s aviation department will follow the demand for educational needs and demands by employers to determine if more courses should be added to the curriculum, Carson said.