FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Clemson Drone courses are designed to be flexible while maintaining a structured learning experience. You can progress through the material at your own pace within the course duration, but some assignments have recommended deadlines to help you stay on track. The UAS Vocation and UAS Mission Administration courses are structured as 8-week programs, with an estimated commitment of about six hours per week. While you have access to all materials immediately upon enrollment, timely completion of assignments ensures you receive personalized feedback from the instructor and stay aligned with the course schedule. If “life” gets in the way, it’s no problem for you to complete the material at your own pace to meet your specific learning goals.Clemson Drone courses are designed to be flexible while maintaining a structured learning experience. You can progress through the material at your own pace within the course duration, but some assignments have recommended deadlines to help you stay on track. The UAS Vocation and UAS Mission Administration courses are structured as 8-week programs, with an estimated commitment of about six hours per week. While you have access to all materials immediately upon enrollment, timely completion of assignments ensures you receive personalized feedback from the instructor and stay aligned with the course schedule. If “life” gets in the way, it’s no problem for you to complete the material at your own pace to meet your specific learning goals.
All Clemson Drone courses are 100% online and asynchronous, meaning you can complete the coursework on your own schedule without required live sessions. However, the UAS Essentials Plus and UAS Vocation courses include optional weekly Zoom meetings with Dr. Burgett. These live sessions provide an opportunity to ask questions, review key concepts, and receive additional guidance. While attendance is not mandatory, students find these sessions valuable for enhancing their understanding and getting real-time feedback. Recordings may be available for those who cannot attend live.
Everyone learns at different rates, so the number of hours it takes to complete the various courses will depend on the individual. However, here is a range of times that will cover most learners.
Part 107 Exam Prep: 8 – 16 hours
UAS Essentials: 20 – 30 hours
Applied UAS Thermograph (excluding Level 1 exam prep) 15 – 20 hours
UAS Vocation 35 – 50 hours
UAS Mission Administration 35 - 50 hours
The following hardware is recommended:
Windows
Operating System: Windows 10 or higher
CPU: Intel Core i7 @ 3.6 GHz or equivalent
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Hard Drive: 8 GB available on hard disk
Graphics Hardware: Direct X 10 or higher compatible graphics card (GTX660 equivalent or higher)
Internet Connection: DSL or higher
MacOS
Operating System: macOS Monterey
CPU: M1 or higher
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Hard Drive: 8 GB available on hard disk
Internet Connection: DSL or higher
Yes! Veterans and active-duty military members may be eligible for financial assistance through various VA and military funding programs:
For Veterans:
Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®) – Veterans can have the UAS Vocation course tuition and Part 107 exam fee reimbursed under this program.
Chapter 31 (VR&E – Veteran Readiness & Employment) – Veterans with a service-connected disability (10% or more) may have the UAS Vocation course fully covered as part of their approved vocational plan.
For Active-Duty Servicemembers:
Army Credentialing Assistance (CA) Program – Eligible Army personnel can use CA funding to cover the full cost of the UAS Vocation course.
Air Force COOL (Credentialing Opportunities Online) Program – Active-duty Air Force members may receive funding for the UAS Vocation course as part of their professional development.Yes! Veterans and active-duty military members may be eligible for financial assistance through various VA and military funding programs:
For Veterans:
Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®) – Veterans can have the UAS Vocation course tuition and Part 107 exam fee reimbursed under this program.
Chapter 31 (VR&E – Veteran Readiness & Employment) – Veterans with a service-connected disability (10% or more) may have the UAS Vocation course fully covered as part of their approved vocational plan.
For Active-Duty Servicemembers:
Army Credentialing Assistance (CA) Program – Eligible Army personnel can use CA funding to cover the full cost of the UAS Vocation course.
Air Force COOL (Credentialing Opportunities Online) Program – Active-duty Air Force members may receive funding for the UAS Vocation course as part of their professional development.
Clemson Drone courses have multiple start dates throughout the year. See below for the start schedule for each of our offerings:
· UAS Essentials Plus, UAS Vocation and UAS Mission administration start on the first Monday of February, April, June, August and October
· UAS Essentials and Applied UAS Thermography star on the first Monday of every month.
· Part 107 Exam prep has immediate enrollment
Depending on the course you enroll in, there are three potential additional costs to consider.
1) The FAA Part 107 exam is provided at a third-party testing facility. The exam fee is typically $175 and is paid to the testing facility. This does not apply to the Applied UAS Thermography course.
2) There is an additional $300 proctoring fee for those wishing to take the Level 1 UAS Thermographer Certification exam. This is only applicable to the Applied UAS Thermography course.
3) The APSA BPERP flight proficiency exam is included in the UAS Essentials Plus and UAS Vocational class. A $75 certification fee, paid to APSA, is required for the certification. The $75 is included with the UAS Vocation class.
A drone is not required for most Clemson Drone courses, including the UAS Vocation course, as flight skills are taught using a simulator. However, the UAS Mission Administration course requires access to a drone for completing the practical flight assessment.
Nearly every assignment in our courses is reviewed by hand and given individual feedback based on what the student submitted, just like you would expect with a college class. The exception is the Part 107 Exam Prep course, where detailed automated feedback is provided with the assignments to help keep the enrollment fee down.
No! All of the courses are non-credit professional development courses. These courses are specifically developed for working professionals not enrolled at Clemson.
Weekly web calls (virtual classes) are included with the UAS Essentials Plus, UAS Vocation courses and UAS Mission Administration courses. The web calls for the UAS Essentials Plus and UAS Vocation are on Mondays at 2:30 pm EST. The web calls for the UAS Mission Administration course are on Tuesdays at 2:30 pm EST. The specific time may vary so please check with the instructor to confirm.
Unfortunately, as the courses are online non-credit classes, they do not qualify for traditional financial aid.