Bachelors in Professional Pilot

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Czech Technical University in Prague

Program Overview

The Bachelor’s in Professional Pilot is designed for students who want to turn their passion for flying into a professional aviation career. It combines a university-level understanding of aircraft, navigation, flight operations and aviation safety with integrated practical training that prepares students for the responsibilities of working as a commercial pilot.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1:
The first year helps students build both their technical foundation and their initial flying knowledge. Through modules such as General Navigation, Theory for VFR Training and Principles of Flight 1, students learn how aircraft move, how pilots navigate under visual flight rules and how flight decisions are supported by mathematical and scientific principles. Students also begin Flight Training 1 and develop professional communication through aviation-focused English courses.

Year 2:
In the second year, the programme moves into more advanced aircraft operation and instrument-based flying. Students study modules such as Aircraft Performance, Radionavigation, Flight Planning and Monitoring, Meteorology 1 and IFR Communication, while continuing practical development through Flight Training 2 and Flight Training 3. This stage helps students understand how to plan and operate flights safely when weather, aircraft performance and instrument-flight procedures become more demanding.

Year 3:
The final year brings together the technical, operational and human sides of professional aviation. Modules such as Human Factors in Aviation, Operational Procedures, Practical Flight Planning, Advanced Flying 2 and MCC – Multicrew Cooperation prepare students to work effectively in an airline-style, multi-crew environment. Students also complete advanced flight training, a KSA assessment and bachelor’s thesis work, allowing them to demonstrate both professional judgement and independent analytical ability.

Focus areas: Integrated ATPL theory, practical flight training, aircraft systems, navigation, meteorology, flight planning, operational procedures, aviation law, human factors, aviation communication and multi-crew cooperation.

Learning outcomes: Graduates develop the theoretical knowledge, practical flying experience, communication skills, situational awareness and professional decision-making needed for commercial aviation and other licensed pilot roles.

Professional alignment: The Faculty of Transportation Sciences holds Approved Training Organisation certificate CZ/ATO-010 and provides theoretical preparation for the ATPL(A) licence. Students complete integrated training alongside approved partner flight schools and prepare for the 14 theoretical examinations administered by the Czech Civil Aviation Authority.

Reputation: CTU is the only university in the Czech Republic offering integrated ATPL(A) training, a route the university states is preferred by air carriers. CTU was ranked 416th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026, placing it as the highest-ranked technical university in the Czech Republic.

Official Professional Pilot programme page

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

This programme is built around learning to fly, not simply learning about flying. Students study aviation theory at CTU while applying that knowledge through practical training at an approved flight school, helping them connect classroom topics such as navigation, meteorology and flight planning with real cockpit decisions.

At the beginning of the programme, students visit CTU’s two partner flight schools and choose where they would like to complete their practical training. This gives them an opportunity to compare the training environments before making an important professional and financial decision.

Practical learning opportunities include:

Integrated flight training: Students complete a sequence of Flight Training 1–5, progressing from basic visual-flight skills towards instrument flying, navigation, emergency procedures and advanced professional training.
Partner flight schools: Practical training is delivered through DSA or F AIR, CTU partners with more than 25 years of experience in integrated ATPL training and extensive aircraft fleets, facilities and training resources.
Flight simulator: Students have access to a flight-training simulator located directly at the faculty, which CTU describes as the only facility of its kind operated by a Czech university.
Multi-crew preparation: The final curriculum includes MCC – Multicrew Cooperation and KSA Assessment, developing teamwork, communication, leadership, workload management and decision-making for airline-style operations.
Planning and operational exercises: Modules such as Practical Flight Planning, Flight Planning and Monitoring, IFR Communication and Operational Procedures allow students to work through realistic operational tasks.
Research and project work: Students participate in research-group semester projects and complete bachelor’s thesis seminars, giving them experience in investigating aviation-related questions and presenting evidence-based findings.
Digital and analytical learning: The curriculum includes Algorithm and Programming and Modeling of Systems and Processes. CTU’s official study plan does not name a compulsory commercial software package for the programme.
International exposure: The Faculty works with more than 70 universities and supports study or internship mobility through Erasmus+. A compulsory external internship is not listed in the Professional Pilot study plan because practical flight training forms the programme’s main work-based component.
Academic resources: Students can use CTU’s Central Library and the faculty’s specialist laboratories, research teams and aviation workplaces to support their coursework and final research.

Official flight-training and facilities information

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates leave with a strong university education in aviation and the theoretical preparation needed for professional pilot licensing. When the required practical training, medical standards and licensing examinations are successfully completed, graduates can pursue flying careers across EASA member states or move into operational and management roles within civil aviation.

Typical career pathways include airline first officer or co-pilot, commercial pilot, pilot-in-command in aerial-work operations and civil aviation operations or management officer:

Career support: CTU’s Career Centre offers career guidance, presentation-skills development, employer seminars, practical work experiences, individual advice from HR professionals and a mentoring programme connecting students with industry leaders. Its services remain free for alumni for up to three years after graduation.
Aviation partnerships: The programme works directly with DSA and F AIR, whose instructors, aircraft fleets and training infrastructure support the integrated ATPL pathway. CTU reports that hundreds of pilots trained through this cooperation have progressed into air-carrier crews worldwide.
European recognition: The professional preparation follows current European aviation standards. CTU states that the relevant qualifications are recognised throughout the EU and that graduates may seek employment across the EASA member-state network.
Graduate outcomes: The programme prepares graduates for airline transport, commercial flying, aerial-work operations and positions in civil aviation organisations. Actual eligibility for a specific cockpit position will also depend on licensing, medical certification, completed flight hours and the airline’s recruitment requirements.
Employment and salary figures: CTU does not publish a programme-specific graduate employment rate or salary figure on the official Professional Pilot page, so no percentage or salary should be presented as official university data.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the bachelor’s degree, students may continue into CTU’s Air Transport Operations and Management master’s pathway or pursue another relevant postgraduate degree in aviation, transportation, safety or management, subject to the programme’s admission and language requirements. The Department of Air Transport also offers a route towards doctoral study in Air Traffic Control and Management for students who later complete an appropriate master’s degree.