{"id":47152,"date":"2026-05-07T15:26:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T20:26:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/?p=47152"},"modified":"2026-05-08T10:09:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T15:09:13","slug":"first-cohort-of-und-flight-dispatch-students-prepares-to-enter-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2026\/05\/first-cohort-of-und-flight-dispatch-students-prepares-to-enter-workforce\/","title":{"rendered":"First cohort of UND flight dispatch students prepares to enter workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"

FAA-approved program celebrates first graduating class and 100% pass rate on federal certification exams<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Samantha Ross, assistant professor of Aviation, far right, and Lucas de Jager, teaching assistant and certified flight instructor, flank the first cohort at UND to receive aircraft dispatcher certification. Photo by Adam Kurtz\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Less than a year after the Federal Aviation Administration approved UND\u2019s aircraft dispatcher certification courses, the University\u2019s first cohort of students now has the option to enter one of aviation\u2019s most critical careers.<\/p>\n

That first cohort (made up of 19 students) completed the FAA-required 200 hours of instruction through UND\u2019s newly approved dispatch curriculum.<\/p>\n

They also became the first group at the University to all pass the written and oral exams required for FAA aircraft dispatcher certification, with the latter taking as long as six to eight hours to complete.<\/p>\n

Samantha Ross,<\/a><\/strong> an assistant professor of Aviation,<\/a><\/strong> led the charge to establish the new course, and worked to help prepare the students for the FAA exams. She placed the success of the new program squarely on the hard work of her students:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis program would not have been successful without the students,\u201d Ross told UND Today. \u201cIt doesn’t matter how much effort and energy I’ve put into this. If the students didn’t match that energy, it wouldn’t have been successful.<\/p>\n

The program, housed within the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences,<\/a><\/strong> was officially approved by the FAA in 2025 after a years-long development and review process. UND joined a relatively small group of institutions nationwide authorized to offer FAA-approved dispatcher certification coursework.<\/p>\n

Aircraft dispatchers work alongside airline captains to plan and monitor flights, sharing legal responsibility for flight safety. Dispatchers analyze weather, fuel requirements, routing, aircraft performance and operational conditions before and during flights.<\/p>\n

FAA-certified dispatchers can work for passenger airlines, cargo carriers and corporate aviation operators.<\/p>\n

For many students, the dispatch program offers another pathway into the aviation industry beyond the cockpit. It also offers another career pathway to people who may not be medically cleared to be pilots.<\/p>\n

Robert Kraus,<\/a><\/strong> dean of the Odegard School, said the addition of the program strengthens UND\u2019s ability to prepare students for a variety of aviation careers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe addition of the dispatch courses and certification at UND provides an additional opportunity for our graduates to excel in the aviation industry,\u201d Kraus said. \u201cThe recent success of our students is a testament to their hard work and to Samantha\u2019s dedication in developing and teaching courses that fully prepared them to demonstrate their skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brett Venhuizen,<\/a><\/strong> chair of UND\u2019s Department of Aviation, said the graduation of the first cohort marks a milestone years in the making for the department.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been a decades-long goal for the Aviation Department to offer a Dispatch Certificate,\u201d<\/a><\/strong> Venhuizen said. \u201cSamantha Ross took on this effort and has not only achieved the certification of our program but also provided such high-quality training to our students that our first cohort achieved a 100% pass rate on their practical exams. Congratulations to all involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students in the first cohort to pass the FAA exams were not shy about describingn their experiences:<\/p>\n