Master's Degree in Unmanned Aerial Systems

The Master in Unmanned Aerial Systems is a highly specialized degree, unique in the Galician University System and one of the only two official drone Master's degrees offered in the national territory. Students may choose courses oriented to the operation of unmanned aerial systems, taught by the University of Santiago de Compostela (Higher Polytechnic School of Engineering of Lugo) or oriented to the development of unmanned aerial systems, taught by the University of Vigo ( School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering of Orense), also provides the basic knowledge to obtain the title of drone pilot and allows access to doctoral programs and the completion of doctoral thesis.

The Master is sponsored by GAIN (Galician Innovation Agency) and the RPAS-UO group of the University of Oviedo collaborates with it.

Presentation

The Master responds to the take-off of the sector in Galicia, which combines the impulse of operating companies that act in global markets and companies that develop their own systems. To the effort carried out by the business sector, we must add the effort made by the Galician regional administration with the creation of the INTA-Xunta de Galicia Airport Research Center (CIAR) in Lugo, the development of a Higher Level Technician Training Cycle in Aircraft Maintenance (IES AS Mercedes de Lugo), the launch of the Civil UAS Initiative and within this initiative the Business Factory Aero accelerator (BFAero), the promotion of the Center for Aerospace Innovation of Galicia (CINAE) in the Park Porto do Molle business in the Vigo Free Zone and the creation of the School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering on the Ourense Campus of the University of Vigo. Another factor that indicates the gradual development and organization of the sector is the formation of local business associations such as the Galician Association of Unmanned Intelligent Systems (AGASINT).

The master's degree is taught on the Lugo and Orense campuses, both have new facilities perfectly equipped with all the technical means necessary to guarantee the quality of teaching.

Development

The student, in addition to the compulsory subjects, must choose the optional subjects based on their training interests and cover a total of 18 ECTS credits, being convenient to select the three application subjects (Lugo) or the three of Engineering of Systems (Orense) to ensure the best synchronization of schedules.

Theoretical teaching is mainly concentrated on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (also taught by videoconference), looking for schedules compatible with the work exercise or other activity. The schedules are published on the websites of the centers prior to the opening of enrollment.

In this way, the teaching of common subjects is programmed at the EPS (Campus Terra, Lugo) and at the EEAE (Campus de Ourense) to later focus each of the electives in the center that best adapts to the specificity of the subjects studied.

Teaching is basically divided into two locations, the Higher Polytechnic School of Engineering (EPS), located on the Terra Campus in Lugo, and the Aeronautical and Space Engineering School (EEAE), located on the Ourense Campus.

This versatility, which allows synergy between two nearby universities but with different orientations, is based on the availability of human resources and highly specialized subjects and on the interaction with a large number of companies in the UAS sector, both regarding manufacturing and to exploitation.

goals

It is intended that students acquire general knowledge in unmanned aerial systems engineering and in unmanned aerial systems operations with the ability to analyze the needs of a company in the field of unmanned aerial systems.

For this, they must know the main systems, the instruments on board and the control station of an unmanned aircraft, as well as their influence on safety. Know the geomatic, photogrammetric and cartographic principles, navigation, aerial triangulation, interpretation and digital treatment of images, as well as the existing good practices in the operation of unmanned aerial systems and know how to apply the regulations in force.

In addition, the aim is to provide students with the ability to intervene and interact with other technical teams in planning with unmanned aerial systems; as well as developing a technical project in the field of engineering and operations with unmanned aerial systems.

Mobility and practices

Mobility

The mobility of students is regulated through the "Regulation of interuniversity exchanges". National (SICUE), European (ERASMUS) and non-EU exchange programs (exchanges with Latin American or English-speaking countries) are managed through the Foreign Relations Office.

Practices

The master's degree includes 9 ECTS credits of compulsory external internships. The Higher Polytechnic School of the USC and the School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering of the University of Vigo have an extensive program of internship agreements in companies that will allow to protect the stays of the students of this Master's degree.

During the development of the Master, internships with UAS will be carried out. Both rotary-wing (multirotor) and fixed-wing (aircraft in their different configurations)

For practices there are 2 tracks with everything you need to comfortably enjoy the flight. The Lavanco aeromodelling club and the Real Aeroclub de Lugo.

The practices will include professional equipment up to 20 kg of MTOM (Maximum Takeoff Mass) and recreational flying will be combined with simulated inspections or flight planning for geomatics or photogrammetry.

Final Master's Project

The master's degree includes the completion of a Master's Final Project of 9 ECTS credits, which consists of carrying out a project related to the engineering of unmanned aerial systems or with applications that involve their operation.

The Final Master's Thesis is an original exercise that must be carried out individually and that consists of a comprehensive project of a professional nature that synthesizes the competencies acquired in the Master. To pass it, it will be defended before a court made up of professors of the degree.

Each student will have at least one teacher or tutor who will guide the student during the process and will ensure the quality of the work. The offer of Master's Final Projects may include works offered by collaborating companies and research centers and works offered by teachers of the Master's degree. The student will be able to defend their Master's Final Project when they have obtained all the other credits of the study plan passed.

Admission profile

The Master is aimed at university graduates in scientific or technological disciplines who wish to direct their professional career towards companies or public administrations with an interest in UAS (Unmanned Aerial System). The USC offers a total of 12 places with a preferential entry profile in the field of engineering. Among them the following are preferred:
Graduate in Aerospace, Agricultural and Agri-Food Engineering, Civil, Geomatics and Topography, Electrical, Industrial and Automatic Electronics, Forestry, Telecommunications Technologies, Industrial, Mechanics, Mining and Energy Resources, Physics.

Curriculum

This master's degree contemplates the completion of a total of 60 ECTS credits, of which 24 ECTS are mandatory and 18 ECTS are optional. Part of the subjects will be taught from Lugo (USC) and will be oriented towards applications and another part will be taught from Orense (UVigo) and will be oriented towards systems engineering. The theoretical content can be followed in person or by videoconference. There will also be 9 ECTS of mandatory External Practices and a Master's Final Project of 9 ECTS.

The structure of the Master is designed so that it can be compatible with professional activity.

24 common compulsory ECTS credits, planned for the first semester and which will teach the subjects:

• Fundamentals of unmanned aerial systems (Lugo/Oviedo)
• Operations, legislation and certification (Lugo)
• Aerodynamics, flight mechanics and propulsion (Orense)
• Observation systems. (Orense)

18 credits of elective subjects to choose three from the following subjects, planned for the second semester:

• Data analysis methods. (Lugo)
• Applications in the agroforestry and environmental field. (Lugo)
• Applications in engineering and architecture. (Lugo)
• Control systems. (Orense)
• Navigation and communication systems. (Orense)

Common Module

• Fundamentals of unmanned aerial systems
• Operations, legislation and certification
• Aerodynamics, flight mechanics and propulsion
• Observation systems

Optional assignatures

• Data analysis methods
• Applications in the agroforestry and environmental field
• Applications in engineering and architecture
• Control systems
• Navigation and communication systems
• Critical software development

External Practices and Master's Final Project

• External internships
• Master's final project

Professional outings

It includes both companies dedicated to systems engineering and those oriented to operations such as: monitoring of works, inspection of structures, provision of geospatial data for risk measurement by insurers, aerial photography and professional video, inspection of telecommunications antennas, planning of network deployments, internet services in remote areas, crop monitoring, pesticide dispersion, surveillance, mining planning, management of mining operations, forestry management, painting, rehabilitation with 3D printing, logistics.