Prerequisite — Graduate-Level Course

Descriptive & Inferential Statistics (3 Credit Hours) (MAS/MSA/ASCI/ 605, MSF 600, TMGT 503, MSA 662, MSA 670, or equivalent)

Survey of basic descriptive and inferential statistical methods including point and interval estimation hypothesis testing one-sample and two-sample tests of hypothesis for means, variances, proportions, correlation coefficients, chi-square analyses, correlation and regression analyses. 

Core Courses (24 Credit Hours)

DAV 711 Foundations of Aviation (3 Credit Hours)

This course will explore the origins of aviation including certain events, developments, milestones, concepts and activities that have helped shape the modern world of aviation. To present the evolution of aviation, its structures, values and cultural impact; to examine the growth of aviation knowledge; and to discuss how these factors affect modern day practices.

DAV 712 Aviation Safety Management Systems (3 Credit Hours)

This course provides an in-depth study of Safety Management Systems (SMS) including safety risk management (i.e., hazards, risk, and controls); positive safety culture; quality management principles; reactive, proactive, and predictive safety management tools and methods; safety assurance; SMS implementation; forensic versus proactive safety management; and proactive airline safety programs, including data sharing issues.

DAV 713 The Economic Environment of Aviation (3 Credit Hours)

Economic applications to the aviation industry including the economics of an airline and how economic problems are analyzed. Demand analysis and its relation with price and economic conditions. Costs and supply and the interaction of demand. An in-depth examination of the economic aspects of the air transportation industry, with microeconomic analysis applied to decision making in the airline, general and corporate aviation, and airport businesses. Topics include: basic economics of air transport supply and demand; demand forecasting; cost drivers; network structures and strategies; ratemaking; yield, revenue and capacity management; regulatory issues; political influences; unique economic characters of international commercial aviation; capitalization and credit facilities; economic and structural analytical tools and models.

DAV 714 The Legal Environment of Aviation (3 Credit Hours)

This course will examine established national and international law and regulations affecting the aviation industry. Emphasis will be placed on the administrative law process, its rulemaking authority, associated laws, and judicial review. Aviation professionals will be introduced to the legal aspects of labor relations, tort liability, contract obligations, and property issues as they relate to aviation operations and decision making. The course will also look at the global impact of treaty law pertaining to passenger rights, cargo, foreign immunity, aircraft registration, and negligence liability.

DAV 715 Human Factors in Aviation (3 Credit Hours)

This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the current state of human factors in the aviation industry. Each module in this course will present students with fundamental instruction on core human factors concepts as well as include interactive exercises to demonstrate the application of these concepts in the aviation domain (e.g., cockpit crew, air traffic control, aviation maintenance, spaceflight operations).

DAV 716 Management of Systems Engineering (3 Credit Hours)

This course addresses the fundamental principles of engineering management in the context of systems engineering and explores issues related to effective planning, scheduling and assessment of technical progress, and identifying the unique challenges of the technical aspects of complex engineering systems and systems of systems, and the ability to manage them in the aviation domain. Focusing on applications in aviation, key topics include systems engineering methods and standards; concept definition, design and development; interface definition; requirements development and management; system architecture development; schedule analysis and management; risk assessment, systems integration; system-of-systems resilience; and verification and validation. The course also covers an examination of processes and methods to identify, control, audit, and track and manage the evolution of system characteristics throughout the system life cycle. Aviation-oriented areas of concentration will also include strategic management, organizational transformation, and organizational environments attendant to the management of systems engineering operations or projects.

DAV 721 Quantitative Research Methods in Aviation (3 Credit Hours)

This course will provide an in-depth study of quantitative research methods and associated uni-variate and bi-variate statistical techniques used to describe, explore, clean, analyze, and interpret numerical data. Emphasis will focus on integrating applied data analysis skills with conceptual understanding of methodological issues and foundations. Topics will include: data management, variables, units of analysis, data scales, descriptive statistics (central tendency, variability), distributions, sampling theory, statistical assumptions, statistical inference, data integrity, outlier identification and handling, missing data handling, reliability, internal and external validity, measurement, measurement error, variable roles (predictor-outcome), study and experimental design, inductive-deductive scientific reasoning, causation, hypothesis testing, statistical significance, effect size, statistical power, statistical comparison of means, statistical tests of association, simple and multiple regression, data coding, graphic representation of data, and APA-style dissemination of findings. Students will focus on scholarly application of quantitative methods to aviation-related topics and aviation data. A current license for SPSS GradPack is required. (Prerequisite: Introduction to Inferential Statistics, or approved equivalent.)

DAV 725 Research Methods (3 Credit Hours)

This course develops students’ understanding of major research methods in the social sciences, when to use what research method, and how to implement research methods once they are chosen. Major topics covered in this course include: research method selection, data collection technique, instrumentation, sampling, ethical issues, reliability, validity, data treatment plan, and result interpretation.

DAV 726 Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis (3 Credit Hours)

This course develops students’ understanding and skills of quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques in the social sciences, when to use what technique, how to perform the data analysis, and how to interpret results. Major topics covered in this course include: differences between quantitative and qualitative data analysis, data analysis technique selection, major steps of the data analysis process, multivariate data analysis techniques, qualitative data analysis techniques, and result report and interpretation.

DAV 724 Advanced Quantitative Data Analysis - Data Mining and Modeling (3 Credit Hours)

This course will explore advanced topics in quantitative data analysis related to data mining and statistical modeling. Conceptual issues and applied analysis experience will be emphasized. Activities will also provide opportunity for students to refine ability to critically read and review published research manuscripts that are based on quantitative analysis of data, and will further refine scholarly dissemination skills in order to prepare students for success in dissertation and refereed publishing endeavors. Topics will include: Data mining, structural equation modeling (SEM), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), path analysis, multi-group modeling, invariance testing, longitudinal and latent growth modeling, multi-level models, mediation analysis and other special topics. A current license for SPSS Gradpack (including AMOS) is required.

Residency Courses (6 Credit Hours)

DAV 701 Residency Seminar I (2 Credit Hours)

This course is designed to provide new Ph.D. students the knowledge they will need to become successful in their doctoral program. Upon completion, doctoral students will be able to navigate the ERAU online environment, understand and apply the academic policies and best practice standards set forth by the ERAU graduate academy, and demonstrate the ability to access support services and resources provided by ERAU to ensure their success. Students will gain the knowledge to effectively use Blackboard for their coursework, and to employ various statistical techniques using SPSS and research methods to common aviation research problems. Additionally, course objectives will reflect the responsibilities of doctoral students as they become members of The Academy, critical thinking and life transformation, scholarly research and writing seminar, time management and organization, forming a cohort of doctoral scholars at ERAU, and ethics in research. Students will have the opportunity to present their goals and objectives, and initial thoughts about their intended research areas.

DAV 702 Residency Seminar II (2 Credit Hours)

Prerequisite: DAV 701. This seminar course will focus on the selection of appropriate and significant research problems for doctoral dissertations. Students will gain additional knowledge of elements of research, including selecting, validating and managing dissertation topics; conducting literature reviews; research design; and statistical methods. Case reviews of published dissertations will be conducted with emphasis on relevancy and importance in the aviation body of knowledge. Students will have the opportunity to present a prospectus on a research topic of interest. Students will gain an understanding of the qualifying exam process and strategies for successful completion of the exam.

DAV 703 Residency Seminar III (2 Credit Hours)

Prerequisite: DAV 702. The purpose of this residency is to continue developing knowledge and skills leading to the successful completion of the dissertation. Topics include dissertation policies and best practices, evaluation of research design, data collection and analysis, and presentation and evaluation of the dissertation prospectus. Students will also function as mentors for other residency students enrolled in DAV 701 and DAV 702.

DAV 704 Residency Seminar IV (0 Credit Hours – repeat as necessary)

Prerequisite: Permission of the Residency Coordinator. Students will function as mentors for other students enrolled in DAV 701, DAV 702 and DAV 703.

Operations Cognate (12 Credit Hours)

DAV 732 Strategies for Organizational Dynamics in Aviation (3 Credit Hours)

This course develops the student’s understanding of the multi-faceted aviation organizational dynamics that interact within the global marketplace. In this course students will analyze current theory in organizational dynamics, ethics, leadership, group behavior, interaction with the global aviation environment, organizational adaptation, and the lifecycle process. The theories of organizational dynamics will be evaluated and applied to aviation organizations.

DAV 733 Globalization and the Aviation Environment (3 Credit Hours)

This course develops the student's understanding of the global relationships in the aviation industry by way of science, technology, nations, cultures, economic and political systems, systems of thought, business practices, and natural environments. The student will understand and function effectively within global aviation associations involving management of technology; human resources; the aviation environment; aviation regulation; and consultation to industry and government.

DAV 734 Operations Research and Decision Making (3 Credit Hours)

This course develops the student's understanding of modeling and decision making theory as well as historic operational decisions and their consequences. The theory, formulation, solution techniques and sensitivity analysis of optimization problems includes linear, goal, integer, network flow and dynamic programs. Additional decision tools covered are project management, queuing theory, simulation, and decision models such as analytical hierarchy process. Software packages will be employed.

DAV 735 Current Practices and Future Trends in Aviation (3 Credit Hours)

This course develops the student's understanding of current state of, and probable future evolutions in the aerospace industry and in identification of research studies and opportunities that may result in significant short-term and long-term advances within aviation. Sample topics include: flight crews, environmental impacts of the aviation system, capacity planning, technological advances, information technology, world competition, inter-modal transportation systems, and operating and service characteristics.

DAV 736 User-Centered Design in Aviation (3 Credit Hours)

In this course, students will examine important user-centered design theories, principles, and practices, and demonstrate their application to guide the design of advanced aviation technologies (e.g., cockpit displays, crew stations, air traffic management systems, etc.). Specific emphasis will be placed on designing for situation awareness, which is critical for ensuring aviation safety and successful human performance outcomes. Students will be required to complete a design project that synthesizes the concepts presented throughout the course and promotes students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills. The design project will provide students with an opportunity to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills in user-centered design to address a real world design challenge in the aviation domain. Prerequisites: DAV 715 or equivalent.

Dissertation Courses

The dissertation is a systematic exploration of a topic from problem statement through analytic procedures and methodology to findings and conclusions.

The topic of the dissertation is original, significant to the field of aviation, grounded in the existing literature, and doable by one person.

The student:

1. Prepares a proposal for a detailed research study
2. Has that proposal approved by the student’s dissertation committee, the chair of Doctoral Studies, and the Dean
3. Completes the proposed study
4. Defends the completed manuscript in a dissertation oral examination

A minimum of 18 hours of dissertation credits are required:

• DAV 901 Dissertation Research 1 (3 Credit Hours) (Prerequisite: Instructor Permission)
• DAV 902 Dissertation Research 2 (3 Credit Hours) (Prerequisite: Instructor Permission)
• DAV 903 Dissertation Research 3 (3 Credit Hours) (Prerequisite: Instructor Permission)
• DAV 904 Dissertation Research 4 (3 Credit Hours) (Prerequisite: Instructor Permission)
• DAV 905 Dissertation Research 5 (3 Credit Hours) (Prerequisite: Instructor Permission)
• DAV 906 Dissertation Research 6 (3 Credit Hours) (Prerequisite: Instructor Permission)
• DAV 907 through DAV 924 Dissertation Research 7 through 24 (3 Credit Hours each) (Prerequisite for each dissertation is Instructor permission)