Aircraft Structures Technician

• One-year certificate
• Fall start
• High industry demand

Program Description

The Aircraft Structures Technician program will give you the knowledge and skills required to enter a career to become an aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) “S”. As an "S" licensed aircraft maintenance engineer, you will be responsible for the manufacture and repair of aircraft and aircraft components. The Aircraft Structures Technician program covers all the aspects of aircraft structure repair to general aviation, corporate, charter, transport category aircraft, and helicopters. Training includes traditional aluminum sheet metal structure as well as advanced composite material manufacturing and repair.

The program is two semesters in length. All classes are scheduled at the Art Smith Aero Centre for Training and Technology, located at the Calgary International Airport.

Some of the courses in this program are web-based and will require students to access information from the Internet. These courses are delivered in one of the two computer labs available at the Art Smith Aero Centre. Students are not required to purchase a laptop for this program.

Your Career

Graduates find work as aircraft structures technicians leading to an aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) “S” Licence.

Admission Requirements

• Alberta High School Diploma or equivalent with at least 50% in the following courses or their equivalents: Pure Math 20 or Applied Math 20 and English Language Arts 30-1 or English Language Arts 30-2.
• All applicants to SAIT Polytechnic must demonstrate English Language Proficiency prior to admission, including students educated in Canada. For more information, please see English Proficiency.
• For upgrading options, please refer to the Academic Upgrading program.
• For international students, please refer to the International section.
• For mature students, please refer to the Admissions section.
• Advance credit may be granted to applicants who have completed equivalent education at a post-secondary institution which is also accredited by Transport Canada and the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council. Please refer to Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition.

Selection Criteria (2010-2011)

Applicants are responsible for familiarizing themselves with any selection criteria that may be required in addition to the admission requirements.

Admission Timeline

Applications are accepted from November 1, 2009, until the end of the drop/add period. To be included in selection, applications must be submitted prior to March 1, 2010, along with all supporting documents.

Early Admission Criteria

Early admission will be offered to all applicants who have achieved or will achieve a minimum overall average of 70% in the admission requirements. Positions will be offered to 90 per cent of quota.

Additional Selection Criteria

If the program is oversubscribed the following criteria will take effect for the remaining 10 per cent of the quota:

• Applicants possessing the highest academic average using the educational admission requirements.

Selection Priority

• Early admission
• Selection criteria

Note: Two seats are reserved for applicants having industry experience as approved by the academic chair. Two seats are reserved for students in James Fowler Aviation Program or other high schools that have an aviation technician program.

Selection

Selection will commence on the first business day of December. If at the end of December the program is not filled to 90 per cent of the quota, seats will be offered to applicants who meet the average of 65% or higher.

The Selection Deadline is March 1, 2010. If on the first business day of March the program is not filled to 90 per cent of the quota, admission will commence using minimum prerequisites as stated above.

Student Success

• Most successful students spend approximately one hour each day doing homework and review, with additional study required to prepare for exams.
• The material is presented at a fairly rapid rate so for the greatest level of success, students must be present and take responsibility for their learning experience.
• Students must be able to read, write and comprehend the English language at a level exceeding basic conversational English.
• Students with higher grades usually experience more success in SAIT programs.

Progression

Students must attain a PGPA and/or a CGPA of 2.0 or better in each semester and pass the necessary prerequisite courses to progress through the program. To qualify for graduation, students must pass all courses, attain a CGPA of 2.0 or better and complete course requirements within the prescribed timelines.

Credentials

Upon successfully completing this program, graduates will be awarded a SAIT certificate as an Aircraft Structures Technician.

Accreditation

The program’s accreditation is ongoing and subject to periodic audits from Transport Canada and the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council (CAMC). Students achieving 50 per cent or higher in each course will receive a SAIT certificate.

To receive Transport Canada or CAMC credit towards the Aircraft Maintenance Engineers “S” license, graduates who are in compliance with the required attendance (95 per cent) and minimum marks of 70% receive 12 months credit towards the “S” Category AME license.

Tuition And Fees (Subject To Change)

• Please refer to the Tuition and Fee Table.
• International Students, please refer to International Student Fees.
• For student funding, please refer to Financial Assistance.

Books And Supplies (Subject To Change)

• Books and supplies are approximately $450 for the year.
• Students are also required to purchase a basic tool kit of approximately $750.

Program Outline (2010 - 2011)

To find the course description for a course shown below, please go to our Course Finder enter the course acronym and numbers (I.E. DMST-350) into the Quick Search by Course Code field.

For More Information

Information: 403.284.7018
E-mail: transportation.info@sait.ca
Website: School of Transportation

Transfer with Certificate to...

Transfer options may be available at post-secondary institutions where credits from SAIT programs could be evaluated on an individual basis. Interested students should contact the post-secondary educational institute of their choice for more information.

To learn more, visit Transfer Options.

Related Links (Internal):

• Student-For-A-Day
• Academic Calendar