Florida State College at Jacksonville is able to offer qualified students the opportunity to join the college utilizing the F-1 student visa. Students wanting only to take pilot training courses without college credit should contact Sunrise Aviation’s main campus in Ormond Beach, Florida. Click here
International students wanting to get a firm foundation in aviation subjects along with exceptional pilot training should consider Florida State College at Jacksonville’s two-year Professional Pilot Technology degree program. The College Program – Overview section of this website provides information useful for all students including those from other countries interested in the FSCJ professional pilot degree program. Because international students may also be interested in one of the many four year degree programs at FSCJ, you might also visit the following links on FSCJ’s website:
For other four year degree choices at FSCJ, please go here to find one suitable for your interests.
The two-year Associate of Science degree program in Professional Pilot Technology which requires 64 credit hours of classes for graduation can be combined with many of the 4 year degree programs at Florida State College at Jacksonville. The college is also currently investigating offering a 4 year degree program in aviation. Look for more news on that soon!
Students from China are encouraged to contact Zhuhai Yi Aviation Co. Ltd. one of the aviation partners for Sunrise Aviation for more information specific to the Chinese aviation market.
The admission requirements and deadlines for international students applying to Florida State College at Jacksonville are explained here.
Florida State College at Jacksonville requires proficiency in the English language as a prerequisite for enrollment. International students need to take either the TOEFL or IELTS exams. However, FSCJ also has a well respected program in English called the English Language Institute (ELI). Students deficient in English or simply looking for a way to learn English and American culture can take one or more semesters of the INTENSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM at ELI prior to meeting the minimum English language requirement for the college. Once students successfully complete this program, they can transfer directly to the college without requiring the English testing mentioned above. Costs of this program are quite reasonable with tuition (not including living or other expenses) currently around $6,000. Sunrise Aviation encourages international students enrolled at ELI to get the full college experience during their initial enrollment by living in the dormitories at the University of North Florida (UNF). FSCJ and UNF have a special arrangement and students staying at UNF in Jacksonville can easily travel by city bus to the downtown Jacksonville campus of FSCJ for their ELI classes. For more information on ELI, send an email here. eli@fscj.edu Students can find the English Language Institute on the FSCJ website by clicking here.
Questions regarding F-1 visas for attendance at Florida State College at Jacksonville should be addressed to Kim Deer: kdeer@fscj.edu or telephone: (904) 632-3197.
International students enrolled in the Florida State College at Jacksonville’s pilot training program not only will have opportunities to study and fly but may qualify for work experiences at the college or Sunrise Aviation. Though there are many limits on these employment opportunities for international students, successful applicants may be able to gain valuable experience as flight instructors, dispatchers, or in other interesting aviation jobs. The F-1 visa also permits students upon successful completion of a degree program to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT). OPT may allow the student to be employed in their field of study for up to a year after graduation.
