“Don’t let the Weather fool you.”

As we head into the middle of winter, people often ask; Why North Dakota?

It is a good question. We are somewhat isolated and it does get cold, but if you can see your way past those two elements, North Dakota is a special place. If you were to start from scratch and objectively list all of the factors that lead to a decision of what college to attend, the answers lie here and only here at the University of North Dakota.

First and foremost we provide the best possible curriculum. Being tied to the University of North Dakota sets us apart by providing the Liberal Arts foundation for a well rounded education. UND is a special place in and of itself with the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, Nursing, Law, Medicine, and Aerospace. Within Aerospace in addition to an outstanding undergraduate curriculum we now have Masters Programs in Aviation, Atmospheric Science, Space Studies, Computer Science and Earth Systems Science and Policy with Ph. D. programs in Scientific Computing, Atmospheric Science and Earth Systems Science and Policy. We reside on a beautiful campus with a full array of campus life experiences including intercollegiate athletics and a myriad of student activities.

The single most important factor in our flight operation is our unparalleled safety record. This is due to a number of elements only inherent to North Dakota. The airspace surrounding Grand Forks provides a large amount of open uncluttered airspace. I call it uncontested airspace. Our practice areas are very large and close by the airport and there is very little traffic other than our own aircraft. We fly over flat open terrain most of which is suitable for a runway. Although forced landing seldom occur, the probability of having a safe outcome is far better in North Dakota than most other areas of the country. We fly new aircraft fitted with the newest in avionics and instrumentation. Almost all of our aircraft are now “glass cockpit” equipped and we have onboard ADS-B equipment that gives us airborne alerts to other aircraft in our vicinity. New aircraft are safer and easier to maintain. Our mechanics are the best and their consistent pursuit of continuing education has led to the FAA’s Diamond Award year after year.

This comprehensive approach to airspace and safety results in lower insurance rates and lower average time to obtain flight ratings which lowers our flight costs and allows our pilots to fly more hours in aircraft rather than in simulators. Out resident tuition is incredibly low and the reciprocity rates for many states are equally low. More importantly a student can claim residency and qualify for resident tuition after only attending the first year at UND. Given today’s economic conditions, the Odegard School and UND provide a quality education at a great value.

Even our climate serves to our advantage. We may have long cold winters, but we have more than our share of sunshine. The change of seasons, the challenging weather, and the high winds provide the variation needed to provide a complete training experience for our pilots.

So, don’t let the weather fool you. This is a great place to go to college.


Sincerely,

Bruce Smith, Dean
John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences