Welcome Aboard! 

On behalf of all or our faculty, I would like to thank you for your interest in the Cypress College Aviation & Travel Careers Program, with training opportunities for in the following areas: flight attendant, pilot, airline customer services, airline operations, travel, cruise, homeland security, and aviation management.

Background: Since 1967, Cypress College, a fully accredited public college located in North Orange County, California, has taken great pride in the success of our students working in the aviation and travel industries. All of your instructors have worked, or currently work, in the industry. Graduates not only work for all the major airlines and travel companies, many have been promoted and now sit on our exceptional Advisory Board, which meets annually to guide our training programs.

Options: Students in the Aviation & Travel Careers Program typically begin with a Basic Certificate (15 units or one semester) or the Aviation Certificate 1 (16 units), and then work toward more advanced certificates (which can take two to three semesters). Depending on your goals, age, and work experience, you may want to begin applying for positions then, or proceed to an Associate in Science Degree. Students who wish to go into aviation or travel management may elect to transfer to a four-year university. Click on the Certificate & Degree link above to see the course requirements.

Enrollment: First, you’ll want to apply to the college  (it only takes about 10 minutes and it is free). The earlier you apply, the earlier you will be able to register for classes. You will receive an email with your registration time, then you can enroll in classes. You can enroll online, check the Class Schedule, and access the College Catalog at the Cypress College website: www.cypresscollege.edu.  Classes can be found under Aviation & Travel Careers section of the schedule.  The General Education requirements for the Associate in Science Degrees and transfer to four-year universities can be found toward the back of the current schedule or in the Cypress Catalog.

Helpful Links:

        Cost of Attendance ($46 per unit for CA residents)

        College Bookstore Online (check / order textbooks)

        Financial Aid

        Work Study (jobs on campus)

        International Students

Open House Informational Meeting

You (and your guests) are invited to hear a one-hour presentation held before each semester begins. For the latest date, please click this link and scroll down: http://www.airlinetravelcareers.com

Flight Attendant Coordinator: Students wanting to be flight attendants may email Kathleen Reiland at kreiland@cypresscollegedu for more information about which option would be best for them.  Please know that our program is much like a business degree in that you do not need a business degree to open a business, but it helps. No commercial airline requires a certificate in advance of the airline’s own training.  Anyone who meets the minimum requirements can apply for a flight attendant position, and you most certainly do not need to spend thousands of dollars to apply.  The Cypress College Basic and Advanced Flight Attendant Certificates helps students prepare for the competitive interview and training requirements while providing transferable college credit at a California public college.  Everyone is encouraged to start with the Basic Flight Attendant Certificate (15 units).  Then depending upon your age, work experience, and education, you may want to begin applying to the airlines or pursue an Advanced Flight Attendant Certificate (35 units).  With the Advanced Certificate plus your GE (general education), you will qualify for a Flight Attendant Associate in Science Degree, which can be particularly useful for those students interested in pursuing flight attendant management positions.  Current flight attendants wanting to pursue their degree may receive up to 12 units of credit for their previous training and work experience (see Credit by Examination below).

Pilot Coordinator: Cypress College is a ground school with flight simulators that offers credit by examination for flight training that students secure at local flight schools. The college also supports a flying team that competes with other aviation schools. For more detailed questions about how to become a pilot or the flying team, please contact Captain Valdez at evaldez@cypresscollege.edu.

Program Counselor: Our counselor is Jane Jepson but students may see any college counselor when Jane is not available.

Jane can be reached at jjepson@cypresscollege.edu . For appointments: 714-484-7015 or leave msg. 714-484-7074

Main College Counseling Office: Website 714-484-7015

Assessment:  Although there are no program requisites to begin the program, the college asks students to take assessment tests for English and math placement, which are not required for the certificates, but are required for the degrees.

Online Classes:  Many classes are offered online.  All of the classes for the Basic Flight Attendant Certificate are also offered online. You can now complete this certificate online, but you will be required to attend the first and last day of class.

Credit by Examination:  Cypress College offers up to 12 units of credit for students who already work in the industry with FAA certifications. Please see the Cypress College Catalog or Kathleen Reiland (kreiland@cypresscollege.edu) for more details.

Contacts and Locations:  Please note that the ATC Program operates primarily during the fall and springs semesters. We have limited staff on campus during the summer, but we can be reached by email.  For contact information, directions, and hours, please click on the contact/location link above. 

Internships (ATC 295): If you currently work in customer service, the travel industry, or a flight school, you may get credit for your work experience (225 paid hours or 180 unpaid hours).  If you are not working, but you have completed any basic ATC certificate, and you qualify for financial aid work study, you may work up to 20 paid hours per week for the ATC program.  Or, If you have completed any basic ATC certificate, and you do not qualify for financial aid work study, you may intern in the ATC program. The work varies depending upon your major, but typically, we try to match the projects that you would work on with your field of study. 

Finally, you may be joining us because the idea of traveling around the world meeting new people sounds exciting.  After twenty years with the airlines, I can assure you, it is all that and more.  Working for the airlines far exceeded my own expectations in that I met people I never dreamed I would meet, and I saw places that I never imagined could fill me with such a sense of awe.  Yet an aviation or travel career can be demanding work and highly stressful.  When the recruiters say they want people who are out-going, flexible, and reliable, they mean it.  They have learned from experience that introverted people who don’t like to be away from home will not be happy.  Only reliable people who enjoy others and know the rigors of travel will appreciate the adventure of aviation and travel careers. 

The final key to unlocking your dreams is you. You will hear much about what you can do to help yourself be successful. Be sure to take advantage of these opportunities. We are lucky because the students in our program are here because they want to be here, but if you ever feel overwhelmed to the point of giving up, talk to us.  Remember, our ultimate goal is to help you be successful in securing and advancing your career. 

Sincerely,

Kathleen Reiland

Department Chair, Aviation & Travel Careers

Cypress College

9200 Valley View Street

Cypress, California, 90630

714-484-7411

Department Websites:

http://cypresscollege.edu/~atc/

http://cypresscollege.edu/~aviation/

Ancillary Website: www.airlinetravelcareers.com

Email: kreiland@cypresscollege.edu

Reiland- Teacher of the Year.pdf

Reiland @Cypress 12-2012.pdf