Description: The Commercial Drone Pilot Part 107 Prep Course is designed to prepare students for the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification Exam, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to operate drones commercially in compliance with federal regulations. This comprehensive course covers key topics including airspace classifications, weather interpretation, FAA regulations, operational procedures, and safety protocols. Through a blend of interactive lectures, practice exams, and real-world flight scenarios, students gain both the theoretical foundation and practical readiness to confidently pass the Part 107 exam and begin their careers as certified commercial drone pilots.

About Your Instructors:

UM Mario Swaidan, Founder of Drone Pilot Academy, Lead Instructor

Mario Swaidan is a neuroscientist and Michigan State University graduate specializing in neural engineering, who began building drones in his dorm room and founded AerBots, a Detroit-based drone manufacturing company. As the first person to receive a Part 107 certification at the Michigan Institute of Aviation Technology (MIAT) in 2016, Mario has since taught drone pilot training across Michigan and launched Drone Pilot Academy, a subsidiary of AerBots, to standardize training with AR simulators and FAA prep tools. He graduated from the third year of the Apple Developer Academy, where he specialized in coding in Swift and received additional support for his AR drone training app. He is currently collaborating with Michigan Works, Henry Ford Health, and Newlab to provide workforce development through innovative drone education programs.

UM Angelo Brown, Instructor

Angelo, a Detroit native and instructor for Drone Pilot Academy, received his FAA Part 107 certification at just 16 years old, achieving a near-perfect score with only two questions wrong. With several years of experience teaching drone pilot training at various levels, he is passionate about sharing his expertise. Currently, Angelo is a student in the Renaissance Program at the Apple Developer Academy in Detroit and is working toward earning his private pilot certification at the age of 19.

Instructor: Nicole Friedberg, Master Black Belt and Project Manager, Lecturer for Michigan Engineering, Instructor for Six SIgma Programs; Pat Hammett, PhD, Lead Faculty for Six Sigma Programs, Associate Chair of Masters Education for Integrative Systems and Design, Lecturer for College of Engineering

Facilitator: John Knight

Project management isn’t just for project management professionals. People in almost any role in any industry will encounter projects at various points in their careers. With a methodical way to organize people, resources, and work, you can achieve your goals and meet project requirements. Foundations of Project Management can help individuals achieve their organization’s strategic initiatives by successfully leading projects. 

This course provides essential tools and strategies for anyone who is interested in project management, actively participates in projects, or leads projects. The online, self-paced course prepares you to implement new strategies and skills, preparing you for project success.

Instructor: Mark W. Newman, Associate Professor, School of Information

About Your Facilitator:

Alexandria Williams is an experienced educator and technologist who has been teaching since 2018. Born and raised in Detroit, she is passionate about giving back to her community through education and mentorship. With a strong background in computer science and engineering, and a passion for making STEM education accessible, she has taught students of all ages in programming, app development, web development, user experience/user interface (UX/UI) design, and engineering fundamentals. As a proud Michigan Wolverine, Alexandria is committed to creating inclusive learning environments that empower students to explore, create, and thrive in the world of technologyCourse Facilitator: Alexandria Wiliams

Description: This UX course provides an introduction to the fields of UX research and design. Learners will gain an understanding of what is involved in UX research, including conducting interviews, evaluating systems, and analyzing systems using principles of good design. Learners will also learn about the work involved in UX Design, including the generation of promising design solutions and the creation of prototypes at multiple levels of fidelity. By interleaving successive phases of UX Research and Design, learners will see how to learn from inevitable mistakes and improve towards a product with a great UX.

What you’ll learn:

Techniques for critiquing and designing interactive systems based on human capabilities and behavior


The skills needed for UX research and design


How UX researchers discover and assess user needs and assess possible designs


How to conduct a micro-usability test


How UX designers use sketching and prototyping to develop design concepts

How to incorporate a user-centered focus into the design process


Key features of human behavior and describe their impact on the design of interactive systems


Instructor: Dr. Chuck Severance, Clinical Professor, School of Information

Course Facilitator: Tamara Qawasmeh

This course aims to teach everyone the basics of programming computers using Python. We cover the basics of how one constructs a program from a series of simple instructions in Python. The course has no prerequisites and avoids all but the simplest mathematics. Anyone with moderate computer experience should be able to master the materials in this course. This course will cover Chapters 1-5 of the textbook “Python for Everybody”. Once a student completes this course, they will be ready to take more advanced programming courses. This course covers Python 3.

Instructor: Dr. Chuck Severance, Clinical Professor, School of Information

Course Facilitator: Tamara Qawasmeh

This course will introduce students to the basics of the Structured Query Language (SQL) as well as basic database design for storing data as part of a multi-step data gathering, analysis, and processing effort. The course will use SQLite3 as its database. We will also build web crawlers and multi-step data gathering and visualization processes. We will use the D3.js library to do basic data visualization. This course will cover Chapters 14-15 of the book “Python for Everybody”. To succeed in this course, you should be familiar with the material covered in Chapters 1-13 of the textbook and the first three courses in this specialization. This course covers Python 3.

*Prerequisite: Take this course only if you have completed at least Using Python to Access Web Data or have gained equivalent programming knowledge.

Instructor: Dr. Chuck Severance, Clinical Professor, School of Information

Course Facilitator: Tamara Qawasmeh

This course will introduce students to the basics of the Structured Query Language (SQL) as well as basic database design for storing data as part of a multi-step data gathering, analysis, and processing effort. The course will use SQLite3 as its database. We will also build web crawlers and multi-step data gathering and visualization processes. We will use the D3.js library to do basic data visualization. This course will cover Chapters 14-15 of the book “Python for Everybody”. To succeed in this course, you should be familiar with the material covered in Chapters 1-13 of the textbook and the first three courses in this specialization. This course covers Python 3.

*Prerequisite: Take this course only if you have completed at least Using Python to Access Web Data or have gained equivalent programming knowledge.

Instructor: Patrick Barry, Clinical Assistant Professor of Law, Michigan Law School

Course Facilitator: Kush Dawar

This course will cover two modules from the Speaking and Presenting series, focusing on poise, pitches, and persuasion.

Poise is not some elusive or innate characteristic. It’s a series of choices, all of which can help you better connect with your intended audience. This course will help you identify those choices and teach you how to make them in a way that consistently enhances the clarity of your message and the effectiveness of your delivery.

The hope good presenters project when pitching their ideas is not naïve hope. They’re not Pollyanna at the podium. Instead, the solutions they offer are supported by research, data, and expertise. This course will teach you how to merge hard facts with an imaginative vision in a way that at once resonates with and inspires your audience.