Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology - Broomfield Campus — Local services in Broomfield

I had a positive experience attending here and earning my A&P certificate from 2018-2020. I'll start with my three big complaints first though.

Unfortunately, I got the impression that they do not compensate the instructors fairly for their employment. Three of the best instructors left while I attended, one of them shortly before I was slated to take one of his classes which I was very disappointed about. Many were also forced to teach night shift classes despite being assured upon hiring that they would not do so. Reading other reviews from before, during, and after my time here, instructor staffing seems to be a very longstanding problem. Another complaint is that the facilities and equipment are noticeably aged. It is an unfortunate reality for schools like this that deal with machines worth multiple millions of dollars that the example equipment is likely to be very old and run down, and this school is no exception. Given the pricetag of admission here though, it is fair to expect the facilities and equipment to be in better condition. My last complaint is that the small shed that is used to teach the engine run class is not air-conditioned. I was unfortunately scheduled to take this class during July-August, and the heat in the building was nearly unbearable. There was a very noticeable lack of enthusiasm from both the students and the instructor, which is a real shame because that class i supposed to be some of the most valuable hands-on experience that the school offered. I attended on the GI Bill so these issues did not irk me as badly as some other students, and I imagine that if I was spending my own money to attend here they would have bothered me quite a bit more. I understand that this place is a for-profit school being run as a business, but it is still unfortunate to see these negative effects caused by few bean-counters at the top level of the administration in a place that has such excellent staff otherwise.

Negatives aside, I can say that my time there was well spent. The instructors, despite being treated unfairly by the administration, were very knowledgeable and went the extra mile to explain and demonstrate the subject matter. They put in the effort to form personal connections with the students and I felt they genuinely cared about our development. The financial staff were also very competent and helpful. They got my GI bill enrollment running quickly and smoothly without a hiccup. The career services staff is one of the best things this school has going for it. They are very connected to dozens of employers within the industry. They host presentations from a different employer almost every week that are great networking opportunities for the students, as well as larger career fairs with 20-30 employers present twice a year. Corey O'Brien specifically deserves a shout-out. He really cares about finding employment for students and alumni. He still contacts me regularly with opportunities almost 3 years after I graduated. I am comfortable in my current position, but it is nice to know that he is there If I should ever need him in the future.

Overall, this place delivered on my expectations. I received valuable instruction, experience, and networking opportunities here that allowed me to launch a promising career. The staff were pleasant to deal with and I genuinely enjoyed attending classes most days. I would highly recommend it if you have the benefit of the GI bill like I did. However, if you are paying out of pocket, there are definitely cheaper options to achieve your A&P certificate that are worth...

(AET student) This will be a long review but I feel that it will be helpful to potential new students and I want to cover my education experience, job outlooks after graduation, and some key people you need to talk to.

Firstly the education you will get at Spartan is designed to be a wide canvassing foundation in electrical theory, trouble shooting, circuitry and avionics. A lot of what you will be doing is figuring out what classes and subjects you enjoy in order to give you a better idea as to what direction you want to take after you graduate. I personally found I really enjoyed soldering, wiring, and Industrial but discovered I will not be coding anything in my life. This helped with my job search as I had a much better concept of what to avoid and what positions would cater more to my strengths. Classes are each about a month long so understand that after you graduate and get employed the likelihood of you going into a long training period at your job will be extremely high without significant previous work experience. Without the foundation Spartan helped build however (especially since I have no military background) many opportunities would simply not be available. The classes themselves are taught very well most of the time. The reason for me leaving a 4 star review instead of a 5 is due to the fact that I had teachers that were teaching classes for the first time while I was there and around 15% my classes were essentially just reading a PowerPoint presentation and for the price of the school and the speed at which classes happen I found that to be fairly disappointing. That being said I was invited to voice my concerns with other students to faculty and I believe my concerns were heard and valued and I have faith that by the time you are reading this that nearly all of the classes will be in a 5 star state.

As far as job prospects are concerned Spartan works with some pretty incredible companies from Lockheed, Ball Aerospace, and Sierra Nevada, to the companies you’d expect such as Frontier, United, and South West. Going to the career fairs will be extremely important in determining which companies and visions align with yours and I would also strongly encourage you to attend the presentations that many companies will present during your time there. One area that concerned me before I graduated was there was a point I was ready to apply to jobs but wasn’t sure what certifications I would or wouldn’t need, what to put on my resume, or how to start that process. If you ever feel this way please find or contact Corey O’Brien as he will be the most important figure in all your time at Spartan. He will have contacts for every company you’ve heard of, will help you build a resume, and will make sure you have an idea of what certifications you need to focus on for the companies and jobs that interest you. He is punctual in his responses, cares deeply about your concerns and desires, and will help you when you don’t know where to turn. I cannot speak highly enough on Corey as he can almost single handedly make your time at Spartan worth every cent.

Lastly I would like to shoutout Jim Rukert who was my favorite teacher during my time at Spartan as he always made sure I understood the material and went out of his way to ensure that I was getting value out of his classes. Ultimately Spartan has allowed me opportunities that very few associates degrees can provide and as long as you show up and try in the classes and communicate with Corey I have faith that you can get everything you want out of the...

I went to Spartan from 2019-2020 and successfully earned my AMT certificate as well as my A&P license in 2020. Overall, I say this school is a great place to learn and study the material you need to pass the Written, Oral, and Practical exams. I would not say this is the right place to learn how to become a mechanic, so prior experience is welcomed here, however this is a great place to learn how the Aviation field operates on paper and through stories if you were as clueless about it as me. This school is like any other place when it comes to the instructors, some where phenomenal, some should never have been allowed the opportunity to teach. The administrators were a hit or miss as well, some were great at addressing personal, financial, or school related issues, some could care less. Career services which included Corey O'Brien and Deborah Burgess, were amazing people and helped address all sorts of issues I have came across. Corey has even been helping me a year out since I have graduated. I have met some great people here, some have become great friends, they are all doing well and have landed some great jobs across Colorado and other states. If you apply yourself and pay attention you will come out in a better spot than before you attending this school, you will learn who to go to and who to avoid for questions. Not a bad place for a fresh start towards a new career path that will take you to places you never knew you...