Silicon Valley online university Udacity has started offering ‘nanodegrees’ for budding flying car engineers.

Applications have opened for what Udacity says is its “most ambitious programme yet”.

A number of companies, including Airbus, Uber and AeroMobil, are developing flying cars, and Udacity founder and flying car pioneer Sebastian Thrun says that: “In a few years time, this will be the hottest topic on the planet.”

Talent wars

A statement from Udacity notes: “As investment in the emerging field of autonomous flight ramps up significantly, the talent wars are simultaneously heating up as well. Our programme offers the unrivalled opportunity to master the in-demand skills necessary to secure rewarding employment with the increasing number of companies – from large organisations such as Airbus, Boeing, and Uber, to startups like Kitty Hawk, Lilium, and Terrafugia – hiring in the flying car space.”

The programme is made up of two terms of 12 weeks each. The first term will focus on aerial robotics and the second on intelligent air systems. The tuition for each term is $1,200. Applications are open now and classes will begin late February.

Tutors will include Sebastian Thrun, professor at Stanford and founder of X, Kitty Hawk and Udacity; Nicholas Roy, Professor at MIT and founder of  X Project Wing; Angela Schoellig, Professor at University of Toronto; and Raffaello D’Andrea, Professor at ETH Zurich, co-founder of Kiva Systems (now Amazon Robotics) and founder of Verity Studios.