Are aviation degrees even worth it???

[UnAnswerd]

I don't want to offend anyone who may have attended a place such as Embry-riddle, or anyone who currently holds, or is working towards, a degree in aviation. I respect your accomplishments and willingness to pursue your aspirations.

With that said, here's how I see it:

Why get a degree in aviation? When you apply for a job within any area of the aviation industry (as a pilot), they're not hiring you because you have a degree, even if it's in aviation. I think it would be safe to say that the reason they're hiring you is because of your flight experience. In other words, the degree gets you noticed, but the flight experience gets you hired. So if the degree just "gets you noticed", why waste time and money on a degree in aviation? You could get a degree in something else, and still "get noticed". What I'm trying to say is that if sometime down the road, for whatever unfortunate reason, you have to leave the aviation industry, what good will your aviation degree be to you???

If you must get a degree to gain a competitive edge, why not acquire something else to further enhance your background, rather than just sticking with aviation. For example, if I get a degree in criminal justice, I can do a total of three things with it. First, simply having the degree may help me get a piloting job. Second, it may open up unique opportunities in other areas of aviation such as flying for US Customs, Drug Enforcement Agency, and possibly helicopters for major-city police departments. Lastly, if I were to totally abandon aviation, I could still do a few things with the degree in the area of law enforcement. If I only had an aviation degree, I wouldn't have the unique flying opportunities, nor would it be very useful if I had to leave aviation.

I would really appreciate any comments on the issue. I have convinced myself that I should work toward a 4-year degree, and I want to do the right thing.

 

[chperplt]

Are aviation degrees even worth it???

Undergraduate degrees... NO

Graduate degees... Sure

 

[avbug]

Consider it from this vantage point. If you're already well established in the industry, and desire a degree to be competitive, chances are that a number of respected institutions will grant significant credit for FAA certificates and ratings. This means a substantial reduction in the time required to obtain a legitimate degree.

In this case one is not attempting to learn a new trade. One is attempting to bolster one's credentials. For a working pilot or mechanic, a degree in one's field isn't wasted, especially if the degree is intended to enhance one's marketability.

If one wants to stop one's career to go back to school to learn a new trade (say, quit flying to go be an engineer), then by all means, do so. However, many who have started in the work force can't afford to stop and go back to school. A continuing education program that offers additional schooling, and a degree based on professional accreditation and accomplishment, is a smart idea.

When I started flying, I was in high school. Right after graduation I began flying commercially, and have been engaged flying and turning wrenches ever since. Did it make a lot more sense to seek an associate degree based on maintenance certification? Yes. Or a 4 year degree based on my flying experience and certification? Yes. Both are available from legitimate, recognized institutions, both are just as valid as any other degree from any other institution. When viewed competitively in the job market, there is no difference.

If you're starting out with no experience then temper your decision by considering what you want to accomplish. If you are needing money to learn to fly, and you can obtain that through your college financing, then getting the aviation degree makes a lot of sense. If you have alternate means of financing your flying, or already have the basic certificates then you need to know that aviation is far from stable, and having backup skills and credentials is a wise thing. Does it matter to an aviation employer looking to hire you as a pilot? Excepting a few select fields, not a whit.

If you want to go into flight test, then engineering is the ticket. If you want to pursue management, then a management degree might be your cup of tea. If you're concerned with job security or medical issues then pick an entirely different train of education which isn't reliant on the industry; there's a lot to choose from.

If, however, you're trying to enhance a career you're already building as a working pilot, then doing so based on your work to date is sensible. An aviation degree itself is about as valueable as one in general studies or as an art major (wow, I spent four years learning to look at pretty pictures)...but it's a degree. Does a piece of paper that tells me I know what I already knew do anything for me personally? Not a thing. But it's a piece of paper that serves to make one competitive, and it means something to an interviewer.

My diction was fine before taking a class, I read shakespeare on my own, I taught myself to rivet, I was putting airplanes under powerlines in formation out of high school...a degree doesn't make me a better person, an intellectual, a pilot or a wrench. It makes me somebody with a piece of paper. That's what a degree is about; paying hyped and puffed up institutions to say you know what you already knew...it's about validation by a brand name.

If you're already a pilot, you can do that as easily with a degree in aviation as you can a degree in underwater basketweaving, international politics, or applied studies into feline balistics in a vacum. You're choice, same value on the interview table.

 

[ATCER]

My $.02 ... for networking. You want to work in aviation ? You're not going to meet people in the aviation industry going to a liberal arts college majoring in philosophy. By attending an aviation college, and more specifically, majoring in some form of aviation, you will enable yourself many more opportunities to meet people that could help further your career.

Example ~> Here in NY the FAA has an internship program set up with a local college's ATC program, students that make the program work a few hours a week at FAA Eastern Region HQ for the Chief of Air Traffic. This is huge for someone looking to get hired... when the word comes down that it is ok to hire who do you think will be fresh in their minds ??? I have a buddy flying for FedEx, he interned under a chief pilot and was interviewed and hired when he met minimums, prior to that pilots at FedEx helped him out getting flying jobs to build his time.

I'm not saying that you can't make it going another direction, it's just that going the full aviation route stacks the deck a bit in your favor.

** Disclaimer ** - I know these types of programs (internships, guaranteed
interviews, etc.) are a sore subject with some... I'm not endorsing them, just stating that they exist and can be beneficial for careers.

 

[efiscompmon]

Are aviation degrees even worth it???

I've found they impress the he!l out of the hourly supervisors at retail establishments when they hire you in between furloughs.

That being said, you will have to work retail/food service when furloughed.

 

[chperplt]

When you make your decision, think about the "what ifs" in life. By that I mean, what if you don't get a flying job, what will that degree do for you? What if you poke your eye out, what will that degree do for you.

I have a BS in Aero Sci from ERAU that other than looking somewhat nice on my wall, will do nothing for me outside of aviation. I also have a Masters degree from ERAU in aviation safety that I can use in and out of aviation. The bachelors degree in aviation (aero sci) will not make you marketable in anything other than a flight position.

If you're heart is set on this type of degree, maybe you should look at an aviation business program, or some other duel use program that will give you a skill to market yourself should your front office dream not pan out.

Good luck to you!

 

[avbug]

What they teach you in school that you don't need: Fidel Castro's birthday, the price of tea in china, and how to recognize a greater burmese reticulated python two out of three times during an open book quiz.

What they don't teach you in school that you do need: "Would you like fries with that, sir?"

Never forget to say "sir." After all, that college degree pretty boy education has got to be good for something. The diploma is rough, and only big enough for one wipe...

 

[Corona]

UnAnswerd:
I earned a Bachelor degree from a major university in Biological Science. I had several very cool and interesting jobs during and after college, all of which required continuing education or a degree.


I have never worked a McJob. None of my friends or family who graduated with a degree from my university did either. Of course there are graduates who will work at these sorts of jobs, but they won't stay there. One fellow I flew with lately lamented only having an Associate's Degree; he found it had held back his career. (Granted, he is a corporate jet captain, so isn't doing too bad!)


The "underwater basket-weaving" crack is unfortunately common with people who do not understand the purpose of higher education. Higher education is not job training. Fidel's birthday and most other facts are irrelevant; what is relevant are the skills you learn while earning your degree. This is what will stay with you through the years.


I did look at degrees in aviation studies while college-shopping. Frankly, they seemed boring to me. However, they have worked well for many folks including some of my pilot friends. I chose a course of study that I felt could interest me not only for four years in college (a very short time!), but in the years following graduation.


I suggest you pursue a course of study that interests you, and that will likely interest you in the future. Yes, there are pilots who have Philosophy, English and History degrees. I have flown with them, and they fly just fine. They are eligible for the government jobs you mentioned. Without a degree, they would not be.


If you only go to college to get an expensive piece of toilet paper, there ain't a school in the world that can help you.
C

 

[Lead Sled]

In today's world, pilots have got to have a university degree in order to be competitive in the job market. Period. Can you get a job without one? Of course, but you have to understand that most employers, airline or otherwise, if given the choice between two otherwise equally qualified individuals will always go for the person with the degree. I have seen this time after time after time. In today's job market, where there are literally hundreds of applications for every opening, the competition is especially tough.

FWIW, I'd recommend getting a degree in something that you can fall back on and support yourself and your family if the aviation thing doesn't work out - you don't necessarily want to put all of your eggs in one basket. Pilots get furlowed or lose their medical. It happens to pilots everyday and it's a shame when it happens and you aren't prepared.

As far as what to get a degree in, I've never heard of a case where it made any difference at all. You could very well get a 4-year degree in the proverbial "Underwater Basket Weaving". However, it probably would be much wiser to get it in a field where you can earn a living if you ever have to leave aviation for whatever reason. (There's really not much demand for underwater basket weavers these days.) A 4-year degree in Airplane Flying (Oops, I mean Bachelor of Science - Aviation) will probably have limited value outside the world of aviation. Additionally, I've never know a case where one pilot with a degree in aviation was given priority over another pilot with a degree in any other field. The important thing is to have a "Plan B" in place just in case you ended up having to make a living outside of aviation.

'Sled

 

[MarineGrunt]

My wife has a "professional pilot" degree and doesn't fly anymore. We figured that for us to have a healthy marriage, one of us would have to give up flying, at least for a while.

Anyway...

After 4-5 weeks of searching, she landed a job making almost $50k her first year and goes up a descent amount over the next few years. She make more than I will flying for quite some time.

I agree that you're going to have a tough time trying to find a job outside of aviation with an aviation degree, but there are a lot of jobs out there that are just looking for some type of degree, you just have to kick over a few rocks to find them.

I also have a BS in "Aeronautics" and if I had to do it all over again, I probably would do it a little differently. I started flying early in high school, which was the first step. Looking back, I would have tried to get as far as I could working toward my commercial pilot certificate, while getting some tailwheel time. I still would have went to an aviation college, but I would have pursued an aviation management degree (something that can translate to the non-aviation world) and during the summers, I would head south and banner tow. That will get you a lot of hours while you are working on your degree from Riddle, UND, etc... If you play your cards right, you could have your degree, all your ratings, and 1500 or so hours if you tow banners a couple summers. That should set you up well for a job when you graduate.

My 2c.