Aviation degree/Non-Aviation degree

[flywithastick]

When I started college I was initially an aero. engineering major, and hated it because there was little room for electives and courses that weren't associated with engineering.

Sure there's room. Either take 21 hrs/sem or stretch out your grad date.

Basically the major was the opposite of "diverse" and "well-rounded."

Engineering is a science program. PC doesn't apply to the laws of thermodynamics (thank goodness!). You'll need to transfer over to the liberal arts college to get a "well rounded" education. In my qualified experience, a BS engineering needs to be about 150+ hrs with some co-op work sessions to prepare an engineering student for industry.

Most courses of study only have about 120-125 total with close to 50% for the major.

Don't believe I ever saw anyone flunk "into" the engineering college. If it was easy, everyone would do it and engineers would be paid about like entry level pilots.

And they expected students to finish 142 credits in four years???

want some cheese with that wine?

Students with 120-credit majors usually don't even finish in four years anymore.

BS Engineering needs to be 5 yrs or maybe 6 with co-op sessions. It took me 4.5 yrs and ended up with about 147 hrs, with one 3 hr elective.

 

[dmspilot00]

Flywithastick,

Stop turning everything into an argument.

Events that have occurred in my life and the decisions I made are not open for debate!

 

[flywithastick]

Flywithastick,

Stop turning everything into an argument.

Events that have occurred in my life and the decisions I made are not open for debate!

Toughen up, Chief. If you don't want to get challenged, don't post comments an Internet bulletin board. You were making characterizations about a degree program you didn't finish. I did and had different viewpoint of the situation.

BTW - reread my comments. I was speaking generally. You do whatever you want.

happy flying!

 

[Bob]

To fly in the Air force you had to be commissioned and to be commissioned required a degree; I have a BBA. Aside from getting me in the Air Force where I received excellent training and experience, and leadership training; the degree has not contributed to my flying career, maybe even hurt it. Most of the aviation directors I've served under were highschool drop outs and felt threatened by college grads; not to mention prior military. The "or equivilent experience" in lieu of college clause was usually included in the hiring requirements they published so they could hire or promote those who posed no threat to their jobs.

But, as has been stated early, have something to fall back on. Additionally, in a corporate environment, an educated individual will better interact with the executives he flies. Some polish and quality communications and social skills will set a good image for your aviation department and enhance your image as a professional.

 

[Q200_FO]

???

I'm just sick and tired of telling people that you shouldn't get an aviation degree just because you need something else to talk about in the cockpit. You don't see accountants or lawyers or doctors try to avoid their field on purpose do you? Sure your time off is your time off but while we're in the cockpit we're at work. A doctor isn't going to purposely avoid medical topics while conversing with colleagues about work just because he wants something else to talk about just so he can remain "well rounded." I like my job and I like talking about it. Doctors, lawyers and other professional occupations have their inner circles with groups and associations just like we do and do you know what they gab about all day, their jobs! I used to work in the medical field so I know that first hand. It just seems to me that a lot of pilots are ashamed of their jobs and it shouldn't be that way.

 

[Herman Bloom]

A) Going to Riddle or the like in no way prepares one for airline training.
B) I went through airline training with a couple of them and they were par for the course.
C) Riddle is NOT considered a good school outside of aviation. Don't even try to argue this one.
D) Don't tell me about Riddle's "connections" either...I went to an ACC school, got a degree in English Lit, and then did an internship (you know, one of those reserved exclusively for those with degrees in aviation from an aviation university) and was hired at the airline where I'm currently employed.
E) Think anybody asked me in my interview how or why I was an intern but had not graduated from Riddle? Nope.
F) Think anybody asked me in my interview about my experience as an English major? Yep.

Don't drink the koolaid.

That said, go where you want to go and major in something that interests you. If that's aviation, well more power to ya.

Fly safe

 

[Typhoon1244]

Re: ???

I'm just sick and tired of telling people that you shouldn't get an aviation degree just because you need something else to talk about in the cockpit.

I've never heard that reason before, but it's pretty silly. The best reason for having a degree in something else is that you have more options if you lose your license or medical for some reason. Or get furloughed.

 

[inline]

"Most of the aviation directors I've served under were highschool drop outs and felt threatened by college grads; not to mention prior military."



"Most of the' aviation directors' were high school dropouts?" Give me a break, who in the hell were you flying for? And that's nonsense about D.O.s feeling "threatened" by college grads and/or prior military. There may be other reasons a D.O. is reluctant to hire college grads and or military pilots; we all know the majors thinks the sun rises and sets on these guys. During hiring activity like we had a few years ago, why in the world would a D.O. hire these guys only to see them leave for the majors after investing thousands of dollars in them? Unless there is a training contract to recoup training costs, the non-college and non-military pilot is a much sounder investment if you're running a smaller airline. And these pilots are just as competant as anyone else.

 

[bart]

The school you attend is of utmost importance and the degree secondary. You can have a doctorate from Dave's All-Night Drive-In University and it won't mean squat, while a BA from a well-known university might open doors for you. All in all I have found that it is the people that you go to school with and stay in contact with that are the most helpful when the job hunt cranks up.

Aside from that, it is what you do and how you apply yourself once out of school that really matters. University is a demarcation from formal learning to informal learning, not an arrival (as in ERAU grads being ready to fly jets and/or run an airline). An ERAU degree or similar aviation program might help you if the interviewer or boss went to school there, but that is highly unlikely outside of aviation. I even know two corporate flight depts that round file ERAU resumes as a practice, and that is based on their prior experience with know-it-all graduates that explained to them in interviews how they would run their flight department WHEN they were hired.

My advice is go the best school you can get into, regardless of whether they have an aviation program or not. If you believe in the "have a back-up" you want a school that people have heard of outside of the state you live in. If it is known nationally, so much the better.

 

[VADriver]

Get a Non aviation degree. Soo many ERAU guys reluctantly admit thier alma mater.....

No matter what you do..get good grades so you have more choices...

Then read the Millionaire Next Door.....(makes me feel good for getting C's)