Aviation degree/Non-Aviation degree

[skiddriver]

BS Math - USNA
MS Aviation Systems - UTSI

When I retired from the military, I went to a regional. They asked if I had a degree, they didn't ask what it was in.

I left the airlines after two years and got hired at a multi-national energy company managing their aviation contracts (fixed and rotary wing). After I was hired, I was talking with my boss and he was impressed that I had a Masters in aviation systems. However, he didn't pick up on it in the job interview. That tells me that he didn't really care one way or the other.

I just hired an assistant (starting right at 100K). I can't tell you what his degree was in, except that I know it wasn't an aviation degree. His 20 years flying in the military, and the management experience he acquired there is why we hired him. Aviation knowledge is a baseline that employers require. Demonstrated management experience is why folks get hired. Management degrees and aviation degrees are nice, but experience is preferred. It helps to be able to interview well too.

 

[RUNNINHORN]

I got my degree in Psychology with Business Management minor

 

[727gm]

Non-aviation: BS-Mechanical Engineering

Useful inside or outside of aviation.

 

[time builder]

I think we should look at what the airlines want, not just a back up plan. In in an interview a couple months ago the Chief pilot seemed disappointed that all I had was 6 yrs. experience working at the airport and didn't really know any other profession. I majored in Geographic Information Systems, but it didn't seem to matter because I didn't get a job doing anything with GIS. Airlines want a well rounded person who can "think outside the box."

 

[TrafficInSight]

Aviation degree

Aviation Operations - Maintenance Management from San Jose State University. Who wants to sit through something non aviation related... on the other side of the coin I got an A&P certificate and a management related degree so it seems to be a decent tradeoff.

The A&P is making me money right now while I work on ratings and I plan to continue using it long after I become a career pilot, an unused A&P certificate becomes more worthless as time goes on. I know people who got theirs years ago and haven't laid a hand on a rivet gun since. The truth behind a "backup plan" is that you have to spend just as much time developing it as you do "plan A," or it wont make a very good backup.

 

[gkrangers]

I'm a Safety Science major at Riddle Daytona...it focuses on occupational and workplace health/safety as a core, and then branches off into aircraft safety and accident investigation.

Its a good balance of aviation and non aviation, and a viable backup plan. There is also the ATC minor (the CTI program which around 20? schools offer)...tho ATC is going the way of the airlines with pay and QOL.

 

[gkrangers]

I think we should look at what the airlines want, not just a back up plan. In in an interview a couple months ago the Chief pilot seemed disappointed that all I had was 6 yrs. experience working at the airport and didn't really know any other profession. I majored in Geographic Information Systems, but it didn't seem to matter because I didn't get a job doing anything with GIS. Airlines want a well rounded person who can "think outside the box."

I guess the thousands of pilots who have done nothing but fly since they were 17 are SOL then...

 

[inline]

Aviation degrees are worthless. Airlines don't care what your degree is in. You can take that aviation degree and 3 bucks and buy a cup of coffee when you get furloughed. Get degree in a non -aviation career field like engineering, accounting, etc.

 

[learflyer]

Aviation degrees are worthless. Airlines don't care what your degree is in. You can take that aviation degree and 3 bucks and buy a cup of coffee when you get furloughed. Get degree in a non -aviation career field like engineering, accounting, etc.

Well, you can still stay in aviation and do airport management/fbo management etc. Airtran has a lot of interesting positions (non-flying) that say "degree in aviation or business management preferred". It's still better than nothing. You can also work for your local airport authority.

 

[Flightjock30]

Will you have time to flight train and pursue a non-aviation related degree at the same time so that by the time you are 22-23 you will have a Bachelors and all your ratings through MEI completed?

If that is the case then definitely go with a non-aviation degree.

I went to a community college for two years, which was pretty easy to get a 3.3 GPA or higher each semester and I earned my Commercial Multi by age 20.

My last two years I transferred to another college to finish my business degree and would fly on weekends (around 10 hours a month or so it seemed) and earned my CFI & CFII by the time I was 22.

 

[BushwickBill]

Basicly the deal is you want to pick a school your going to have a great time at and learn how to study.

Learning how to study seemed to be the crux of college. I know I need to start early and often when it comes to studying. I can't be one of those who crams for the last three days of the semester.

I went to community college and then transfered to a UC school in California. The best part was there was a bar on campus with good beer and a 60/40 female/male ratio.

I had a great time and learned how to study. When I meet pilots who hardly even got a date during college because they picked an aviation degree and went to a school with a majority of male students, I feel sorry for them.

 

[Publishers]

The short version - I do not think it makes a difference at all in your future as a pilot. The question is where is your other interests in life. Airlines mostly required college degrees as it was symbolic that you had the skills to learn the book work part of aviation and also the dedication to do the work and get through it with a degree. They were not looking for someone who knew all the stages of a turbine engine. Again, what are your interests.
Follow the Hugh Jordan phylosophy and use Bobby's advice but follow something of interest. Life sucks in cubicle.

 

[Guam360]

Having a degree in Aviation is clearly an advantage. I came out of the number one aviation school in the country (Embry-Riddle), and was already prepared to fly jets. But it's important that you attend a top notch aviation school if you plan on an aviation degree. I've met some people who major in aviation at some no-name school and have no clue on how a turbine engine even works. Obviously Embry-Riddle can't provide you with 2000 hours of jet time while you go to school there. But what they can do is prepare you with the knowledge portion. Classes in advanced aerodynamics, turbine engines, turbine aircraft operations / jet transport systems, and so on. After having been through two groundschools on two different aircraft (one turboprop and one jet) at a part 121 airline, and a jet type rating with zero turbine experience, I can tell you that the knowledge attained from a good four-year aviation degree is priceless. I say that looking back on things after being out in the field for a while. Not only did the knowledge attained put me miles ahead in groundschool and checkrides, it helps me that much more on a regular basis where I have to troubleshoot a system or component during daily flight operations.

this post makes me want to puke or laugh until I puke. WOW. some of this BS is unbelievable.

Experience will prevent damage to equipment and personnel.

 

[JPAustin]

If you are getting your training at a small school or community college, get a non-aviation degree and do your flight training on your own. If you are going to a big school with an aviation program, compare the aviation degree to the non-aviation degrees within the same department (for example, many aviation programs fall within the "Technology" department).
Look for the core courses of both and in many cases you will discover that the only difference in the two degrees (within the same department) is that your electives in the aviation degree are your flying and aeronautical tech/science classes. Remember, many of the aero tech/science classes encompass topics like physics, thermodynamics, higher level mathematics, chemistry, etc. An engineering program probably will not allow you to take flying classes as electives though.

Things to look out for in an aviation program:

1- It should contain the same core courses as the non-aviation degrees that are in the same department.

2- A good aviation degree is not all fluff and correspondence with "transferrable work experience."

3- A good aviation degree is a Bachelor of SCIENCE, not a Bachelor of ARTS. Stay away from the schools that have their aviation degrees as Arts degrees. That means they don't take the program seriously and it is basically ad-hoc and/or paired with a local FBO.

4- Finally, non-aviation versus aviation degree -- it really does not matter when you are looking to "fall back on something." If you are flying for a living, you will collect ZERO work experience in anything other than aviation/flying, thus you will not be hirable until you gain such experience in your non-aviation degree. Here is what I suggest:

1- Get whatever degree you want, but ensure you are getting the top notch aviation training as well, thus an aviation degree might not be a bad option.
2- A Bachelor of Science is a Bachelor of Science no matter where you go.
3- By the time you decide that you don't want to fly anymore and want to "fall back" on your non-aviation degree, you will have ZERO work experience in that field and will probably have to take a pay-cut from what you were making while flying.
4- Thus, because of number 3 above, take the time on the road while flying and on your useless Reserve days to get an advanced degree (Master's or Doctorate). That will give you an edge and a better plan to fall back on. Besides, it is getting more and more the case that a Bachelor degree of today is the equivalent of a highschool degree of yesterday.