College not necessary

[dogg]

I think "Yip's" point should be looked at a little closer. To go to college to get a degree so that you can get hired at a major really is a complete waste of time. If you are going to go to college, get a degree that you can actually use out in the real world. Don't bother with the Riddle/UND type basket weaving degrees.
It seems that almost all colleges and universities now have degree programs that allow partial class attendance and online course work and they are not life experience degrees. I don't think that the proliferation of alternate- class programs is about helping people to become educated, it is about money. The big schools are looking for revenue where ever they can find it and allowing distance learning is just one way to get it. So it is easier today than ever before to get a real degree from a real college and still work as a pilot.
On the other hand, for the pilot at 35 with a log book full of turbine pic, an accredited life experience type degree might just be the ticket......

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

Bozz66,

can you give a little more info on the distance learning program.
How much time to you have to be online working on it?
How do you take exams?
About how much does it cost?

I am interested in using it to finish my degree. I went to college for 3 1/2 years, then left to go to training for my current job. Since my schedule is pretty crazy flying 135, I havn't been able to finish and I only have about two semesters left to go.

I'm going to UVSC which has a online degree program. This semester I'm taking 6 hours online, and 8 hours at the College. I find that online courses enable you to have more time to fly. Here is a link, hope this helps.
http://uvscaviation.com/index.php

Another http://www.aviationuniversity.net/

 

[bozz66]

Deftone45075,

This online class is the first one I've ever taken. At the suggestion of the counseler, I'm only taking one class this term ( about 12 weeks ) just to get used to doing it online. The time online is next to nothing. You really work at your own pace. The course is broken down into modules ( about 2-3 chapters per module ). You download the modules from the course webpage, which are usually in Word format. Then you just print them out. The modules contain exercises and a self test. The self test is really your homework. When done with the self test you email the instructor with your answers. They are multiple choice, so you just give the letter for the answer. There is a mid-term and a final exam they mail out. It is actually mailed to a proctor of your choice, and you just call the proctor up when you're ready to take it. I've already taken the mid-term and suprised myself by passing it Online you keep in touch with the instructor and other students by a bulletin board. There are some chat rooms but I've never seen anybody on there. The course runs about $550 and the text book was around $50. The hardest part so far was the enrollment process. It was kind of a nightmare due to vague instructions on where to send the application and application fee ( think that was $30 ). If you already have 3.5 years under your belt, you could knock this out pretty quick. I've really enjoyed it so far. I've got the trig and calculus courses coming up pretty soon, so the enjoyment may not last for long

Hope this helps!

 

[knelson]

Online Degree

As far as these technological marvels are concerned, I am ignorant, or maybe just uninformed. I am under the impression that several of these "distance learning" programs (excelsior, TESC, etc. . . ) you actually must enroll in a class in a local college and receive your credit by submitting the completion certificate or testing out of a class with the college you are receiving your degree from. I don't see how this is an advantage over actually going to a local university. I would like to get some more information on the ERAU distance learning program types that are completely done online. If you have such information, could someone pm me with such details? Thanks for your info.

Kevin

 

[QuietBirdMan]

Just my 2 euro cents, but on the east side of the pond most people who are driving large iron don't have degrees. If I ever decided to go work in the US again I'd probably have to go get one. However, what does it really prove?
I have seen plenty of 20 and 21 year old kids fresh out of the academy starting as 2nd officers on the MD11 or 744 with no degree and doing fine. Would a degree in English, History or even professional aeronautics matter when it comes to passing initial, indoc, IOE and a type rating course?
Of course, anyone who survives these lousy JAA exams probably has the same study habits as a college student!

Edited for spelling (Even If I went to college they couldn't fix that!)

 

[bobbysamd]

European pilots

Just my 2 euro cents, but on the east side of the pond most people who are driving large iron dont have degrees . . . . . .
I have seen plenty of 20 and 21 year old kids fresh out of the academy starting as 2nd officers on the MD11 or 744 with no degree and doing fine . . . . .

Just a question: Aren't a large percentage of these folks in question hired and trained by the airline at its expense? It's a different culture over there. The selection process and hiring mentality is different. European airline training programs are much more formal and structured than even the strictest programs here. Airline pilots and flight instructors are held in higher esteem than here. The academics, training and testing may be equal to college-level work here, and earning ratings at a European airline is up there with earning a degree.

I trained Alitialia students when I worked at FlightSafety in Vero. I don't recall all of their backgrounds, but the two who comprised my first crew both went to college; one had a degree in economics and the other was a lawyer.