ERAU DL Testimonials

[Q200_FO]

I'm getting ready to start the BS in Professional Aeronautics next month. Just wanted to hear about others going through the program. Any likes, dislikes, etc. Thanks.

 

[EatSleepFly]

I'm about 2/3 through. I like it....takes a lot of discipline though. You can't BS your way through it very easily. Certainly no easier (probably harder, actually) than sitting in a classroom. Works out good though, I plug away at it two classes at a time while I fly pretty much full-time. Same piece of paper as the residential campuses, at a lot less cost too. Good luck...if you have any specific questions, feel free to shoot me a PM.

 

[Brett Hull]

No real complaints...

Aside from it being too d@mn expensive. Been working on mine for about a year now. Should probably be working on it now.

The bulletin board system is pretty idiot proof, even I can figure it out. Usually, the classes consist of answering questions on the bulletin board (graded as class participation), writing 1 or 2 papers, and the proctored midterm and final. If you're real studious, which I definitely AM NOT, you can knock out about a class a month. Otherwise you get 12 weeks to finish.

I just finished reading the current chapters for the Aviation Law class I'm working on...and now I need a nap. It can be really boring. Oh well, that's the price you have to pay to become a "well rounded person" worthy of airline employment.

 

[chperplt]

I completed most of my MAS degree through DL.

I'm not a very motivated person when it comes to studying and I was able to do quite well.

Not very expensive compared with on campus degrees.

 

[Don]

Do NOT get a degree in airplanes. Aeronautical engineering would be great, but have a degree in something other than aviation.

 

[chperplt]

Do NOT get a degree in airplanes

I would agree if you're talking BS degree... A Masters in aviation is a good degree to get however.

 

[Cat3C]

How do the proctored midterms and finals work? You have to take the exams at an approved place or what?

Thanks for the info

 

[Iceman21]

I have been looking into Riddle's DL courses for awhile now. However, still a few questions I would rather ask someone who is in the program.

What was the initial cost? Books and course fees?

I have been told that 2 classes at a time is considered full time, is this true?

Thanks,

 

[TXPilot]

I have been doing both DL and Extended Campus classes and have 9 classes left.

Works great for me!

In reference to 'get something other than Aero degree', yeah I know, but the Pro Aero degree I am working on is Business Admin w/ minor in Management, not the flying degree.

Some courses are in relationship to Aerospace but not all and the concepts can flow from one industry to another.

Then again I am doing it because I received 36 credit hours for military experience. Being as poor as I am and no mommy-daddy fund, I wasn't going to let that pass. I also started while in the military and had 100% TA.

CLEPing helped also since it was free for military while I was in (still is today). I did as many as I could.

A check mark on an application is what I need.

Pell grants help also. I will get my degree with NO student loans. Thank god! I have heard the horror stories dealing with that the first few years of most aero careers. I did not want that.

How do the proctored midterms and finals work? You have to take the exams at an approved place or what?

Yes!

Tests could be done at a local community college; you just have to get ERAU to approve of it. Can't have you turn a closed book test into an open one. Thus their need to approve of the person giving the test.

If there is a Military (reserve or active) base near you, you can use them. Check on the ERAU website to see if they have a campus near you.

The extended campuses on military basses are open to the public. They just get you a gate pass for each term or the day you need to take a test for DL.

What was the initial cost? Books and course fees? I have been told that 2 classes at a time is considered full time, is this true?

There is an application fee, I can't remember what it is, I think it was around $30.

Classes are now $507 each. Book price can range as so many are out there used. Lowest I paid was $42 (used) and highest was $117 (newest edition required for class).

2 classes is considered full time for GI Bill, and to receive my Pell Grants I had to take minimum of 2 classes. I do not know info in relation to other purposes for the determination.

Hope this helps and good luck.

TXPilot

 

[CFI'er]

A degree in aviation is just as hard to obtain and just as equal to a BS in Liberal Arts. Those that say "stay away from aviation" degree just do not know the industry. Look at the course study loads and you will notice the same courses required of any degree. Instead of taking "Worlds Great Lit" you take "Aviation Law". Knowing the Homer's Odyssey story might get you a cup of coffee, Aviation Law will get you a job.

 

[Don]

Nobody said a degree in airplanes was easier... It was just a suggestion because the aviation industry is not exactly stable. I point out the forum titled "Furloughed" as evidence. Its a good idea to have a plan B if you intend to work in aviation. I doubt you'll find many pilots that disagree with that idea.

I know ERAU gives you credit for ratings, which is unusual in the academic world. But I'd guess the tuition costs are so high you could go to a state school in Florida for 4 years and pay less than what three costs at ERAU would cost. Just a guess though. The tuition at the state schools in Florida will run you about $240.00 a class for undergraduate.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a trust fund to go to college. You can take out student loans and work while you attend classes. It worked for me!

 

[shamrock]

The application fee was $30 when I applied in December.

I got 32 credits for my ratings and that is why I am considering ERAU for my degree. I would much rather get a degree outside of aviation but 32 credits is hard to pass up. Back when I was working on my ratings I thought getting an aviation degree would be awesome because it would combine school work (bad) with flying (good). Now that I'm established in this "career" I find that I'd like to major in pretty much anything other that aviation! (Business?) But again, 32 credits is hard to pass up.

I'd really like to open a home mortgage company dealing in "interest only" mortgages. I like the idea of somebody paying me a chunk of money every month without their principle ever going down. I realize it may not be that simple, but with the enormous amount of financially retarded people in the world these days, there's got to be ways to take advantage of it.

 

[wingnutt]

...I received 36 credit hours for military experience. TXPilot

hmmmm...may i ask how they found 36 hours from military? or did pilot ratings help???

 

[TXPilot]

hmmmm...may i ask how they found 36 hours from military? or did pilot ratings help???

2 AF career fields, 7 Lvl in both, Airman leadership, NCO academy, all worth a bunch of credit. Almost all-major training for a career field / leadership schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. At first, ERAU was going to only give me around 32 but they found ways to accept my training in Logistics.

No flight certs were used; as under my catalog year it was a requirement to have CFI + 500 given, I ended up filling all of my requirements under the 'aviation area of concentration' section with military experience. Flight certs fall into that section. Thus no need to use flight certs.

(Honestly not tooting own horn here!) I am actually working on my 4th degree, I have 3 associates (2 from CCAF and one from ERAU in 3 different areas of concentration) worthless in # but I said to myself, "If I have the required hours, why not apply for them?"

To get the BS in Pro Aero you will complete the requirements needed for the AS in Pro Aero. When you complete the requirements of the AS, while working on the BS, apply for the AS degree graduation.

It will allow you to check the 'box' on an application saying you have a degree. It just looks better than saying 'working towards blah, blah degree.'

A friend of mine who is an employment recruiter told me, "that too many people abuse the 'working towards a degree.' approach and now means little." Often the completion of the AS added to ‘working towards a BS degree in same field', could help.

Then again it is all relative to what ones expectations are in the employment world.


TXPilot

 

[NEDude]

Anyone working on a Masters through ERAU-DL?

Thinking of applying and any insight, opinions or advice would be appreciated. Thinking of the MAS with Aviation/Aerospace Education Technology specialization. I have a non-aviation undgraduate degree with work experience in marketing and some other stuff.

Thanks

 

[puddlejumper]

College Credit for Military Experience

hmmmm...may i ask how they found 36 hours from military? or did pilot ratings help???

When I did my Human Resource Management BS degree way back in '94, The New School University in NYC credited me with something like 72 credits. This was based mostly on boot camp, A-school, advancement exams and stuff like that. I also had quite a bit of math and physics credit from Nuclear Power and Chemistry/Radcon Technician School. Whenever a trade school became available, I attended.

I wound up having to take 13 core classes and pass a couple CLEP/DANTES exams. I was like 3 credits short for the longest time and then a bunch of stuff from Nuc school was declassified. All the sudden I was 10 credits over! There's something to be said for procrastination I guess.

I've thought about starting a graduate course of study, but I just absolutely hate academics. ERAU DL looks like a good option though. I just need to be into something that interests me.

-pj

 

[merikeyegro]

I'm doing my MBA-Aviation online with Riddle. Some of the courses are good, some not. No different than in any other school. I've really only had one lousy one. There is plenty of work to do. I've found the coursework enjoyable, but I'm kind of a dork like that. I think you'll find it useful to everyday life and the schedule easy to fit into your own. You work, for the most part, at your own pace. Some classes are more structured, however, and require everyone to be at the same pace. In one of my classes, the prof was so involved that we might as well have been in class. It just depends.

It's expensive, but like someone else said, no more so than a full-time, on-campus degree. $895/ credit x 39 credits. Works out to like $36,000. You'll make that back in less than two years in the industry.

Have fun. It's worth the experience, if nothing else.

 

[NEDude]

merikeyegro,

Does the fee include books, or are they additional? For some DL programs the course fee includes books, for other schools they don't.

The MBA program is expensive compared to the other masters programs.

 

[saabtrash]

I've been taking classes online on and off for a couple years now. I just finally got serious this last semester and got student loans, you qualify for them as long as your taking two classes at a time (6 credits), and you don't take any long breaks in between semesters. One of the classes I am taking right now is kind of making me mad, the instructor doesn't interact much, and has high demands...he doesn't even answer questions usually for a couple weeks, that sucks. But overall, I've had good experiences thus far. There is no other way that I would be able to finish my degree right now, so that is how I look at it.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

I have been working on both the MAS and MBAA online. I lack only the GRP for the MAS and six courses for the MBA. I would highly recommend it. I started the MBA at a traditional school (Georgia) before I started flying.

The classes are expensive ($800-1200 including books), but I would pay much more not to have to sit in class and have someone read to me.

For the BA, they will credit some hours for ratings held. I think a commerical rating gives you 30+ credit hours.

As for the midterm and finals, you need to find a proctor. Any public library or college should be able to do this for you. If there is a satellite campus nearby, there you go. I am within driving distance of Daytona Beach, so I go to the campus to take mine. You will need to let your advisor know a week before so the materials can be sent.

As long as you can motivate yourself to do the weekly activities, it is easy. I have been able to obtain several extensions to the scheduled course completion dates without a problem. If you need any more information, PM me.