Degrees and flying jobs
My mentor, an AA 777 pilot (soon to be downgraded to 767, at least he will still be flying), has a 4 year degree in Forestry Management, entirely unrelated to aviation in so many ways. The airlines do not specifiy what the area of study has to be in order to have a go at a pilot position, just that someone has a degree and that they have the ability and persistence to attain a higher education level. It seems to demonstrate that a pilot candidate may be more likely to graduate a major airline indoctrination course, if they have been through a curriculum at a college institution.
I have a degree from Embry-Riddle and graduated in April of 2001. The degree alone has not helped me to get a flying job anywhere. It did help me get a non-aviation related job for a company owned by a then Airborne Express pilot (because he was an Embry-Riddle graduate). As for my first flying job (throwing skydivers out of a 182), it was mostly based on how many hours I had in my logbook. I wish it was more like "Hello Gear Down Props Forward, we see that you have a degree from Embry-Riddle. We understand that you have taken a great deal of study in pursuit of an airline pilot education and would like to hire you to fly our company airplane." Yeah, right...I wish that was the significance of the degree; it just does not work that well. Maybe with 10,000 hours on a heavy jet, then the degree will carry some weight.
Since turning over 1200 hours, more opportunities became available, however, the degree has still not primarily helped me to attain a full-time flying job, due to the fact that I have minimal multi-engine time, which is the key to even submitting an application to many air carriers since it is usually a published requirement for employment at regional airlines/commuters.
I am happy though, since the degree theory presented many topics that probably are not even discussed at non-degree seeking flying schools. When I do get to that jet interview for a company that requires a degree, the knowledge given to me just for systems alone will be very handy.
Soon, I will be attending class for a Part 135 freight airline, utilizing small multi recips and learjets. The degree listed on the application (although not required to work for this airline) may have helped me to get the interview, however, this company has the option to hire any cpl-multi-IR with enough hours. When it comes time to move up to the learjet, the guy who has the least trouble with the ground school education will most likely be the guy who already has been through college where one has learned how to dedicate time to studying difficult material with minimal instructional input.
Look at my user name...I will be saying it to myself on that Beechcraft Baron for quite some time!