Originally Posted by Blapto
Surely they're hiring pilots, not physicists/mathematicians?
Education is irrelevant.
Those guys with 10,000 hours have useful experience to do with flying helipcopters, a degree in anything wouldn't help at all.
Agreed. One's skill and judgement as a pilot is independent of a college education, but it is prehaps not surprising to see the likes of Merck, Pfizer, BMS and the other NE corporate employers asking for at least a bachelors (undergraduate) degree (in any subject). It may well be another form of filtering resume's and/or they may look for potential future aviation dept. management in the captains they hire and so a degree becomes more relevant.
Maybe there's a Ppruner who has worked for one of these kind of companies and can say if their employer actually wanted the degree or not come interview time?
It didn't harm me in the least when I came to work here; but it wasn't mandated either.