I am not as much in favour of degree status for the fATPL as too many people would take the p**s as happened with the NVQ, possably something like an HND. But why not for the full unfrozen ATPL.
I very much hope that flying does not take on a future course that includes flight deck crew actively research new aviation fields in the course of their work...!
It is vocational, not academic, and no new research is yielded in an ATPL course.