I completed a survey last year for the Aviation Management and Operations course at LGU. It seems a great course to me, and more encompassing than its title first appears. It covers the whole basis of Aviation Law (good) and then builds on that up through Management Theories and all the associated "standard Business subjects" such as Marketing, Accouting etc. A good thing, it's about time Airline Managers had a knowledge of both sides, i.e. not being an expert in Aviation or Management, but both.
Me? I studied Transport at Plymouth (sadly no longer around due to their emphasis changing to Maritime Business), the course still exists in some places and I believe gave a more rounded Management degree than a specific BA Management.
I know it probably focussed my career at an early stage, but I firmly believe that a degree only assists with career choices for the first five years anyway (unless you're an Engineer say, although even the majority of those seem to end up in Project Management now!)
The concept of having a degree to "fall back on" baffles me slightly. If you're not going to stay active in your specialised field for the 20 years or so until you fall onto it, then you're going to be way down the list! To say that I could fall back now onto my Bus Transport Management theories isn't likely to happen as I've not touched (or even been on thankfully!) a bus since I graduated.
But at the end of the day, and in my SMT we're all in agreement, a degree represents a few things:
a) The ability to work on your own to your deadlines.. .b) A little extra maturity than comparatively aged individuals (that may be fighting talk where I come from!). .c) More logical thought processes.
I'm not saying that a good degree will always open the door, because experience still wins, but it certainly gives you a copy of the key to it.
Enjoy it! I would have loved to have been a student in London, that's the one thing I do regret!
If anyone doing a Transport/Aviation related degree needs some advice or ideas on anything, please drop me a line - I'd be happy to help (if I can).
Daifly.