I'm not in the States but in my own country there has been an increases in people going to college just to get a degree in "something" or worse: a Masters in "
Fixing the fact my primary degree was in the wrong field but I wouldn't admit it".
A degree + years of work is obviously a positive and says a lot of good about the candidate. If the candidate has a degree but no work exp. due to lack of work thats perfectly fine too. We all know its a struggle out there at the moment.
If a candidate just has their degree to tell people they have it, then surely can't be looked on as a positive. If I recently had a Bsc and used it to apply to grad programmes in other random industries like flying I would find myself feeling very guilty. My degree would just be gathering dust in the shed, whereas someone else might have used it! Yes an increase in the education levels is a plus for society,
but only if the knowledge is used!. If its used as "CV filler" its more detrimental than anything, and devalues the qualification. These days, people tell you they have a degree first and what it's in second(If they even tell you at all).
It's odd that someone with a dentistry degree, having never worked as a dentist + 2 years of flying can apply to a major carrier but someone with 7+ years flying can't.
Don't you guys just find that an insult to our profession?