Aerospace/Aviation Management

[Trismegistro]

As the title says, any opinion you can spare about this degree would be great. Im a bit indicisive about choosing this one or the Maintenance, but i prefer the ground part than the technical part. Is this degree going to be useful in my pilot career? And do the airlines give a quiet good consideration about having it?

Thanks in advance for the opinions and sorry for my writing errors.

[potkettleblack]

If it was me then I would choose the degree that would give me the largest earnings power knowing that I would need to spend a huge amount of cash to get qualified as a pilot.

It is debatable if these types of degrees get you flying jobs. Depending on the quality of the degree it might get you into ground/office based jobs which of course are not to be sneezed at in developing that all important network.

[Trismegistro]

And what degree would that be?
Can anyone say a few degrees that would be very useful to the pilot career?

[potkettleblack]

Engineering, law, accountancy, finance, economics, medicine, architecture...the list goes on and on. All are good professions and dependant on your ability will pay you better than average earnings. The added advantage being that if you don't make it as a pilot you have a career to fall back on.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I suspect that it depends upon where you are in your career. Clearly it's not vital, but will it help?

If you are at the start of you career, then I'm quite sure it won't help, the airline is mostly interested in your capabilities as a line pilot.

If you are a captain, hoping to try and move into the management side of your airline (not the only career route, but a valid one), then whilst not essential it's likely to help.


Then the question is when do you do it. I'd suggest that if there are part-time options, get on with your flying training, then once you are in the seat take advantage of the quiet times (I'm sure you'll have them) to pursue these further academic qualifications - such as something like an MBA.

If the only option is to do it full time, then you have a difficult decision - because if you're worth anything as a pilot, what you really want to do is fly aeroplanes. So, either you defer your airline career for a while, or store up a career break later, or just accept that it's not the best thing for you.


Which doesn't answer the question, but I hope may clarify it a bit.

G

[Trismegistro]

Well, first of all, thanks for the answers.

Yeah, i know the degree is not vital, but id like to know if this one would be taken in consideration, i mean, if its very valuable in an interview and make my chances of getting hired increase.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Which university is it at?, that's often as important as the subject itself.

G

[scroggs]

It very much depends where you are aiming to work. The British airlines, on the whole, give very little credence to academic qualifications. They may ask for a couple of A-levels from very young applicants, but that's about it. Despite optimistic posts suggesting 'a degree must help', all the evidence I see suggests that a degree makes very little difference indeed at British airlines. Some other European countries' airlines are much more influenced by further educational qualifications, and, in some countries, a degree is almost essential.

Similarly, differences apply in the transition to management in your later career. In UK, most airlines choose pilots for management purely on flying qualifications and experience. MBAs and similar tend to be regarded as a nice (and somewhat idiosyncratic) extra, but hardly crucial to the role. There are one or two exceptions, but they are very much the minority. Again, other countries have different procedures and customs.

So, you need to look carefully at the way things are done in the country - and company - where you wish to work.

Scroggs

[Trismegistro]

Genghis, it would be the metropolitan state college of Denver.
Yeah, i know that NOTHING is sure, and i also know that any degree is going to get my interview, but my main doubt is: is the Aviation/Aerospace Management degree as good as any other degree on the interviews, or even more than others?

BTW, this may sound very newbie, but whats an A-level? i think is some kind of accreditation but im not sure....

[scroggs]

A-levels are the UK's school graduation qualifications, completed at age 17/18. A number of them (usually 3), in different subjects and at minimum specific grades, are required for university entry and for many careers.

Scroggs

[Trismegistro]

If you say the thing are different i every country...
How are the thing in US, probably the place im going to work? Are degrees appreciated by major airlines?

[scroggs]

A 4-year degree is compulsory to work in most major US airlines. You also require the right to live and work in the US (the 'green card'); without that, you're wasting your time.

Scroggs

[paco]

"In UK, most airlines choose pilots for management purely on flying qualifications and experience"

Ah yes, well, that would explain a lot! :)

Phil

[NavPilot]

Then the question is when do you do it. I'd suggest that if there are part-time options, get on with your flying training, then once you are in the seat take advantage of the quiet times (I'm sure you'll have them) to pursue these further academic qualifications - such as something like an MBA.

If the only option is to do it full time, then you have a difficult decision - because if you're worth anything as a pilot, what you really want to do is fly aeroplanes. So, either you defer your airline career for a while, or store up a career break later, or just accept that it's not the best thing for you.

Which doesn't answer the question, but I hope may clarify it a bit.
G

May not answer the question, but very good advice...for me too:) . Thanks Ghengis.
A degree may not be of much assistance to GET that job...but it can certainly be of assistance to give you other options once already an established pilot (management etc) or work as a standby, in case you have to quit flying (:rolleyes: :sad: )for some reason.
Embry Riddle does provide degree options, both UG and PG, in several disciplines. Have a look at them at the following link.
http://www.erau.edu/ec/alldegrees.html
I think the good thing about their programs is that it allows you to pursue their courses at your own pace (besides ofcourse being accessible worldwide).
ERAU is one I know of...any others that provide online degree, and the likes, out there..??


Cheers

[Trismegistro]

What about Aviation Technology??
The universities that offer that degree also gives you usually the other certificates to become a pilot, but the problem is that they dont give you work as flight instructor.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Navpilot - for what it's worth, I've had the opportunity to visit one of the ERAU campuses and meet quite a few of it's professors, students and alumni. My opinion? - very very impressed. They're a good school, with excellent teaching, excellent facilities and a very good reputation. They're also very expensive, but in this world you get what you pay for!

Trismegistro - "Aviation Technology" is just a title (as is "aviation management", "aerospace engineering", "aviation engineering".... The university the specific course content, and the specific course's reputation are much more important. I'm willing to bet that with a little effort you could find courses of that title which are a waste of time, and others which are superb, well taught, rigorous and career enhancing.

G

[NavPilot]

ERAU does have quite a few programs/majors to choose from...and it does take a lot of doing putting together what you need Vs What a particular program/major provides. ...not a good thing at all to enrol for a program (any prog, any Univ) only to realise it wasn't really what you wanted:ugh: Not to mention there will be some regrets for enrolling in the prog you did by the time you finish it...but that's bound to be in an ever changing environment with ever changing needs and perspectives. Very important therefore, to talk to past/current students in THAT program to understand what it's about and whether it covers YOUR needs...

In that context, I second Genghis on not to go by titles...they say less about the program...more about the marketing of it;)

Cheers...