University degree?

[dzontra]

Hi! I am studying for airline pilot atpl and I have one question:
Is it important to have university degree(a bachelor's degree) to get job in some better airline company? ;)

[redsnail]

As ever with aviation, "it depends".
Research the airlines you are most likely to work for and see if they have a trend of hiring pilots with degrees.

In the USA, you need a degree to get into the "majors". In Britain, no, you don't need a degree to get a better airline job. Asia is the same. You don't need a degree.
Just an ATPL and appropriate hours.

[Bearcat F8F]

A degree almost always looks better on an application and can give you the edge regardless of whether it's a requirement or not. But I guess this goes for any job.

[aozc]

Get a degree for a backup income. The chances of landing a job will continue to be very slim for a few years. A degree for the purpose of adding a line on your CV however... I wouldn't bother.

[The Dominican]

Absolutely get your degree.........! It has nothing to do with flying mind you, in my career I can't think of a single occasion that I had to use the knowledge acquired during my college studies to apply it in this business, aviation is a technical career that as an operator/pilot, quite frankly all you need is basic math and science. But it is also true that aviation is a fragil and vulnerable way to make a living, it is way too easy to lose a job or your license and unemployed pilots have an expiration date that makes most foods in a supermarket isle last three times as long, after 90 days out of a cockpit your chances are cut in half and after a year of not flying it becomes unlikely you will be making a living as a pilot again, it is possible to get back into the career but it takes networking and most of the time is by an opportunity rendered by somebody you know, not based on your outdated résumé. A degree will give you an alternative to put food on the table, food for thought

[Enzo_flt]

Hey there,

I know that some chief pilot also like it because you are able to think not only like a pilot, but also like an "engineer", it can be always helpful and they notice it when they talk to you.

Hope this helps.