Is a Masters a recommended step towards a PPL and eventually CPL

[Liam1407]

Hi there,

I am in my third year of Aerospace Engineering and have reach a crossroad. I have been offered a place on the Masters Course next year but is it necessary for a pilot to have a Masters Degree?

In your opinions what would be the next best step for me after finishing my degree, straight into pilot school, a year in industry ( in order to add to my CV) or complete the Masters course next year?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Dan Winterland]

but is it necessary for a pilot to have a Masters Degree?

For a PPL, any level of education is OK, so long as you can pass the exams. For professional, it's not necessary for a pilot to have a degree, or even A levels! The only maths you need to be a pilot is your 3 times table! ATPL maths is GCSE level - at best, and all the aerodynamics and systems syllabus is read and learn the question answers stuff. You don't have to understand any of it. I joined the RAF with nearly the bare minimum of 5 O levels including maths and English. That's as much as you need - maybe more!

As an Aerospace Engineering graduate, you are vastly over qualified. A Masters will make you even more so. If you have a passion to fly, then that will probably get you through. But the mind numbing boredom of it will probably make you wish you hadn't spent all that money training. My advice is to do the masters and decide then. You will have much better career choices.

[Genghis the Engineer]

If you want to be a Test Pilot, probably. But it would be better to persuade the military service you join to put you through a suitable specialist MSc during a post qualification ground tour whilst still angling for your TPS slot.

Otherwise, no.

[stella di mare]

I finished my Masters in Aerospace Engineering before I went down the pilot route (sponsored). I'd like to believe it helped me getting the sponsorship but once you've your license it will probably not help you finding an airline job any faster. It's a really good back-up though.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'm guessing that you did an MEng rather than an MSc however Stella?

Also that you haven't actually tried using it as a"backup".?

[stella di mare]

No I have a MSc or Ir. in Dutch. Also I have been waiting in a holdpool for over half a year. Having the degree definitely helped me getting interesting temporary jobs. I only recently signed contracts, I almost gave up on flying and I was applying for engineering jobs. Thankfully it all worked out in the end.

[ChickenHouse]

What is your planned route? If it is simply towards cockpit, a Master will hurt and probability is high you will face the black "overqualified" hole.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Originally Posted by stella di mare

No I have a MSc or Ir. in Dutch. Also I have been waiting in a holdpool for over half a year. Having the degree definitely helped me getting interesting temporary jobs. I only recently signed contracts, I almost gave up on flying and I was applying for engineering jobs. Thankfully it all worked out in the end.

Carefully as you go - start combining engineering and flying careers like that and you may end up like me.

[rick0]

Originally Posted by Genghis the Engineer

I'm guessing that you did an MEng rather than an MSc however Stella?

Also that you haven't actually tried using it as a"backup".?

Out of interest why do you ask wether or not his/her masters was an MEng or MSc?

I'm currently 2nd year Aero debating on doing another year or just getting a BEng.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Getting a mental picture as much as anything, but also not realising that the poster was outside the UK.

In the UK, for most people, MEng is the elite product, and an MSc is mostly taken by people who weren't good enough to either stay on an MEng course, or get a job. Of course, that's generalising, as high quality specialist MSc courses do exist - Cranfield being the premium provider in the UK.

Also of course anybody going to Masters level is showing a commitment to their engineering education beyond the minimum, and whilst I don't like the term "backup", it is more valuable than a vanilla BEng.


There is also something not often explored, which is that the aviation world is relatively homogenous, so somebody with an aerospace engineering degree who then goes into flying training, will by many employers be regarded as simply continuing their professional aerospace education, and respected for that. For example, the CPL/ATPL groundschool syllabus contains a lot of aircraft systems knowledge not in degree syllabi, and the flying knowledge is essential in some professional engineering jobs (particularly those related to flight test).