Thread: ANPRM: New 121 Pilot Certification Rqmts.
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Old 02-19-2010 | 10:32 AM
  #54  
CaptFuzz
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Originally Posted by Lighteningspeed
College degree is required for all professional jobs so why shouldn't it be required for Professional airline pilot jobs? Major airlines require it and Congress wants to make the hiring requirements for regionals equal to majors. So yeah, I think college degree should be required. BTW, military requires it too, if you want to be a pilot. A college degree does not have to an aviation degree.
The college degrees required for other professional, licensed jobs are professional degrees in their field. Lawyers need law degrees. Doctors need medical degrees. Engineers need engineering degrees. I'm unaware of any profession that requires a degree unrelated to the career field. If pilots are to be considered professionals in that way, a degree in political science, psychology, biology, or engineering (in which I have my degree) wouldn't make sense.

Now I think an airline having a requirement for a degree for their hiring minimums makes sense. It gives some indication about the general experience and abilities of the individual and could factor into whether they want them as an employee. However, a non-related degree has little bearing on your ability to safely and effectively practice a profession.

And as was mentioned by BoilerUP, the military requires a college degree to be an comissioned officer, not to be a pilot. Even if the vast majority of pilot warrant officers have degrees, it is not a requirement.

Just to be clear I am in favor of increasing mins for all 121 pilots to an ATP certificate (and don't think a four year college degree makes sense as an ATP requirement).
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