athenssoest

Hi, this goes along with my other thread. I am considering doing an aviation degree because aviation is my main interest, and I can pay for the training with my scholarship money. Does anyone here have an aviation degree? What can you say about it? Were you able to minor in something non-aviation as a backup plan?
Thanks!

MIKE JG

Yes, the degree itself is not worth much. The education I gained while earning the degree is/was worth far more. I also minored in Geography with an emphasis on Meteorology, again not worth as much as the actual education that I obtained while earning it.

My experience has been that people don't generally discern between degrees in "aviation" vs. "business management", etc. for flying type jobs. People get into flying for all sorts of reasons, but having a college education says a lot more about a person in general than does having a specific aviation related degree.

My advice to anyone your age, and the advice I myself would follow if I could do it all over again, would be to major in something completely unrelated to flying. Get your certs and ratings along the way as you complete your non-aviation degree. Then you'll have two completely independent career paths to follow should you choose to do so.

That's what I WISH I would have done now looking back on it. Part of that was that at the time, I was not aware that I could simply take the flying classes as electives and still graduate with the same ratings and pilot certificates and a degree in something else. I thought you HAD to major in Aviation to get all those ratings.

The things they don't tell you......

Good luck whatever you decide.

FlyAstarJets

I have to echo everything MIKE JG has said. Give yourself options when continuing your education with flying aspirations. The best way to do that is a Biz or geek (computers) degree. Better yet, major in biz or geek and minor in props.

When you get your ratings, don't stop with just the CFII SE. Continue with the MEI and get an instructor gig with a 141 program that has a good ME component to it so as to build ME PIC time. Then look into employers like Ameriflight or Mountain Air cargo. It's tough flying but it'll make you a better pilot. The quicker you get on with an employer that has ME turbine equipment the better so as to build that ME turbine PIC time.

In the next four to six years ( some say three or four years ), the next wave of binge hiring is gonna start because of age 65 and retirements. You need to position yourself for it so as to catch that wave as it builds and not when it's crashing on the beach.

athenssoest

I got accepted to a university flight program and am going to go for an aviation degree (I can pay for the training with scholarships) but do a double major, like most other aviation majors at this school do, in a non aviation field (logistics) but thanks for the comments

Bri85

I have an Aviation degree and a minor in Flight Testing (Engineering from flight controls, structural, and avionics)- did my minor my last year of schooling, and liked it so much that I regret not obtaining a degree in Aerospace Engineering. I also enjoyed the Business Admin classes I took(marketing and sales part). So If I could have done this again, I would have pursuit a degree in Aerospace Engineering, minor in Business and Fly on the side, and still would have done my CFII

mtbthis

I am in the same boat as you right now. I have going off to school next year and I want to fly in school. I've decided that I am going to major in Enviromental Sciences (an industry that is booming right now) and continue my flight training at a local airport to the school. All the schools that I have applied to though have aviation programs, that way I know there is an airport close by.
Everyone says not to get a degree in aviation. So for once, I think I am gonna try and learn from others mistakes (no offense to anyone).

GrUpGrDn

sound thinking, never ever get trapped into thinking that one needs an aviation degree to go along with their certs/ratings. Remember, if you get furloughed, what job are you trained for with an aviation degree? Will there be a position available for you? Now, an ATC degree might be the most usefull out of all the aviation degrees proferred (?). IMHO I like some type of degree in medicine, great side job, decent money.

Ottopilot

I went to seminary (master of theology), which is slighty more useful than an aviation degree.

Get a degree in business admin, accounting, finance, etc. Whatever you can use to make money on the side since you will need it. My volunteer work may be worth "something", but it doesn't pay the bills.