Hey everyone, my name's Jack and I have been following the forum for a while and have learned a ton from everyone. I have really enjoyed all the info on this website/forum and now its finally time to pose my first question.

Question is: how important is one's college major? I've seen some people say that an aviation related degree is not necessary, but have also seen cases of people saying merely have a college degree in anything and doing well is what is important, and that flight hours are flight hours regardless of degree.

I would love to hear any input on this topic and any advice people may have. Looking at pilot's profiles on linkedin, it seems that most have aviation degrees.

I am currently a junior in college and now that all of my general ed classes are out of the way, its decision time in terms of choosing a major. The public state university that I go to has an aviation program and flight labs where I can finish my commercial, as I already have my PPL and instrument.

Thank you!


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Aviation degrees are essentially worthless other than actually having a degree. You'll see many who have them due to either getting their flight training while doing an aviation degree, or due to taking an online course that maximized benefit from already holding FAA certification.

If you just want a piece of paper, then take the route of least expensive resistance. If you're concerned about having a trade or being branded with a skill, it may be better to seek a degree along those lines.

Aviation is fickle. The chances of you needing skills that extend beyond the cockpit are high. Plan accordingly.

 

Thank you for a fast response, John. Much appreciated.


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If your college offers flight operations internships with major airlines then I would get the degree in Aviation..I know a few people who were interns at United Airlines who got hired in their early twenties due to the internship..It can be very beneficial for you if they offer the internships..

 

Arguably, the biggest benefit from an aviation degree isn't your ratings or the major/university name on your diploma...but the networking opportunities an aviation program affords.

You'll know people who end up across most every segment of the aviation industry and have alumni/industry connections via the program (such as internships) that a non-aviation major simply can't have.

Of course one had to maximize those opportunities and take advantage of them...

There is no "best" way, simply pro and con and each person had their own "best value" in terms of dollars, time and experiences.

 

I would suggest against getting a degree in aviation. Like previously said, it is worthless outside of the industry. On the other hand, there are many relevant degrees you can get that will possibly help your career and give you a back up plan.

If you're stuck on aviation as a degree, at very least make it an Aviation Management degree. This will make getting an MBA much easier if you ever decide to. Further, it will help if you ever consider going into a managerial role.

In the end, just major in something you really think you'd enjoy other than aviation. MHO.

 

I picked a major that was of interest to me and therefore that I thought I could do well with (grade-wise) - in my case, History. The good grades (plus NROTC) got me into flight school at Pensacola. So, it worked fine.
Of all my fly-buddies who were engineers, etc. They've used as much of their major as I have in the cockpit...zero.
Moral of the story would be to do what you think is practical for you and/or what you like. A happy student is going to do better.

Good luck!

 

Get a BS Degree in anything but aviation. This industry is cyclical. Lots of ups and downs in more ways than one (pun intended). Seriously though, have a backup career plan in case of a furlough.

 

Avoid an "aviation" major unless it is aero engineering. I would generally recommend something which you could dust off later and make a living at if you end up out of aviation (medical issues, etc)...accounting, software, business, etc.

Vocational degrees like account, programming, nursing, PA, etc have the advantage that you can moonlight as needed in your aviation career to keep the skillset alive on the back burner or help pay bills during the entry-level (starvation) phase of your career.

 

Get a BA/BS degree in something you could use when that FAA Medical is lost, aka Computer Science, Accounting, etc