outaluckagain

A good friend of mine is going for his masters. He wants Aviation since he finished his BS in Aeronautics. I haven't heard many good things about the worldwide campus from Daytona. I saw Arizona State offered a masters in aviation without a required thesis paper. They offered an internship capstone instead.
Does anyone have anything to pass on concerning this? How about parks College?

JamesNoBrakes

Is this guy like the chief pilot or he just got a management position? If so, that degree might make sense. If not, huge waste of resources, especially telling that you are looking for the "easiest" one that doesn't have a thesis paper. What's next, getting paid $20k/yr and being ok with it?

Seriously though, what's the point? Interested in management? Get a management/business administration degree. Interested in engineering? Get an engineering degree. Interested in accounting and making the $ side work? Get an accounting degree. Interested in weather? Get a weather degree. And so on...Aviation isn't really a specialized field like many degree fields, and with most "general" degrees like history, philosophy, arts, etc, about the only thing a master's would get you is the opportunity to teach that information to someone else at a school of some sort.

There are good master's degrees out there, but I'd say that is not one of them. If you are really looking at a master, you REALLY need to look hard at what is going to pay back. A lot is expected from a master's student in both school and afterwards. It can be a great thing to have, a great experience, give you lots of opportunities, but these generally are not airline pilot opportunities. You go get a master's to get way beyond that, and in that sense, aviation isn't very useful. All of the "specialties" like master's in EE, aerospace engineering, even statistical and numerical analysis, and on and on. That is what your future employers are looking for. They want to put you in an advanced field of aviation, could be engineering, could be testing, could be think-tank, etc. That is what the entire challenge of a master's degree is about. You don't go there to learn a bunch of stuff, you go there to actually do something and come out with some kind of product. When you get into industry, that is expected of you, that you will not just be someone who executes orders and does what they are told, that you will invent new processes, new ways to do things, solve complex problems, be a leader. You'll complete "thesis" type projects all the time. That is kind of in opposition with the "doesn't even require a thesis" part...

PotatoChip

Totally do it. And take the easiest way you can find. Don't challenge yourself at all. Contribute as much as possible to the current generation's lazy attitude stereotype. Find a way to do as little as possible, yet yield the most results, even though those results are a complete joke.

You're on your way!!!

outaluckagain

I was looking at the program at ASU, because it has an internship instead of a thesis. That would seem to be almost as good. I was telling my friend that aviation is not really a field, but that is what the guy wants. I am not really sure a thesis would be better than an internship in all cases. The internship is with aviation companies, and does seem to be a good way of getting past the highly academic aspect of a thesis. A way to make connections as well. All of the universities I checked offering these diplomas require extensive research papers in most of the classes. The classes provide enough critical thinking and problem solving, so why a thesis over an internship. Maybe the thesis is supposed to be a time honored way of "proving yourself", as opposed to an internship which may seem easier.

outaluckagain

What are you referring to here? Is this what you feel would be the motivation for getting a masters degree? Do as little as possible when he gets hired?I am really not sure why the guy wants this. I am getting from him that he just needs the challenge. He is stuck as a CFI with slightly over 450 total time, and not many prospects. Of course,the cost and what would be considered a waste of time to many! I am sure he just wants to expand his horizons a bit. Yea sure, that is one hell of a way to go about it!! I am thinking also that this CFI friend of mine would not do very well with a thesis,and ASU has told me that the internship may be better suited for an individual like him. He has airline operations experience, and does have motivation towards moving up.
I can't stop the guy, but I want to keep him going in the right direction. I don't think he will ever finish a thesis!

PotatoChip

Sorry if my post was heavy on the sarcasm and lacking in tact, but this just ticked me off. I am referring to his apparent desire for a masters without doing the masters work.

Really?? A challenge? Yet he's not capable of writing a thesis?


Stuck? At 450 hours? Without prospects? Well no s4!t. Exactly what prospects was he/you expecting at 450 hours??? CFI, Banner towing etc is about all you'll get, and a masters in aviation certainly is not going to change that.

You say he wants to keep moving "up". What does that mean?

outaluckagain

You are heavy on sarcasm, like you said. What is being referred to here is that he is stuck in that CFI mode for a while, and needs something to keep him moving. He certainly will have prospects in the airline industry when he completes his masters in 2 years. Don't forget that he worked in that industry for quite a while.
He is not ignorantly thinking that a masters will change his pilot job prospects as simple as that. He is aware of what the learning experience would mean towards enhancing his problem solving skills. He feels the masters is something that may be utilized down the road when he decides whether the piloting field will provide a career or not. A good backup plan as well!
I read your posts "between the lines". Your sarcasm seems to reflect that a masters is a big waste. If that is the case, then so is a BA degree, other than the fact that the airlines mostly require it. Maybe a waste, maybe not. I feel a masters is a bit too lofty of a goal for myself, but my friend is determined enough.
As far as the thesis, I would recommend an internship to this guy. He is a little stronger on the practical side than academics.
Take a look at aviation degrees as a whole. Many offer college credits for flight ratings. Since when is a CFI,II worth 35 college credits academically speaking. A well known college offers this 35 credits when the CFI completes 500 CFI hours. That is an example where academics is pushed aside in favor of practical experience.
So, it does appear that there is more than 1 way to get through a degree. This was at the BS,BA level, so why not the masters level?

PotatoChip

You are correct that I feel a masters in aviation a complete at total waste. It's one dimensional. A masters in business, while often overrated, can at least be applied more broadly, including in aviation.

And yes, I also feel a BS in aeronautics is a total joke. (From someone who as one).

JamesNoBrakes

What, you think those of us that went to regular universities that require a thesis did not do internships? I'll say it again, a master's in aviation is a total joke. The 2nd joke will be how it doesn't land you a job at a major, and the final joke is that you have to pay back all that money you spent learning nothing that is actually useful, since you're already a pilot and educated in the field. People do not get master's degrees to be pilots.

Great, so get it in a field or specialty that ACTUALLY DOES THAT.

And of course ASU is going to tell you that he may be "better suited for the internship". They want his money.

SkylaneRG

Asu has some new night/weekend/online MBA programs. They're trying to get people into them by lowering the work experience requirements for applicants. I'd go that route before a masters in aviation