how many PhD's are wealthy? anything above an MBA can be detrimental. would guess that too much education could disqualify because the employer might consider the applicant too eccentric. that said - look at the pilot group for a particular airline and try to look like a part of the herd.

 

I did mine online through Embry-Riddle, but 90% of my MBA was done before I got to Delta.

I think you'd have no trouble getting off through normal schedule bidding a weekend (plus a travel day each side) each quarter. I think if there was a schedule conflict you'd have a reasonable case to present to a Chief Pilot. It's only a few days every couple of months.

 

Do you think a Embry-Riddle MBA stands up against a non-aviation related College? I mean no offense as I am a Alumni.

 

If you have the ability and time, do it. Getting a masters in most fields will make you a more rounded person, give you new business skills, and increase your marketability.

I had several great offers leaving the military but chose the airlines. I wanted the airlines for QOL and pay. I can work for several years and make a large six-figure salary at 60+ hrs a week or try to do the airline thing and maybe make a six-figure salary for less time per week. I do realize that this is a gamble and will now take longer than planned.

Big point, if I feel it isn't happening in the airlines then I have a good springboard to Corporate America, which will always be there. Make yourself better in the airline's and CA's eyes. You win no matter what.

 

When you get displaced, or furloughed and you can respond "so what? I make more money with my side job" then the Master's is worth it.

A Bachelor's Degree will usually get you in the door. The Master's get you in the door in middle level, if not an upper level position. When it comes to negotiating your compensation it does make a difference. Someone on the board wrote $15,000 yearly. I think that's low, particularly if you have a solid background in the field.

 

Is an MBA halfway interesting to study? Or is it bland? I'm looking at a Master's in something. I need to kind of be interested in it to study.

 

My understanding in talking to some non-aviation businessmen friends is that unless your MBA is from a top business school to begin with, nobody really cares.

So, essentially anything you get from distance learning or a "branch campus" is going to be on a basically level playing field in the business world.

 

It's a gamble. First, I got two bachelor's. I spent an extra 15 months in school to get my MS, then got a job as an engineer, then got cut first during corporate shuffling. I was junior. When I started flying, I was a year behind my peers. I would've upgraded in one year (pre 9/11) instead of 5 (post 9/11). However, it helped me get a job at United, and I think Delta puts a premium on it.
If I had it to do over again, I'd still get the education, but I would've spread it around a bit, eg. gotten a nursing degree (or something else aviation free and salable). Doesn't sound cool, but you can make $60-80k pretty much anywhere in the country. And people always get sick, regardless of the economy.
So you might miss a slot, an ideal job, a lot of things. But when you're furloughed (I'm on my second), you can do other things. And you can always lose you're medical, on any given day. If you get an MBA and never use it, it'll be hard to find a job after 8 years (or whatever) of airline work. I'd recommend you get the degree, as quickly as possible, in a field you enjoy and has the possibility of supporting you if aviation doesn't always smile on you.

 

I'm not trying to be Scrooge here, but just being the messenger. I used to think medical/health was untouchable too. However, there are some Hospitals that are starting to shut down as well. Just readin' the papers. Are they shutting down in droves? No. But scary nontheless.

 

For a degree from a college of the same level, I'd say it can hold its own. What you miss from an online program is the connections you make with classmates and the networking for jobs. But for me, it wasn't about getting another job - it was about learning and having a backup.

I'd say that if I get laid off, 80% of the places I'd be looking for a job might see the MBA and think "he can manage something". Also, at the time I was looking to enhance my resume - I didn't have the time or money to take a break from the airline path and go to a top school for a serious MBA.

If you're looking to go to Wall Street or a top-flight company and jump into the executive tier, you need a top-tier MBA from Wharton, Harvard or something of that caliber. ERAU isn't going to measure up, but neither is an MBA from a public school like Eastern Michigan University (a regional college).

Someone asked if it was interesting - I though so. The business classes reveal the process and the thinking behind business decisions at an airline. I am learning that at an airline like Delta is generally not about screwing the employees (with exceptions of course) but a rational response the the situation the company finds itself in.