An aviation related degree may be useless outside of aviation, but it will save you time. Several aviation universities will give you lots of credit for your flight time. I attend ERAU's extended campus and they gave me 35 credits for my flight training toward a pro aero bachellor's degree. It is expensive, but the GI bill more than pays for it. And after graduate, I will still have enough benefits left for a master's in a more "useful" subject.

And I agree with you, four years in a military unit is much more educational than four years of beer bongs and bong smoke in college. But this is an industry dominated by former military officers, where you can have a degree in basketweaving and still be commissioned. They did it, so we have to.

 

I have a degree in Civil engineering from USAFA and an MBA from FSU...the overwhelming majority of ex-military pilots have 4 year degrees from top tier national universities. Many, like me, have post graduate degrees. To say that the industry is dominated by ex-mil w/ basket weaving degrees demonstrates your lack of intelligence and jealousy!

To dovetail to another subject, lets discuss backup plans. I am concerned that F/Os w/ aviation degrees from ERAU do not have the education to survive a prolonged strike. What the hell are you going to do if you are furloughed?? scab??

My education/background enables me to earn a very good wage building houses/townhomes--almost as much as I earn flying.

I am not going to come back w/ a slam on civie pilots as you did mil pilots...I know many civilian pilots w/ excellent educations & sideline/backup jobs. Stick w/ what you know...reading a TAF/METAR...and leave generalizations to people w/ experience.

 

Like most military officers, I actually earned a five-year technical degree in only four years (there are no 5 year scholarships). There were very few beer bongs and no real bongs in sight...

BTW, I would never make snide comments about enlisted men in general because I have worked with some of the very best...men who could have easily pursued a commission but chose instead to focus on the work they really enjoyed. But you on the other hand seem to have a very narrow and flawed perception of reality. Or were you just in a third rate unit that was staffed by the dregs of the officer corps? If so, what were YOU doing there?

 

Sorry, I didnn't mean to offend anybody. I wasn't degrading officers, just comparing the fact that you do not need a military degree to be an officer, nor an aviation degree to be a pilot. It is just a requirement, needed or not. Of the thee platoon commanders whom under I served, one had a degree in interdisciplinary studdies, one in aco****ing, and another was a history major.

Rather, my post was intended to offer advice to someone who wanted a bachellor's degree in the shortest possible time.

Sorry about the basketweaving comment.

 

Well guys and gals,

Thanks for all of the comments you have provided. I am just a flustered CFII and need to make the most educated decision possible as I have already exausted all of my ideas. This is why I posted the question. I am probably going to enroll into an online program not really sure into an aviation one or not. Most likely it will be aviation for the first degree anyway. Again Thanks ALL .

47D

 

You seem to be thinking ahead, using wording like "first degree." Consider this, then: whatever time you save now by getting that (useless) aviation degree will be lost in the future when, as you're looking into a master's program, you find you need to do several semesters worth of undergraduate foundation work. Get an undergrad degree that's related to a master's you might be interested in, and once you start your postgraduate work you'll likely be able to get right into it.
By the way, whoever said the MGIB "more than covers" an ERAU degree, with enough to spare for a master's degree, has got to be kidding. With tuition at eleven to twelve thousand a semester, not including flight training, there's no possible way that's accurate.

EDIT: I just noticed he said "extended campus." That changes things a bit, but don't plan on your MGIB covering even a fraction of an ERAU aero sci degree at a residential campus.

 

Yes, it is the extended campus, and they are in most major cities and online. I did no flight training at ERAU. It was either gi bill for flight training or for college. $1310 per month for 36 months came out to more then being reimbursed for 40% of the minimum repuqired flight time required under part 141.

And just to be clear, I have nothing but respect and admiration for military pilots. I meant no disrespect.

 

Ya know, no one says you have to get an aviation degree if you go to ERAU. They have excellent engineering programs.

 

Right. No one says that, but most people coming to this forum considering ERAU are considering the aviation degree. Regardless, the engineering degree isn't worth what they charge either. Best aerospace engineering program among universities without a doctorate program? What's the point of that ranking category??

 

Going back to the question, a degree is not required to be a pilot but it depends on what you want to fly and how competitive hiring is. Regionals, Fractionals, Charters do not require it and they weigh more on your flight experience than your college and other traits. Now, if you don't have a degree it's not hopeless, you can still get a shot at the majors but you're going to have to have a more impressive resume, you will be gambling.

So, the bottom line is that it only depends on how competitive the hiring is, all that BS about companies thinking degrees make better pilots is not the case. There are many pilots right now who do not have college degrees who were hired at less competitive times. It's just a way of making the application stack a little less thick. And if you have your sights on charter or fractionals, you don't really have to worry about it.