Do I need an Aviation Degree to be hired at the majors?

futurejappilot

New Member
Does Airlines such as American, United, Delta, Northwest, as well as other major airlines require an aviation degree? I heared they used to but they no longer require an aviation degree but since there are many pilots in the street, they are now requiring it. Is it true? I am 15 and if United or Northwest lives, that is were I would want to go. I want to work at an airline with heavy asian and japanese routes. I am considering going through 141 or 61 training at a flight school and get an degree in Business. Should I get an Aviation degree??? Anyone know a good university that offers good business degree and a aviation degree in a case I would need a aviation degree? I know a flight school in Honolulu that offers 141 training and offers an aviation degree through Utah Valley State College which this flight school is not cheap. Do they allow me to go to another University to get a Business degree and get my aviation degree at UVSC online?
 
Absolutely not.

In fact, most of the airlines that will be hiring in the next ten years do not require any kind of degree at all!
 
Most majors PREFER that you have a college degree, but I don't think any of theme really care what it is in. They just want to see that you have the drive to get it done. IMHO, I think the business degree might not be a bad idea. It gives you something to fall back on just in case.
 
They may not require a degree, but rest assured, most applicants will have a degree. It does not matter where you get a degree, or what your major is. It is however a good idea to get a degree for many reasons. You may want to change careers one day and having a degree gives you more options, also, having a degree not only helps to get you an interview, but also shows that you 1)can complete a course of study and 2)you have a back up plan just incase you can't fly for some reason (lost medical, furlough,etc). Having a college degree shows potental employers your serious and dedicated, both are examples of good judgment that speak for themselves. Besides, going to college will expand your knowledge of the world around you, giving you many different options in life. My opinion, don't sell yourself short, get a degree.
 
Get a degree.

Skydiving doen't require a backup parachute, but...
 
Actually it does...


Oh nevermind, I see what you're getting at...
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If you must have a degree (and I think my 4 years at college was mostly a waste of time and money), I would suggest a hard degree, technical in nature, or business.

A 4 year degree in sociology or basket weaving is pretty worthless.
 
And therein lies the irony of our college system.

Most business don't care what your degree is in - all they want to know is a) you played the game and b) played the same game the folks in the HR department did.

Outside of highly technical fields most degrees don't actually prepare you for any specific job.

A degree is nothing more than a certificate of completeion/attendance (for the most part) as anyone with half an ounce of determination can complete one.

So that degree in underwater basket weaving is almost as useful as the political science degree - at least in the eyes of the average HR department.
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So that degree in underwater basket weaving is almost as useful as the political science degree..

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GOD that is so true!!!

ready2fly<------ B.A. in Political Science, 1989.
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So that degree in underwater basket weaving is almost as useful as the political science degree..

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GOD that is so true!!!

ready2fly<------ B.A. in Political Science, 1989.
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Throw your name in the hat in California!
 
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Look at Regan

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Do I have too? Please don't bring back bad memories.
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Badda-Boom ...
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Quite frankly, I think you'd have to be quite crazy not to get a degree, atleast 2 years...

My plan is to get my Associates, and then look at my life from there. How many hours do I have? Should I continue with another two years of school? Should I start applying at the regionals..

If I do become hired after 2 years, I hope to slowly continue work on a bachelors part time. I do mean slowly.

I do think most majors now have a requirement of four years of college, but nothing is ever set in stone in minimums. Again, you'd be crazy not to have a degree as a backup in this industry.

Now the question is, what to get a degree in?
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The folks I know who are flying for majors have degrees in business, speech communications, among others. There is not one single aviation related degree among them.
 
Most major airlines require a four year degree. For those that don't, it is a competitive advantage to have one. We could go around and around on whether a four year degree makes you a better employee and/or pilot, but at the end of the day, when all other things are equal, the pilot with the four year degree will get the job over the pilot who doesn't. Besides, having a four year degree in anything is bettter than just having a high school education if this industry were to throw you a curve ball.
 
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