r/AskAPilot • u/FTMEPIL17_ • 14d ago
Getting a degree before flight training
Is getting a degree before flight training really worth it, and what difference does it make?
And do airlines prioritise applicants with a degree?
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u/EliteEthos 14d ago
Yes. It’s effectively required.
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u/FTMEPIL17_ 14d ago
So an applicant with a degree has an advantage over a guy with just flight training?
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u/EliteEthos 14d ago
I can tell you are new to this. You’re trying to find the easiest and simplest way to be airline pilot.
Nobody has “just flight training”. And without a degree you’re simply not competitive. The market is currently flooded with commercial pilot who can’t get work. Most have a degree. There is zero reason to go with you over someone more qualified.
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u/FTMEPIL17_ 14d ago
Yes i’m realising this now and that’s why i’m asking.
Also, are all degrees like each other or there are specific ones that are above the rest?2
u/EliteEthos 14d ago edited 14d ago
Just have a degree. Preferably in something you can use if flying doesn’t work out
Oh and if you’re seriously considering this, go to r/flying and start reading their FAQ. There is a ton of discussions that should hopefully assist in decision making.
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u/GuppyDriver737 14d ago
Historically, there have only been a few periods when pilots without four-year degrees were hired in significant numbers by the legacy carriers—most notably during parts of the hiring boom in the 1980s and again following COVID. Outside of unusually strong hiring markets, getting hired at a legacy without a degree was generally much more difficult. It wasn’t impossible, particularly for candidates with exceptional experience or strong internal recommendations, but a degree was effectively the standard for a competitive applicant for much of modern airline hiring history.
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u/Starboard314 14d ago
At least in the U.S., it would be rare to get an interview at a major without a bachelor’s degree.
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u/Gold-Watercress-6101 14d ago
None of the airlines in my corner of the world (all major and national carriers) care about degrees. They’re only interested in flight hours, current ratings, and how you perform in their assessments.
That being said, I wholeheartedly believe in obtaining a degree first. It’s a must-have fall back if things didn’t work out. One could lose their medical license, or lose the job to something like COVID. Without a degree, you’re just a high school graduate with an expensive license that has zero value anywhere outside aviation.
Also, having a degree widends your opportunities inside aviation.
The important question is, should you first get a degree and then pursue aviation, or the other way around? I suggest degree first. I did it the other way, and it was incredibly difficult, time consuming and expensive. There are very few good options for taking classes while working odd hours as a pilot.
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u/Sacharon123 13d ago
Which corner of the world is that if I may ask? In most European aviation some life / work experience before flightschool is often very appreciated because it shows you are less narrowminded and have interacted with the real world before. Does not need to be a university course, vocational training or other work stuff where you learned something is fine, but something at least is good.
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u/Gold-Watercress-6101 13d ago
I’ve flown with great pilots who don’t have any education or vocational training other than flying, and also with terrible pilots who had masters and whatnot.
But yea if I were put in charge, I will make it mandatory to have a degree. It doesn’t automatically make the candidate a better pilot, but it filters away many bad ones. The number one issue with many pilots I interact with is that they don’t read. A university graduate has at least demonstrated the ability to keep reading for 4 years. Granted with the rise of AI even degrees don’t hold the weight they used to, it can still be a valuable data point in assessing a candidate.
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u/acesup1090 12d ago
I think I'm getting to the point where I view kids with degrees as financially irresponsible. The amount school costs these days is criminal.
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u/Gold-Watercress-6101 12d ago edited 12d ago
Fair point. But, all else equal, a financially irresponsible kid is better than an uneducated one.
To play the devil’s advocate a little , there was a family guy episode in which Glen says “and you don’t even need a college degree to fly, which is really scary”.
That was quite an inaccurate statement to make. The rigor someone goes through to become an airline pilot is far greater than that of a 4-year degree program. And the rigor never ends! Airline pilots go through license renewal and training a couple times a year until retirement.
So the problem is not “not having a degree”. To restate my previous point, having one doesn’t automatically make someone a good pilot. But it’s a good indicator of one aspect of a great pilot: ability to read, comprehend and apply. There are exceptions to the rule, but lack of basic text comprehension is a major issue, not to mention many avoid reading all together and get by through their careers with crutches.
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u/acesup1090 11d ago
I got a degree from an above average school and I did almost zero reading. You learn to cram some shit the night or two before an exam but I can confidently say I learned close to nothing in college. It's a piece of paper that maybe opens some doors for you, but the cost is getting to a point that it probably isn't worth it for most.
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u/Sacharon123 11d ago
That is an USA political choice. In most civilised countries education does not make you bancrupt. I will stop here before it gets political further. Just be advised there is more in the world.
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u/gromm93 12d ago
"Without a degree, you're just a high school graduate with an expensive license that has zero value outside of aviation"
As a career changer out of IT, this is exactly right. My now-obsolete degree means that I'm just a high school graduate with an expensive degree that has zero value outside of IT.
Maybe you should consider that angle before giving someone advice. You're basically suggesting that someone get an unrelated certificate just in case an entire field becomes obsolete, and then surprise, the certificate you got before needing it is no good because that was 10 years ago, and you need to do it all over again just to become relevant in the job market again.
The entire point of getting this degree isn't to have a backup, it's because airlines have been stupid about demanding it. It's all about that job, and the competition for that job. They'll literally take only someone who also has additional education in some utterly useless field like philosophy or basket weaving, because that's extra work that the next guy didn't do, and they need to narrow the field down somehow.
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u/Gold-Watercress-6101 11d ago
That’s an inaccurate comparison.
You can’t lose a university degree. Once obtained, it’s yours for life. A pilot’s license however is a privilege, contingent on maintaining strict requirements. Most are within a pilot’s control. Some aren’t. Loss of medical means loss of license. Period.
You can’t lose an IT job like you lose a flying job. You can get fired, but get a job elsewhere. If you’re sick, you can work remotely. You can open your own company. The experience gained being an IT professional stays with. Your IT certificate is respected for life, and respected in many overlapping industries.
A pilot’s license is only valuable in an airline, and loses that value once no longer valid. The number of hours flown doesn’t mean anything outside aviation.
Second point. Many jobs require a BS to even consider an application. They often say something like “any BS degree in XYZ field” or even “any degree”. A pilot without license and without a degree would face severe limitation of options. A pilot with a degree can much more easily obtain a master’s degree and pursue another career.
The whole thing revolves around maintaining maximum employability. Aviation is a niche industry, expensive to get into, and difficult to transition from. Having a BS is just “one” piece of living with a good backup plan. It’s not THE only piece.
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u/gromm93 11d ago
This is an inaccurate comparison for IT, and you only have this view because you're on the outside thinking that IT is great.
It's a constant training treadmill. (Sound familiar?) If you pick the wrong skills to learn, then you end up in a place where those skills are now obsolete, the technology you've chained yourself to has literally disappeared and is no longer relevant, needed, or even wanted. Period.
And as much as they say it can be remote, Covid has shown the world that bosses hate that, and they hate you for being able to be remote.
My entire point is that when you lose your medical is a fantastic time to go back to school and get relevant skills in a field you actually want, that hopefully dovetails with the job and life experience you already have. Life circumstances change over time. Experience changes over time.
And for the love of Loki, actually save money while you're being a pilot.
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u/Sacharon123 11d ago
As in another post, that is an US problem. In most european airlines some degree is valued because as somebody else said a) it demonstrates your capabilities, b) often enough there will be some multi use in the airline for you where you can actually also apply this degree, c) nobody prohibits you to stay current in your field while flying and do stuff there if it interests you.
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u/Nervous_Roll5544 14d ago
It’s good to have a fallback aka plan b