Expert: David A. NewMyer - 3/14/2008

Question
Hello,
My name is Ryan and I was wondering what the employment rate is after graduating from SIUC with a degree in Aviation Flight, and Aviation Management.

Answer
Hi, Ryan:

The way the Aviation Flight and Aviation Management degrees at SIUC work is this:

Aviation Flight is an AAS or Associate of Applied Science degree.  If you are considering becoming a Professional Pilot, you start with this degree at SIUC.  That means that you begin flight training right away in your first semester of work with SIUC.  This degree takes two academic years and one summer to complete and you earn your FAA Private Pilot Certificate and your FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument and Multi Engine Ratings.  The vast majority of AAS in Aviation Flight students at SIUC transfer into the BS in Aviation Management at SIUC.

Aviation Management is a BS or Bachelor of Science degree.  If you are considering becoming a Professional Pilot, you take this degree AFTER COMPLETING the AAS degree in Aviation Flight.  This degree gives you the aviation business side of your training and education.  You take courses in aviation writing, aviation management theory, airline management, airport management, aviation safety management, air traffic control, aviation security, air transport labor relations and fiscal aspects of aviation.

Therefore, you earn TWO DEGREES IN FOUR YEARS....

Upon graduation with BOTH degrees, graduates are very employable as Professional Pilots with such airlines as Trans States, Skywest, PSA (US Airways Express), American Eagle, Comair, ASA and many others.  Also, more and more of our graduates are seeking positions in the general aviation field, especially corporate aviation or business aviation.  In all, over 90% of our last graduating class with both degrees was either placed with one of the companies above or went on to a masters degree.  A few stayed at SIUC to use their training as flight instructors to build additional flight time while working for SIUC as a full time faculty member in the Aviation Flight program while attending SIUC for a graduate degree (which is essentially free to full time employees).

If you are interested in SIUC Aviation, please consider coming to visit SIUC on one of our Aviation Career Days coming up in April.  For more information, consult our website at www.aviation.siu.edu/careerdays

If you live in Chicago, one of the career days (the United Airlines Aviation Career Day) offers the opportunity for you to visit SIUC via a FREE flight on United Airlines out of O'Hare Airport.  

Let me know if you have any additional questions,

David A. NewMyer, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
Aviation Management and Flight
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
http://www.aviation.siu.edu