Expert: David A. NewMyer - 4/19/2004

Question
I am currently a cfi cfii in single engine fixed wing aircraft and am attending a tech school for my A&P certificate. I am 28 years old and do not have a college diploma. I really do not have a career direction, and do not have any ambitions or interests other than traveling the world and flying. I have been toying around with the idea of returning to college. I have looked at several different schools and am thinking about embry riddle's distance learning program, for a proffesional pilot bachelors degree. But I am undecided. My question is, for my future career in the aviation community would it be worth the time and effort to get a degree from ERAU or should i attend a cheaper state school?  OK, if the answer is any school would do, are there any colleges outside of the US that have aviation programs that are worthwhile? If so, how and where do i find them. Or should i quit playing around and get a union job and flight instruct for fun on my spare time? Well, I look forward to hearing from you soon, and thank you for your time.
Bryan

Answer
Hi, Bryan:

Wow....lots of questions, but, all good ones! I will try to assist!

As far as your last question about "....should I quit playing around and get a union job and flight instruct on my spare time" gets to the heart of the matter, which is:  WHAT IS IT THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE?  MAKE MONEY?  OR, IS YOUR FOCUS TO BE HAPPY WITH YOUR WORK?  OR, IS IT A COMBINATION?  IS AVIATION A HOBBY OR IS IT ACTUALLY SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO AS A JOB?  FINALLY, DO YOU WANT TO FLY, WORK ON AIRCRAFT, WORK IN AVIATION MANAGEMENT OR WHAT?  THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF JOBS IN AVIATION AND YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU FIT.....

While it seems trite, the answers to these questions will help you with the rest.  Your own personal priorities seem to be what is in question right now and aviation may or may not be an answer.  That is for you to decide.

As far as aviation schools and aviation degree programs are concerned (inside AND outside the USA), you can order THE COLLEGIATE AVIATION GUIDE from the University Aviation Association by calling 334-844-2434 or by emailing uaa@auburn.edu   This guide will give you information on the majority of schools that offer aviation degree programs.  I think some of the keys to picking a school will be:

1.  Credit that will be offered to you for prior college work and prior aviation certificates and/or work experience.  For example, some schools will offer credit for an A and P cerfificate and for pilot certificates toward the elective credit for their aviation degrees regardless of where the certificates were earned.  

2.  Based on the above, the time it will take to complete the degree....that is, the acceptance of transfer credit and credit for aviation certificates might shorten your time in some degree programs over others.  But, overall, what are the degree requirements, what do you have done so far that will meet them, and, what do you have left to do (and how long will those requirements take you to finish)?

3.  The format of the degree program:  That is, is the degree offered in a way that you can take it and still afford to be in school?  I am thinking a weekend, face-to-face, off campus program or an on-line program might be more workable for you than a traditional college campus program...if I am wrong, then, ignore this part of my advice!  I believe that the largest face-to-face, off campus aviation degree programs are offered by Embry Riddle and by Southern Illinois University Carbondale.  Embry Riddle is in lots of locations, mainly on military bases and offers a BS in Professional aeronautics (for the most part).  Check out the Embry Riddle Extended Campus website, which is a link off of the main Embry Riddle website for their specific locations.  Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers the BS in Aviation Management at off campus locations in the Los Angeles area, San Diego, Yuma (AZ), St. Louis, Chicago, and two locations in North Carolina.  Contact for more information:  618-453-6609 or email the Director, Judy Rawls at jrawls@siu.edu   

4.  Cost vs. payoff....how much will a particular degree progam cost vs. the time it takes to complete it (partly affected by the credit they might award to you for the transfer credit, etc) and if you have to attend any sort of on campus classes to finish.  The question is not just should you attend Embry Riddle but what is the true cost of attending Embry Riddle (or ANY aviation school) when considering everything?  Again, the amount of accepted transfer credit makes a difference in what you might pay for in total.  And, if it is a bit more expensive at any school, what does that cost give you in terms of payoff (the degree, the job placement, the quality of the program, etc)?

5.  Job placement assistance....will the program that you attend help you with finding an aviation-related job?  What sort of tools and sources do they offer to their students?  Do they offer internships for their students?

Whether returning to school will be worth your time and money will be up to you....again, what are your personal priorities?  Are you happy with what you are doing now?  Do you need a change?  Do you need to get into something that you truly love to do and want to do?  This is the sort of question that you need to be asking yourself.  As far as the aviation career field itself, it is on the rebound from the 9-11 attacks and from the general economic downturn that preceded 9-11.  So, the aviation industry is expected to grow from here through the rest of this decade.  Jobs will be more plentiful over the next few years, but, there are already about 2.2 million people working in the US civil aviation industry (including aviation manufacturing, airlines, general aviation and government aviation jobs--federal, state and local).  So, it is a large industry with good prospects for growth.

I sincerely hope that this answer has helped you.  If you need to ask me anything more, please do so in a follow up questions via Allexperts.com.  I would be glad to assist.

Best wishes to you.

Sincerely,

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