I'm a senior in high school right now and college applications are approaching quickly. So far, I've got several colleges/universities down that offer an airline/aviation management degree. I'm planning to work in the aviation industry and strive for becoming a route network planner/analyst or something related to fleet and/or revenue management.
I'm hoping to gain some insight from people who have earned an airline/aviation management degree - is it worth pursuing this degree for a job in the industry?
Or, is it recommended to go for the other path - some sort of statistics, business, management, or finance degree and then aim for the aviation industry?
Are there any colleges/universities you'd recommend that fall under these two categories? I'm looking for some backup aviation/business schools in case my current plan falls through.
Thanks!
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
Re: Is It Worth Pursuing an Airline/Aviation Management Degree?
Ishrion wrote:
Or, is it recommended to go for the other path - some sort of statistics, business, management, or finance degree and then aim for the aviation industry?
Are there any colleges/universities you'd recommend that fall under these two categories? I'm looking for some backup aviation/business schools in case my current plan falls through.
Thanks!
I'd go with this. Any college that has an aviation unit attached to it would also be better than not.
We are all just fanboys, our opinions don't make or break businesses.
-
- eta unknown
- Posts: 2898
- Joined:
Re: Is It Worth Pursuing an Airline/Aviation Management Degree?
A word of caution from someone who was in airline management: have a Plan B. The industry isn't that big and senior roles are even tighter. Airlines are also very flat structured organizations which makes moving departments difficult.
-
- Transpac787
- Posts: 1421
- Joined:
Re: Is It Worth Pursuing an Airline/Aviation Management Degree?
I'm gonna go against the conventional wisdom, and say shoot for what you want to do. Even if it's the 'risky' option, not the 'safe' one. If you want to go to school for airline management, then go for it. Don't sell yourself short.
In 2014, Jim Carrey made a commencement address at a University, which I always found to be quite profound and powerful. 30 second clip from it:
https://youtu.be/cVS5TUu_r5Q
"You can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love."
In 2014, Jim Carrey made a commencement address at a University, which I always found to be quite profound and powerful. 30 second clip from it:
https://youtu.be/cVS5TUu_r5Q
"You can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love."
Re: Is It Worth Pursuing an Airline/Aviation Management Degree?
Ishrion wrote:I'm a senior in high school right now and college applications are approaching quickly. So far, I've got several colleges/universities down that offer an airline/aviation management degree. I'm planning to work in the aviation industry and strive for becoming a route network planner/analyst or something related to fleet and/or revenue management.
I'm hoping to gain some insight from people who have earned an airline/aviation management degree - is it worth pursuing this degree for a job in the industry?
Or, is it recommended to go for the other path - some sort of statistics, business, management, or finance degree and then aim for the aviation industry?
Are there any colleges/universities you'd recommend that fall under these two categories? I'm looking for some backup aviation/business schools in case my current plan falls through.
Thanks!
having retired from an airline? They'll teach you what they want you to Know. Having a degree in Business is always a good move. It doesn't have to be Airline Business.
The Airline industry is Diverse. Engineering, Accounting, and Business are all entwined in the Business. My degree is in Maintenance Management. Once at the Airlines? I found out that my Airframe and Powerplant license was as good as a basis. My aviation business degree was just Icing on the cake. My head was into maintenance. the constant struggle to manage Manpower against workload. Some days I won? And some days I barely Broke even. but the biggest lesson was to prioritize resources against the job at hand and to spend my money and Manpower where I could do the most good. That doesn't take a degree. that takes headwork. Something a degree can't help you learn. On a normal day with everything being equal? managing an area is great. But? when things are going to hell in a handbasket? That's when the power of your Logic is on display I once had a thanksgiving weekend Wednesday evening -Sunday morning where I had 35 airplanes on the Ground and out of service Wednesday evening and by Sunday morning? We had them all cleaned up and ready to go. I got an award for the work my crews did and everything was ok. Until my Boss got the Bill for the overtime I called in. I had it on a spreadsheet and I thought he was going to EAT that Spreadsheet then feed it to ME. I heard he went to a recap meeting with the Sr. VP of Maintenance where they stuffed him with coffee and Cake for a job well Done. Much to my Surprise? He cut me a check for Dinner at a great San Francisco Restaurant "House of Prime Rib" .
Re: Is It Worth Pursuing an Airline/Aviation Management Degree?
I have actually acquired an undergrad degree in Aviation Management a few years back.
My recommendation is to pursue your dream but check on the curriculum beforehand. What I mean is, it is perfectly fine to have an economics programme that uses aviation related examples and some specialized courses. That way you still can chose your career path otherwise. What I would recommend against is taking a course that does not have a clear economic or engineering purpose and dgree.
Also check out the school for its accreditation so you have a degree that allows you to transition to a postgrad degree (you may not think that far in the future now but this could be a huge problem for further studies).
As others said, jobs in the industry are not unlimited and industry will probably not bounce back for 3-4 years, so make sure you have a broad enough focus.
My recommendation is to pursue your dream but check on the curriculum beforehand. What I mean is, it is perfectly fine to have an economics programme that uses aviation related examples and some specialized courses. That way you still can chose your career path otherwise. What I would recommend against is taking a course that does not have a clear economic or engineering purpose and dgree.
Also check out the school for its accreditation so you have a degree that allows you to transition to a postgrad degree (you may not think that far in the future now but this could be a huge problem for further studies).
As others said, jobs in the industry are not unlimited and industry will probably not bounce back for 3-4 years, so make sure you have a broad enough focus.
AB6, 313, 319, 320, A20N, 321, 332, 333, 343, 346, 359, 388, 717, 722, 733,734, 735, 73G, 738, 739, 741, 742, 744, 752, 753, 762, 763, 764, 772, 77E, 77W, 789, MD11, MD82, MD88, MD90, CR9, E75, E90, AT4, AT7, Q400, BN2, Ju52