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| Rank 6 |
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Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:11 pm
Posts: 480
Location: CYYJ
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Hey YQLRookie,
I am in the same situation as you up here in Calgary; trying to weigh my options and choose between getting a University Degree or College Diploma.
To answer your question: airlines like Air Canada, Wesjet, Jazz, etc. weigh Aviation College Diplomas the same as they would a University Degree. These Diploma programs are actually pretty competitive, with most having well over fifty percent of the class failing out. It is also a very job specific program, training people to become Pilots, but not much else. It won’t help you at all outside the industry.
Conversely, Universities are more general, but no matter what University Degree you choose, it doesn't really teach you anything about actually flying, thus it won't make you a better pilot doing it. It could help your ability to learn though, by teaching you good study habits and the ability to take in a vast amounts of information in a short time. Having these skills can be beneficial when learning how to fly, but not much else.
Looking at costs, I found that good University programs like Engineering at Queens and Architecture at Waterloo would cost in excess of $80 000 including living expenses. That, on top of the $40 000 for flight training, and you're looking at around $120 000 total. That is a lot to swallow. Then you look at flight colleges, such as Confederation, which is a two year program where all the actual flight training is subsidized. This program could cost less that $20 000 including living expenses for the Advanced Diploma.
There are four main arguments I've seen for going the University route:
1)"It teaches you to learn and to interact with people, and the university environment is just amazing"
2)"It gives you a good back up plan."
3)"It makes you a better pilot." (generally comes from the people who are not in the aviation industry)
4)"It looks impressive to HR and the general public." (my favorite, lol)
I'll argue these points, because there is always a counter-arguments and even though you may not agree with what I am saying, it would give you a different perspective, which could further help your choice:
1) The first point I find kind of silly. I also generally get this from people not within the industry, but I have heard it from a few pilots on here. My issue with this point is: wouldn't you be doing the same thing in a college environment?
2) The second argument is the most logical, and I hear it from many pilots. The issue with it though, is that getting a degree with a good chance of getting job after graduation requires a lot of work and is also very competitive. These degrees include BSc, BEng, and BBA. All of these degrees will get you a job right out of university for a competitive salary. But say you don't use it, and go into flying instead, then lose your job 10-20 years down the road. Now you have a degree in a competitive industry that you haven't used in years, you have next-to-no work experience, and the industry has changed dramatically since you graduated. You chances of getting a job is pretty minimal, let alone a good one. What you could potentially do is re-do all fourth year courses, thus to get you back into the industry and make some new contacts. But again, the issue is that you haven't done this for many years, and your chances of getting good grades aren't that good. Also, industries are becoming more competitive, so employers are looking more and more at graduate's GPAs. So if you don't have good marks, it'll make it hard to get a job.
3) The third point is illogical. It's like telling a surgeon to get a Liberal Art Degree after med school to make them a better surgeon. Guess what; it won't.
4) The final point is just dumb, but ironically, the one I take most seriously (I will discuss this later though). Flying is different from any other respected profession in that you don’t pay your dues in school; you pay them up north, flying an NDB backcourse down to the minimums with a crosswind component, working for almost no money. The general consensus throughout the world is that people with Degrees are better. This doesn't work for the aviation industry though, but some people still believe this. These people generally have no idea what Pilots do though. But that's besides the point. Getting a Degree to please public perception or some HR guy is a terrible reason. I think Hedley said it best when he said "But I am aghast when I see people enrolling in post-secondary education, in the hopes of making some fat pig in HR somewhere happy. Wrong, wrong, wrong." It is completely true, and you shouldn't base using $80k+ and several years of post-secondary university studies on this point alone.
There are some good points that people have made for going the University route, but there are always different opinions you'll have to consider. I am not against getting a university education for becoming a Pilot. Again, I am going to quote Hedley: "take the post-secondary education that interests you - not anyone else. Or not, if you don't want to" and "If you want to do it, great! If not, it won't stop you from becoming a fine pilot." That is about as trueful as it gets. I personally though, would like to see more pilots with Higher Education in the industry.
Like i said at the beginning of the article, I too am trying to choose whether to go to University or College. I know I sound like I am against University, but I am seriously considering it as an option. One of the reasons I mentioned, the fourth one that has to do with public perception of pilots, I take very seriously. It's pretty hard to convince people I know that two years is enough, especially for a job as respected and important as a commercial pilot. My argument is generally that those two years are just the formal education; most of what you learn is at the actual job. The knowledge base needed to become a pilot isn't great, but the knowledge acquired and the skills required are substantial; comparable to other respected professions. This does seem to satisfy them, but I feel it doesn't always satisfy me.
For a lot of people nowadays, University is the default after High School, and it has been like that for me for basically all my life. I know a lot of people leaving High School into University programs who I wouldn't consider at all intelligent, or hard working. They barely made the grade, but their parents are willing to fund their post secondary-education. I feel bad though, because if they get a degree, shouldn't I have one as well, especially going into a very respected profession? That is one of the main reasons I have been looking at the degree route. I also, although this is probably really dumb, feel worried that at some point the industry will require a degree, which I know is unlikely. Airlines in the states already do though, which is a bit worrisome. At least if I got a good degree, I would be set up really well. These are some of the reasons I am still seriously considering University, despite all I have said above.
One other route you good look at, which I have as well, is go into something that you enjoy but would also get you a job immediately, assuming you worked hard and got good grades in University. I am looking at going into Engineering, where the average BEng graduate can earn $50 000 right away. That would be enough for me to pay for flight school, which I could do part time. This could be a very feasible option, as it would relieve some financial pressure off my parents and prevent me from going into any substantial debt, which is a bad way to start your working life. You could also try getting an instructor job after getting the rating, while still working as an instructor. That way, you'll have two sources of income, you'll be building flight hours, and you will also be getting good job experience in engineering. If you do it for long enough, say three years, you could get your PEng. If you did an applicable engineering speciality, you could maintain work experience as an engineering consultant/pilot. Will that kind of position, you might be able to find work one your off time, which too will bring in two sources of income.
Considering everything, I feel that getting a College Diploma is probably a very good route for me, although it might not be for you. The Diploma is relatively cheep, and you'll be set up for a successful Piloting career with it. Going that route, you'll have some money left over, assuming you have planned to pay fifty thousand for flight training, which you can use for your backup plan to go to University. That's what James Ball did, the author of So, You Want To Be a Pilot, Eh? (excellent book, I suggest you read it). He went to Seneca, got a 2 year Diploma, worked in the industry for a few years, then left. He then went back to University and was successful in getting into Law School. That is something you should seriously consider also. College first, start your career, then University later as a back up plan if, for whatever reason, you have to leave the industry.
With all that being said, if you have an interest in a Degree program, and have the financial support to go through it, I suggest you do it. Otherwise, get the Diploma. It will do the same thing for you within the industry, for far less money and get you into the industry earlier. As Bede said, seniority is everything in this industry, so the sooner you start flying, the sooner you start building hours, and thus the sooner you are at your dream job.
Definitely do your research. I have been researching this for about three or fours years now, talked to many Pilots, as well as read many peoples opinions on these forums, and this is an accumulation of what I've taken away. Hope this helps!
Jack |
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Last edited by BTyyj on Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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