The College Conundrum

Fact: More than 93 percent of all major airline pilots have a college degree. Survey any of the largest corporate aircraft operators and a college-educated pilot will be flying that Gulfstream, Falcon, or Citation. True, a fine flying career can be had without that piece of parchment certifying completion of four years' worth of academics, but those aviators who occupy the highest rungs on the career ladder will have earned that credential.

Bill Traub, retired vice president of flight standards at United Airlines, who started the airline industry's first internship program at Southern Illinois University in the mid-1980s, had some sage advice about how a college degree figures into the hiring process at a major airline.

First, a degree demonstrates that an individual is focused and committed enough to complete a rigorous track of study. Second, good grades usually indicate a positive work ethic. Such qualities are valued by the industry's big league employers.

However, just as there are different brands and types of airplanes that accomplish the same objective, there also are many varieties of institutions of higher learning that the future aviation professional should consider. While some flying machines have merely wings, an engine, and a seat, others have a full panel of avionics, air conditioning, and leather seats. They will all get to "B" from "A." Similarly, although all aviation colleges and universities will ultimately bestow a degree plus a pocketful of FAA certificates and ratings upon a successful student, the other features offered by that school tend to differentiate one from another.

No Excuses Anymore

In the past, earning a college degree required a fulltime effort and, in most instances, residency in a college community far from home and job. Then came the World Wide Web.

Although several schools have jumped on the Internet bandwagon by offering distance learning options, Utah Valley State College in Provo, Utah, has been a leader in this relatively new method of scholastic enterprise.

Launched in 1997, UVSC's Global Aviation Degree Center now attracts more than 1,000 students online at any given time. This means that more than 60 percent of the college's entire aviation enrollment is taking its courses electronically.

Of the five or so UVSC degrees that are offered via the Internet, four have flying components. Ground school is completed through the program's on- line courses while flight training is pro-vided by one of the flight schools associated with UVSC's Pilot Career Foun-dation in locations across the United States and Canada (see "College Degrees, To Go," December 2001 AOPA Flight Training).

The philosophy of UVSC's Global Aviation Degree Center is that students should earn as many ratings as possible in the first two years of study, plunge into the job market, then complete the remaining degree requirements via the Internet while building a r�sum� with experience as well as education.

Just The Basics, Please

A favorite resource to initiate the hunt for a college education is on the Internet. Surfing AOPA Flight Training's just-updated online college directory ( www.aopaflighttraining.org/learntofly/collegiate_directory.cfm ) will reveal a couple hundred colleges and universities that convey a simple message: "We will prepare you for a professional pilot career."

All academic institutions require a sizeable investment and, in return, promise to deliver every FAA certificate and rating required to launch a flying career - generally commercial ASEL and AMEL, instrument, and flight instructor. While acquiring all the experience necessary to qualify for FAA certification, the student will participate in traditional academic studies such as English, history, communications, and science.

Some individuals prefer the basic "meat and potatoes" approach to education. For these persons, cost, location, size, and time may direct them to fine schools such as Hesston College in Kansas or Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely, where a two-year degree and all the important FAA qualifications can be earned quickly and affordably. Thus, while their counterparts at four-year colleges are still accumulating ratings in their junior and senior years, graduates from Hesston, CNCC, and similar programs are out working and building valuable time and experience. In most cases, grads from a two-year program can transfer to a four-year institution to complete a traditional four-year degree if so desired, or finish the final two years with online studies while employed in entry-level flying jobs.

Going The Extra Mile

A substantial number of colleges and universities have come to a major revelation in recent years. Unlike degrees in history and English, for example, an aviation-related degree is more than an academic discipline: It is a ticket to a career immediately upon graduation, much like medicine and law. As such, faculty and department administrators are seeking new and innovative ways to enrich campus life for aviation students and enhance the prospect of career success for graduates. These programs continue to distinguish themselves by what they do beyond the basics.

For some, total immersion in flight training is the first order of business. In these instances, enrolling at a Sierra Academy, Spartan School of Aeronautics, or a Pan Am International Flight Academy might be the sound strategy. This avenue is especially attractive to pilots who already have a degree. For those who do not have a college education but desire both scholastics and academy-level training, there is a way to have both.

In 1996, Florida's Jacksonville University pioneered a unique relationship with Comair Aviation Academy. Juan Merkt, then director of JU's aviation department, formed a partnership with Comair that combines the academic excellence of an established university with an airline-designed, airline operated flight academy. (Merkt is now at Ohio University.)

Students receive a well-rounded education at JU while earning their FAA pilot ratings in an integrated program. Comair instructors provide comprehensive, professional pilot training at Craig Municipal Airport, just six miles from the JU campus. After completing flight training, JU students may qualify for positions as paid flight instructors and can log up to 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time. After finishing the phase as instructors, JU graduates are guaranteed employment interviews with Comair Airlines.

Bridging The Gap

More and more, colleges and universities are engaging in extraordinary efforts to bring their students and future employers together. Two institutions with a fulltime commitment to that goal are Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of North Dakota. Both have dedicated staffs that devote themselves entirely to bridging that gap.

As an example of the kind of work that ERAU is doing, despite industry setbacks following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the soft economy, it announced last fall a "dual track hiring program" is designed to provide opportunities for ERAU graduates with a bachelor's degree in aeronautical science to become new-hire pilots with Northwest Airlines. The comprehensive agreement establishes initial selection criteria, specific course requirements, minimum flight experience requirements, and Transport category aircraft training at Northwest Airlines. Selected students will have the opportunity to work for Northwest immediately after graduation.