Do I Need an Aviation Degree to Become an Airline Pilot?

The landscape of airline pilot employment has undergone a dramatic shift in recent years, particularly regarding the requirement for an aviation degree. Once considered essential, the degree has gradually transitioned from a mandatory qualification to a preferred attribute, and now, most airlines have dropped it altogether. To understand the modern airline employment market and the trending shift to the contemporary pilot hiring requirements, as well as the most efficient ways of meeting the hiring standards, we have decided to publish this article.

From a Requirement to Just a Preference

For decades, an aviation degree was a prerequisite for aspiring airline pilots. It was viewed as a vital stepping stone, providing foundational knowledge in aviation theory, flight dynamics, and navigation. This requirement ensured a standardized level of academic preparation among pilot candidates.

However, the tide began to turn in the early 2010s. Faced with a looming pilot shortage, airlines started questioning the necessity of a degree. They recognized that valuable skills and experience could be gained outside of a traditional academic setting. This led to the gradual relaxation of degree requirements, with many airlines making it a “preferred” qualification rather than a mandatory one. The emphasis started to be placed on the “holistic approach” where candidates were interviewed and evaluated as a whole package, and such factors as overall career motivation and perseverance, financial situation, training record and high-school academic achievement played a major role in the hiring decision.

To illustrate just how much the pilot hiring landscape has changed over the last ten years, we have created a short list of the leading world Airlines and their degree requirements and preferences. Have a look:

Please don’t forget that if you are an international student who eventually wants to work for the US airlines, you may face significant difficulties with obtaining the employment permit, unless you are an exceptional pilot. Please read this article for more information >>> Therefore, employment practices of the US airlines should be of no consequence to your aviation career. Most international students who undergo their flight training in the US focus on more realistic employment targets, such as Gulf Airlines – Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Fly Dubai, etc.

So, you might wonder, “Why would airlines choose not to hire candidates with aviation degrees?” The reasoning may come as a surprise. In recent years, the airline industry has observed that the newest generation of pilots lacks strong loyalty to a single employer. These pilots are highly “fluid,” ready to switch to another airline for better pay and working conditions at a moment’s notice. Some may even consider shifting from flying to roles in consulting or management. Yet, training a pilot, including those already holding an ATP license, can cost an airline significantly—ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars for specific type ratings and training to meet an airline’s operational standards. When a pilot departs, the airline loses a costly and valuable asset. To minimize the risk of losing employees who easily transition between jobs, many airlines have shifted their hiring focus to prioritize candidates based on their licenses, experience, and safety records, rather than their academic background. Consequently, candidates without degrees have emerged as more stable and loyal assets, more likely to remain with an airline long-term.

Exploring the Alternative Pathways

Contributing to this shift was the emergence of alternative pathways to becoming a pilot. Flight schools and training programs began offering accelerated courses, often coupled with partnerships with airlines, providing aspiring pilots with the necessary skills and flight hours without the need for a four-year degree. Aviation authorities started to add a significant academic segment to the basic and advanced flight training curriculum, thus elevating pilots knowledge to near-degree level standard. Such approach has eliminated the need for useless in the aviation industry auxiliary humanitarian subjects (such as philosophy, social science, social justice, etc) which are often required by colleges and universities even for technical degrees, and sold to the aspiring pilots as a needlessly expensive package.

The End of a Full-time Traditional Aviation Degree

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the trend away from degree requirements. With airlines facing significant financial challenges and a reduced need for pilots, they further streamlined their hiring criteria. Many major carriers, including American, United, and Delta, completely eliminated the requirement for an aviation degree.

Several factors contributed to this dramatic shift:

• Pilot Shortage: Airlines are facing a global pilot shortage, estimated to reach 80,000 by 2032. This has forced them to broaden their recruitment pool and become more flexible with their requirements.
• Cost and Time: An aviation degree can be expensive and time-consuming, deterring potential candidates. By removing the requirement, airlines are making the career path more accessible and affordable.
• Skill Equivalency: Airlines recognize that valuable skills and knowledge can be gained through various routes,not just a formal degree program. Flight experience, military service, and other relevant experiences are increasingly recognized as valid substitutes for a degree.
• Focus on Practical Skills: Airlines are placing greater emphasis on practical flying skills and technical knowledge during the hiring process. They prioritize candidates who demonstrate proficiency in flight operations, decision-making, and crew resource management, regardless of their academic background.
• De-emphasis of Auxiliary “Social Science” Courses: many universities in recent years, especially in North America and Europe, have been heavily influenced by the rise of Marxist ideology which has shifted their focus of science degree graduation requirements from scientific courses, such as applied physics, calculus, organic chemistry, etc, towards social science subjects, such as sociology, human geography, critical race theory, social justice, etc – subjects that are not only useless for an airline pilot, but also damaging to the crew resource management and crew cohesion, cause a rise in the “victim mentality” and encourage pilots to blame society for their personal mistakes – attitudes which are incompatible with the work of a professional airline pilot. Such subjects are normally sold by the traditional universities to the aviation students as a “package deal” requirement for graduation and charged at a very high rate, resulting in exuberant academic fees. Employers recognize this current trend in academia and realize that the full aviation degree bring nothing useful to the modern employment environment.

The Rise of an Accredited Online Aviation Degree

While a full aviation degree may no longer be a mandatory requirement for airline pilot employment, it still holds somevalue. It can provide a strong foundation in aviation theory and offer a competitive edge in a crowded job market. Additionally, airlines may still favor candidates with degrees in certain situations, such as for leadership positions or fast-track programs.

To mitigate this, students who still want to earn a full 4-year Bachelor of Science degree, are electing to go through an online route instead of full-time traditional route. In recent years, many accredited online universities started to offer Bachelor of Applied Science Aviation Degrees, where around 50% of academic credit is given to already existing pilot licenses (CPL, ATPL, CFI, etc) and practical experience (overall flight time, command time, turbine time, etc) and even type-ratings (A320, B737, CL-65, and so on), and the other 50% is give to the required science courses, such as physics, calculus, chemistry and so on, with a much lower humanitarian subject course load. Upon graduation students are awarded fully-accredited “Bachelor of Applied Science in Aviation Science” 4-year degrees, which fit all the degree preferences (if such exist) for all airline employment.

One of the most compelling advantages of pursuing an online applied science aviation degree lies in the flexibility it affords. Unlike traditional full-time study, online programs allow students to tailor their learning schedules to accommodate their flight instructor or airline work commitments, family responsibilities, or other life obligations. Online degree study programs break down geographical barriers, providing an option to graduate with a fully-accredited US aviation degree to pilots who have left the US after training and now flying for International charter companies or airlines.

Cost and time efficiency is a key advantage of online applied science aviation degrees, allowing learners to progress at fast pace and at at a much lower cost. Traditional full-time study often follows a rigid timeline, with students moving through courses in a predetermined sequence. In contrast, online programs enable individuals to accelerate their learning or take a more deliberate approach based on their comprehension and personal circumstances. This efficiency not only accelerates the time to degree completion but also caters to different learning styles.

Online applied science aviation degrees often come with a more favorable financial outlook: online learners benefit from much lower tuition fees, as online schools have lower overhead expenses associated with physical campuses. Additionally, students can save on commuting costs, textbooks, and other ancillary expenses. This cost-effectiveness enhances the overall value proposition of online education.

Finally, online aviation degree programs leverage cutting-edge technologies to enhance the learning experience. Interactive multimedia, virtual classrooms, and collaborative online platforms facilitate engaging and dynamic interactions between students and professors. This technology integration not only mirrors the digital tools prevalent in the world of professional aviation.

The Staggering Contrast in Cost: an Example

A good example is a cost comparison between a full-time degree at the infamous Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an online degree at Thomas Edison State University coupled with Aerocadet’s pro-pilot program in the US.

A 4-year BSc in Aviation Science degree from a traditional Embry-Riddle University, coupled with CPL and CFI licenses, combined with on-campus living expenses, could cost a student over $200,000 USD. In contrast, a 4-year Applied BSc in Aviation Science degree from Thomas Edison, or Liberty University, coupled with Full Professional Airline Pilot (FPAP-US) program will cost a student just under $110,000 USD total. More and over, the entire training and degree combo can be achieved in under 4 years, because Full Professional Airline Pilot (FPAP-US) program takes just 12 months to completer and a 4-year Applied BSc in Aviation Science degree from Thomas Edison takes just 2 years to graduate, despite the fact that it covers 4 years of study: this is because 50% of study program has already been accredited by the university to the licenses that the applicant holds. So, two years of academic studies have effectively been completed, and just two more years remaining. And these studies can be competed and time, from anywhere, at a very low cost, while earning good income as a pilot and building valuable experience. Traditional schools do not allow this flexibility to a cost-sensitive student, and this is why they are quickly loosing their popularity.

The Most Efficient Pathway to ATPL and Bachelor’s Degree

So, after reading all of the information above, you still feel like you want to get an Aviation Degree. Sure, why not – after all, it does look give you more options in your aviation career. As mentioned above, at some point of your flying career you may elect to focus more on consulting or management, and this is where having a degree will definitely become desirable. So, what’s the most cost-efficient way go getting one?

At Aerocadet we care about our international students, and we cater to their interests and career goals, so we want to ensure that you spend your money and time as efficiently as possible, yet achieve all your high aviation career aspirations. Because of that, we want to ensure that you are aware of the most effective pathway for your airline employment. This is why we recommend that you take the following aviation degree pathway:

1. Complete one of our integrated fast-track pilot training and internship program (you can see a full list of programs for International students and specifically optimized programs for Indian students here).
2. Build your flight time to 1500 hours using either a CPT/OPT internship in the US or PGWP internship in Canada, and obtain a full unrestricted ATPL.
3. After completion of your flight instructor internship phase, enroll into either Thomas Edison State University or Liberty University aviation degree program for ATP and CFI license holders, and obtain academic accreditation of 50-55 academic credits for your current experience and licenses.
4. Place the university and degree name in your aviation resume, stipulating start date as the date of your enrollment, and end date as the projected date of your graduation, which normally takes 2 years to complete. So, your projected completion date would be in the future.
5. Apply for employment as an airline pilot with your target airlines and make sure to thoroughly explain at the interview your intent to complete the degree program.
6. Complete the online degree program on your own time, while working for an airline.

This pathway will serve three purposes: it will show your potential employers that you are actively pursuing an aviation degree while already holding licenses required for airline employment, thus allowing them to employ you as a future degree holder; it will allow you to study while working at the same time, combining theoretical knowledge with the practical experience; and it will allow you to save significant amount of money and time by paying for the courses whileearning money working as an airline pilot. It will keep you employer happy, your budget manageable and propel you to the top of the airline pilot applicant pool as a someone who wants to better himself and values higher education.

Questions? Comments? Want to discuss your US training, internship and employment options with us?

We would be happy to talk to you! Schedule an appointment now via our online scheduling software >>>

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About the Author:

Russ Sherwood is an airline captain and a line check pilot at a major US airline flying the A320/321 fleet. He has logged over 9000 flight hours and holds airline, commercial and flight instructor pilot licenses issued by the FAA (US), CAAC (China) and DGCA (Indonesia).  Russ is also a lead aviation career development consultant for Aerocadet.