higher education after license
City is very highly regarded, both in general terms and within aviation. Not quite world leading, but very good.
Regarding degrees - A DEGREE IS NOT A BACKUP. It may support your career, it may help progress into something else, it may develop skills that are very useful: but it is not a specific qualification.
If you want a backup, get a bookkeepers qualification, qualify as a lifeguard, do evening classes at catering college - in other words a specific skill.
Do a degree to enhance you and your career, or for the sheer interest of it. I did a part time PhD years back that I didn't need, but it opened a lot of doors for me - but it built on what I had (and was very interesting and rewarding), not acted as a backup to anything.
Part time makes a lot of sense for anybody who has a "real life", such as flying for an airline or as a flying instructor: if you are very disciplined it can be fitted in well with other activities. If I was looking at that, I'd start by looking at the (UK) Open University, or (US) Embry-Riddle, but there are certainly other organisations worth looking at. Just beware of the "certificate mills", which certainly exist, particularly in the USA, and will just take your money for a worthless piece of paper. Anywhere giving you significant credits for existing experience is probably in this last category.
G
Regarding degrees - A DEGREE IS NOT A BACKUP. It may support your career, it may help progress into something else, it may develop skills that are very useful: but it is not a specific qualification.
If you want a backup, get a bookkeepers qualification, qualify as a lifeguard, do evening classes at catering college - in other words a specific skill.
Do a degree to enhance you and your career, or for the sheer interest of it. I did a part time PhD years back that I didn't need, but it opened a lot of doors for me - but it built on what I had (and was very interesting and rewarding), not acted as a backup to anything.
Part time makes a lot of sense for anybody who has a "real life", such as flying for an airline or as a flying instructor: if you are very disciplined it can be fitted in well with other activities. If I was looking at that, I'd start by looking at the (UK) Open University, or (US) Embry-Riddle, but there are certainly other organisations worth looking at. Just beware of the "certificate mills", which certainly exist, particularly in the USA, and will just take your money for a worthless piece of paper. Anywhere giving you significant credits for existing experience is probably in this last category.
G
Guest
Posts: n/a
hey, thanks a lot for your time 
but, you got me confused on one part...about a degree not being a back up
how i see it is,
suppose i am a pilot, but because my medical become invalid or because of some other reason, i am not permitted to fly, then i'll need some solid degree to secure another job...
but what you said about having a specific skill also serving as a back up is also a really good point...
can you pls tell me your view point on this degree thing, cause it would really help if i could see this from all angles...
thanks a lot
cheers
but, you got me confused on one part...about a degree not being a back up
how i see it is,
suppose i am a pilot, but because my medical become invalid or because of some other reason, i am not permitted to fly, then i'll need some solid degree to secure another job...
but what you said about having a specific skill also serving as a back up is also a really good point...
can you pls tell me your view point on this degree thing, cause it would really help if i could see this from all angles...
thanks a lot
cheers
This is really down to the difference between education and training.
Education is about the ability to think and understand about a subject, whilst training is about the ability to do something. A degree is an educational qualification, whilst a licence is a training qualification.
So, my degrees in aeronautical engineering are about my ability to think hard about how aeroplanes work. My pilots licences are about my ability to fly an aeroplane well and safely.
It is possible to build on the education that a degree gives you to learn the skills to do a particular job - so in my case, when I first graduated with a degree in engineering, that allowed me to join the graduate training programme of the organisation I went to work for - and a couple of years later, they gave me a real job managing flight trials.
But, if you ONLY have a degree, all you have is a demonstrated ability to think hard about a particular subject: such as engineering, management, environmental science.... Added to a licenced skill - such as a commercial pilot, or as an aircraft design signatory, that can be really useful and help build your career as far as you want to go.
But, the graduate training jobs tend to go to the recent graduates whose "thinking skills" are fresh out of the box, they are unlikely to go to somebody who can't show they've used the education recently.
So, that's why I think that if you want a true backup, get a "licence" - as an accountant, cook, mechanic - whatever you'd enjoy doing and pays the bills. But a degree is something else.
On the other hand, something appropriate to the aviation world: business management, aeronautical engineering, contract law - that degree, added to the existing skill and licence of a pilot, could allow you to grow your career in a different direction (whether you keep your medical or not - after all the skills don't suddenly vanish with your medical). That's almost certainly a good thing, and gives you many more options in your career, but to call it a backup is I think incorrect.
G
Education is about the ability to think and understand about a subject, whilst training is about the ability to do something. A degree is an educational qualification, whilst a licence is a training qualification.
So, my degrees in aeronautical engineering are about my ability to think hard about how aeroplanes work. My pilots licences are about my ability to fly an aeroplane well and safely.
It is possible to build on the education that a degree gives you to learn the skills to do a particular job - so in my case, when I first graduated with a degree in engineering, that allowed me to join the graduate training programme of the organisation I went to work for - and a couple of years later, they gave me a real job managing flight trials.
But, if you ONLY have a degree, all you have is a demonstrated ability to think hard about a particular subject: such as engineering, management, environmental science.... Added to a licenced skill - such as a commercial pilot, or as an aircraft design signatory, that can be really useful and help build your career as far as you want to go.
But, the graduate training jobs tend to go to the recent graduates whose "thinking skills" are fresh out of the box, they are unlikely to go to somebody who can't show they've used the education recently.
So, that's why I think that if you want a true backup, get a "licence" - as an accountant, cook, mechanic - whatever you'd enjoy doing and pays the bills. But a degree is something else.
On the other hand, something appropriate to the aviation world: business management, aeronautical engineering, contract law - that degree, added to the existing skill and licence of a pilot, could allow you to grow your career in a different direction (whether you keep your medical or not - after all the skills don't suddenly vanish with your medical). That's almost certainly a good thing, and gives you many more options in your career, but to call it a backup is I think incorrect.
G
Aviation Degree by distance
Crazy Bird
You can do part-time aviation management qualifications through the University of New South Wales (University of New South Wales - UNSW - Home) where the courses are offered by distance.
Flying qualifications will give you entry to the Graduate Certificate in Aviation Management and then you can work your way up to the Masters degree.
In this way you can keep flying (and earning) while slowly building your back-up plan in aviation management, as I think many other pilots are doing. Try emailing aviationATunsw.edu.au ( replacing AT with @)
Good luck
Seabreeze
You can do part-time aviation management qualifications through the University of New South Wales (University of New South Wales - UNSW - Home) where the courses are offered by distance.
Flying qualifications will give you entry to the Graduate Certificate in Aviation Management and then you can work your way up to the Masters degree.
In this way you can keep flying (and earning) while slowly building your back-up plan in aviation management, as I think many other pilots are doing. Try emailing aviationATunsw.edu.au ( replacing AT with @)
Good luck
Seabreeze
