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KSU vs SIUC vs WMU ????

Discussion in 'Collegiate Aviation' started by Pilotuh, Sep 12, 2011.

  1. Pilotuh New Member

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    Hello everyone,
    I am an international student going to study aviation in the USA. I have been accepted to KSU at Salina, WMU and SIUC, and know I have to choose which one is the best for me. I am really interested on the SIUC program because I can get a degree is Management while instructing, and I'm also into the KSU at Salina program because it looks awesome and it is very cheap comparing it to the others.
    Please let me know what you think!

    Thankx
  2. citrus Member

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    I hope you're going for Business Management and not Avia. Management - because I can tell you that degree is pretty much worthless.
    And I'm a SIU avia/flight alum and thats speaking from experience.
  3. Pilotuh New Member

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    Well... I forgot to tell u guy that I want to be a professional pilot, so I think that the Avia. Management would be an addon to my curriculum. I don't really care about it.
  4. flyingsaluki1 Well-Known Member

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    The Aviation Management degree is intended to be an add-on to the the flight courses. It's not worthless when it gets you a job flying.

    If your goal isn't to fly or you would like a backup, choose something else. But my advise, and what I myself am doing, is to do the AVM degree along with the flight courses
  5. citrus Member

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    Being so focused in one field I feel like puts in a corner when it comes for employment - granted it could go either way.
    I worked for a regional airline after graduating and I feel like I would've fared a lot better at my place of employment had I gone for a business degree.
    The flight program in itself is solid, I would even recommend going there just for the flight portion.
    Again this is just my opinion not a recommendation.
    Good luck with your decision.
  6. flyingsaluki1 Well-Known Member

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    Hmm, interesting insight. I have thought a couple of times about switching or doubling my major. But I was a bit behind the eightball for that.

    What is it that you feel you lack because of the management degree or lack of business degree?
  7. Adler Nobody Important

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    My degree got me my job.
    And I'm a WMU avia/flight alum and thats speaking from experience.
  8. flyingsaluki1 Well-Known Member

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    Was your degree in aviation management or something else?
  9. Adler Nobody Important

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    Aviation Flight Science
  10. juxtapilot Superuser

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    Interesting. Several of our members on here (mostly those currently at major airlines on heavy aircraft) would disagree with this statement...

    Doctors go to medical school, lawyers to law school. Shouldn't pilots go to aviation school?
    r_heim21 likes this.
  11. 1B9Pilot "CLEAR"

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    I think it's because Doctors have to go to medical school and lawyers have to go to law school. Pilot's don't have to go to Aviation University (granted they must go to pilot school ;)) My brother has a degree in Poly. Science and is in law school, he didn't have a degree in "Pre-law" Doctors can't train at the local "Doctor FBO" but pilots can. A pilot can get a degree in anything they like and still fly on the side because they don't need to have any special degree, they just need one to fly at major carriers.
  12. staledog your little buddy

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    Do you like cold weather or warmer weather? Because it gets really cold in Michigan.

    Do you like bigger towns and would you rather go to a bigger school? Because Salina is a much smaller town/school than Carbondale. If you want to meet some girls, you're going to have a much better chance in Carbondale (maybe not wife material, but you might find a good one if you're lucky).

    How important is it to you to save some $$? Don't know how much you would save going to Salina but if it's a lot then that's a big plus if your money is tight. If your money is really limited and it's that much cheaper, you might want to go to Kansas...it would suck to get halfway through the program in Carbondale or Michigan and run out of money.

    I went to SIUC, and loved it.
  13. citrus Member

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    So did mine, not discounting it but if I had to do it again I would pick something else.
    Looking down the line I don't think its carries a lot of weight for the positions I'm seeking.
  14. citrus Member

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    I never really researched of avia. management degree, I just signed up for it.
    I graduated from school but I didn't feel "prepared" for the business side of things.
    So I started taking class at the local CC and I feel like I gained so much just by taking ACC/marketing/biz law classes.
    My life goals have completely changed now as compared just a few years ago.
    If I could I would make a career of being a lifetime college student :teef:
  15. jskibo Old

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    Interesting points, I'll offer a counter point. (From SIUC)

    I was a triple Major (Flight / Maintenance / Management) at one point. Flight because I wanted it, Maintenance because I had the A side of the A&P and it would be an easy add on and Management because it was a Bachelor of Science Degree with the others being AS and AA.

    I picked up a Co-Op program at the end of my second semester with then McDonnell-Douglas partly from my Navy Experience, partly from association with the maintenance degree I was pursuing. I spent two semesters working at MDC and got a job offer. Seeing what the pilot side was getting for offers at the time ($14K to $20K if they were lucky and not CFI'ing for eternity), I thought $42k was a better path (this is mid 90's). I dropped the two AA majors and poured on the credit hours to graduate early (2.5 years total).

    That job worked out great, and I spent 15 years working for McDonnell-Douglas and Boeing after the merger. Worked my way through Product Support (ILS) and Program Management ranks and was in six figures for my last seven years of employment there. I left last fall for a sweet offer from GE Aviation that also led to a better offer for my wife (at the same company).....(yes she makes more than me, but not much).

    What degree do I have? BS in Aviation Management from SIUC
    What degree does my wife have? EE from Cal State Long Beach, Bio Med Engineering from Cal State Long Beach, MBA from Pepperdine, Masters in Communication from Gonzaga and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School

    We both make well over six figures and though she makes more, its less than $15k more.

    Don't listen to the "Aviation Management Degrees are worthless" crowd. Its all in what you make of it and how you network and present yourself. When I hire, I barely look at what degree anyone has.
  16. spoolinup22 Well-Known Member

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    Cannot agree anymore!
  17. So ILL Weightless

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    What are you interested in besides flying? Major in that and fly.

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