What it’s about:

The aviation science major prepares you for a career as a flight crew member on commercial aircraft, a corporate pilot, or other type of pilot. In your training to become an aviation professional, you will be encouraged to develop your mathematical and problem-solving skills. Emphasis is placed on crew resource management, safety, and the principals involved in aircraft operations.

What the study of this major is like:

As an aviation science major, you combine flight training and academic studies, preparing for a career as a professional flight crew member on a jet transport aircraft, a corporate pilot, or a military pilot. Generally, you spend your first two years learning basic physics, mathematics, and communications skills, as well as fundamental aeronautics. You study how aircraft are designed and how they work, including the function of flight systems and controls and of navigator systems. You also study the procedures and government regulations for flight crew operations, radio communications, air safety, air traffic, and navigation.

In your third and fourth years, you take advanced training courses and study high-level aeronautical science. With the aid of the aircraft trainers and simulator trainers, you practice flying, navigating, and operating aircraft. These exercise help you sharpen your abilities to react quickly and effectively, by analysing situations and solving problems. As in all flight-related courses, the paramount emphasis is on safety.

In addition to flight training, some programs offer courses in the human factors of aviation, which may include cockpit resource management, aviation psychology, and aviation accident investigation and analysis. In conjunction with courses in business, economics, communications, and management, you are prepared for a variety of careers in the aviation industry besides flying.

Depending on the strength of the program, by the time you graduate you may be qualified to take commercial and airline crew examinations given by the federal Aviation Administration, or you may have already earned FAA certification as an instrument-rated commercial pilot.

Career options and trends:

Passenger airline pilot*; corporate pilot*; military pilot*; aircraft dispatcher; flight instructor; natural resources pilot; fire fighting pilot; law enforcement pilot; law enforcement pilot; aerial applicator.

All pilots who are paid to transport passengers or cargo must have a commercial pilot’s license with an instrument rating issued by the FAA, which requires a minimum of 250 hours of flight experience. Requirements for the airlines are much higher. You must have an airline transport pilot’s license (minimum of 1,500 hours); obtain night, instrument, and multiengine ratings; and pass FAA written and flight examinations. Depending on the airline, you may have to be certified for specific types of aircraft and pass psychologist and aptitude tests.

Jobs in the airline industry are closely tied to the economy. During times of recession, as well as decreased air travel for other reasons, airlines will be forced to lay off flight crews, normally for a few months only. Competition for jobs is expected to be strong, even with a projected growth in passenger travel and the approaching retirement age of a considerable number of pilots. The fastest growth should occur among regional commuter airlines, although at lower pay scales.

More pilots with civilian rather than military training are entering the airline profession; but military pilots continue to have a competitive advantage because they usually have more flight experience in sophisticated equipment.

Source: CollegeBoard 2012 Book of Majors