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Studies & Degrees in Aviation

Aviation is the study and practice of operating aircraft and of running the system around them: airlines, airports, air traffic control, maintenance and safety. For most students it means one of two things. The first is flight training, which leads step by step to the licences a professional pilot needs. The second is an aviation degree, which combines that training, or a management track without flying, with university study.

Students on a pilot track learn the theory of flight, meteorology, navigation, air law and human factors on the ground, and fly training aircraft and simulators. Management students look at how airlines and airports work. Aviation is closely regulated: a course matters mainly for the licence it prepares for, and each country's aviation authority sets the rules.

Qualifications and levels

Pilot licences are earned in a fixed order. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists the usual sequence in the United States as student pilot certificate, private pilot certificate, instrument rating, commercial pilot certificate, multi-engine rating and airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate. Each step has a written exam and a practical flight exam, and all pilots on a scheduled commercial airliner need the ATP certificate. European schools work to the EASA rules (Part-FCL) and use the names PPL, CPL and ATPL.

There are several ways to get there:

  • Integrated pilot course: one full-time course from no experience to a commercial licence. The integrated ATPL course at Panamedia Escuela Internacional de Pilotos in Spain has 828 hours of theory over 10 months in 14 subjects, 166 flight hours and 95 simulator hours
  • Modular training: the same licences taken one at a time (private licence, ATPL theory, commercial licence, then instrument and multi-crew courses), as offered by Atlantic Air Academy at A Coruña airport
  • Bachelor's degree with flight training: the Bachelor of Aviation (Flying) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) lasts three years and includes about 200 hours of flight training and 30 hours of simulator training. Massey University in New Zealand offers a 480-credit Bachelor of Aviation for future pilots and a 360-credit Bachelor of Aviation Management
  • Degree plus external flight school: at the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada, students take their private and commercial licences at a flight school of their choice and combine them with a two-year business diploma or a four-year Bachelor of Business Administration (Aviation)
  • Short vocational courses: cabin crew, airport passenger services and drone pilot courses. The cabin crew (TCP) course at BAI Escuela de Azafatas y Tripulantes in Madrid lasts 170 hours

In the United States, the BLS notes that some colleges and universities offer pilot training as part of a two- or four-year aviation degree, and that airline pilots typically need a bachelor's degree as well as experience as a commercial or military pilot. Aircraft mechanics typically train in a programme approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 34 schools for aviation. Twenty are in the United States, four in Spain, three in Australia and two in Canada, with single schools in New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Iraq and Latvia.

The US schools include specialised institutions such as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, large public universities such as Purdue University and The Ohio State University, and community colleges with two-year programmes. Jacksonville University states that its aviation management programmes are accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) and that its graduates can qualify for a restricted ATP certificate with 1,000 flight hours.

The Spanish schools are private training centres, not universities: Panamedia, founded in 1980, trains at bases in Mallorca, Valencia and Castellón, and Atlantic Air Academy at A Coruña airport. BAI in Madrid trains cabin crew and requires students to be at least 18 at the end of the course, to hold the Spanish ESO school certificate or an equivalent, and to show knowledge of English.

Teaching is in English in the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Before enrolling anywhere, ask which authority issues the licence (FAA, EASA, or the national authority), because a licence from one system is not automatically valid in another, and ask what medical certificate is needed before you start.

Careers

Graduates work as airline, charter or cargo pilots, flight instructors, cabin crew, air traffic controllers, aircraft maintenance technicians, and in airline and airport management. Many new pilots first work as flight instructors or charter pilots to build the flying hours that airlines ask for.

For the United States, the BLS counted 154,900 jobs for airline and commercial pilots in 2025 and projects growth of 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 16,400 openings a year. It projects 6 percent growth for aircraft and avionics mechanics and technicians and 2 percent for air traffic controllers, an occupation whose typical entry-level education is an associate's degree. These figures describe the US labour market only.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a university degree to become a pilot?

A licence, not a degree, is what allows a pilot to fly, and flight schools train pilots without awarding a degree. In the United States, however, the BLS reports that airline pilots typically need a bachelor's degree, so check what airlines in your target country expect.

How long does pilot training take?

It depends on the route. The theory part of Panamedia's integrated course takes 10 months, followed by flight and simulator training, while the UNSW Bachelor of Aviation (Flying) takes three years including the commercial licence.

Can I study aviation without flying?

Yes. Aviation management degrees, such as the Bachelor of Aviation Management at Massey University, cover airlines and airports without pilot training, and there are separate courses for cabin crew, maintenance and air traffic control.