Aeronautical Engineering (with placement year)

"This course is ideal if you want to become a pilot or work as an engineer or manager in the airline industry.

On our Aeronautical Engineering degree we place special emphasis on flight deck design, particularly the relationship between pilot and modern fly-by-wire computer interfaces. You will learn about propulsion systems, which covers gas turbine engines, rocket engines and internal combustion engines. Get hands-on experience in our state-of-the-art labs, which include a flight simulator that can simulate Boeing and Airbus aircraft as well as helicopters, and a new computerised wind tunnel. The computer-aided design (CAD) techniques you’ll learn are the ones used by professional practitioners in the sector, including Finite Element Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics. You'll also get to take part in a group-based project so you can apply your skills and knowledge to a real aircraft engineering design brief.

Many graduates from this course have gone on to pilot roles with companies such as British Airways, Etihad, Monarch, the Royal Air Force and Virgin. Others have secured engineering roles with companies like Rolls Royce, General Electric, Augusta Westland Airbus Helicopters and Eurocopter. Alternatively you could study an MSc in Aeronautical Engineering.

On our Aeronautical Engineering degree we place special emphasis on flight deck design, particularly the relationship between pilot and modern fly-by-wire computer interfaces. You will learn about propulsion systems, which covers gas turbine engines, rocket engines and internal combustion engines.

Get hands-on experience in our state-of-the-art labs, which include a flight simulator that can simulate Boeing and Airbus aircraft as well as helicopters, and a new computerised wind tunnel.

The computer-aided design (CAD) techniques you’ll learn are the ones used by professional practitioners in the sector, including Finite Element Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics. Many of these subjects are taught in group-based projects so you can apply your skills and knowledge to a real aircraft engineering design brief.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BEng (Hons) Aeronautical Engineering

Year 1 Core: Fundamentals of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Fundamentals of Mechanics and Thermo Fluids, Introduction to Engineering Design and Practise, Introduction to Engineering Mathematics, Professional Development and Engineering Applications Year 2 Core: Mechanical Structures, Aeronautical Principles, Intermediate Engineering Mathematics, Aerodynamics, Automation and Control, Design Engineering, Leadership and Management, Team Design Project for Sustainability Year 3 Core: Individual Engineering Project, Applied Aeronautical Principles, Computational Fluid Dynamics, UAV and Synthetic Flight, Structures and FEA. Options: Pilot Studies or Manufacturing Operations.

Your course will provide you with opportunities to test your understanding of your subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally includes practice or ‘formative’ assessments, for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations, final year, independent project and written examinations. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.