A unique course created to meet a demand clearly stated by employers for graduates skilled and qualified in airport business development, planning, design, operations and environmental management. Study at the only UK university campus with a fully operational airport.
Cranfield University is the only university in the world to run an English language master's course in airport planning and management. Achieving this highly relevant and globally respected degree will enable you to stand out in a competitive employment market.
Cranfield's Centre for Air Transport Management combines a wealth of practical expertise with extensive research, consultancy and teaching experience in one centre of excellence. We have been providing postgraduate education for almost sixty years. You can be sure that your qualification will be valued and respected by employers throughout the world.
In addition to management, communication, team work and research skills, you will attain the following learning outcomes from this course:
Cranfield University is very well located for visiting students from all over the world, and offers a range of library and support facilities to support your studies. This MSc programme benefits from students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds which significantly enhances the learning experience for both staff and students.
Directed by an industrial advisory committee comprising senior representatives from leading airports and associated sectors. This group meets annually to ensure that the course content will equip you with the skills and knowledge required by leading employers.
Industrial Advisory Committee members include:
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
Nine compulsory taught modules, a group project and an individual research project.
Group project
In April students are divided into groups of seven to ten, and asked to solve a current airport planning and management challenge. The group project draws upon the learning from the taught modules and applies it to real-life simulation. Each member is required to take responsibility for a key area, for example, market analysis, capital expenditure forecast or terminal design. The group submits a report of their findings and recommendations and delivers a presentation to staff, students and industry experts.
Projects are usually supported by industry and potential future employers value this experience. Industry involvement is an integral component to the group project, to give you first-hand experience of working within real life challenging situations.
Previous Group Projects have included:
Individual project
The individual research project is the single largest component of this course and is an opportunity to study a problem in detail. Sponsoring organisations may co-operate in the choice of a suitable subject. Project topics vary widely and are often based on your area of interest. The individual research project component typically takes place between April and August.
Previous individual research projects have included:
Assessment
Taught modules 50%, Group project 10%, Individual research project 40%
Working in an airport environment offers varied and exciting career possibilities. Graduates should be able to pursue a career working for an airport authority in business development, operations, design and planning or with one of the many planning and management consultancies that advise airports across the world.
Our passion for the areas of expertise we operate in, and our hands-on relationship with industry are unparalleled. This is recognised globally by potential employers and we have a proven record of graduate employment across airports, consultancies and associated industries.
Previous graduates have secured employment with a range of companies including:
We also provide access to our exclusive LinkedIn Cranfield University - Air Transport Group, which offers unrivalled networking and job opportunities.
In today's rapidly changing air transport environment the industry requires access to advanced and comprehensive knowledge, coupled with an in-depth understanding of its needs.
Designed to equip you with the skills required to pursue a successful career in various sectors of the air transport industry including airlines, airport companies and authorities, civil aviation departments, air transport consultancies and aerospace companies. Strong industry links and success in placing graduates in this sector for over 50 years.
The course is suitable for students with a degree in aeronautical engineering, economics, business studies and geography or those with demonstrable experience in the air transport industry.
This course covers a wide area of expertise related to air transport management whilst enabling you to specialise in appropriated subject areas. This flexibility means that you may tailor the course to your particular interests and aspirations. It aims to provide you with a thorough grounding in all air transport issues as well as managerial, interpersonal, financial and analytical skills.
The MSc Air Transport Management has been established since 1964. The course has an outstanding global reputation with over 1,000 graduates to date. Graduates of this course are featured in our annual CV Book, a publication which is requested by and circulated to our extensive industry partner network, as our graduates are highly sought after. We help students prepare their CV and for interviews for positions all over the world. In addition, we give students access to our exclusive Air Transport Alumni group on LinkedIn. This offers unrivalled networking and job opportunities.
Cranfield University is very well located for students from all over the world, and offers a range of library and support facilities to support your studies. This MSc programme benefits from students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds which significantly enhances the learning experience for both staff and students.
The course is directed by an industrial advisory committee comprising senior representatives from leading airports and associated sectors. This group meets annually and ensures that the course content remains up-to-date and equips students with the skills and knowledge required by leading employers. Members of the committee attend the group project presentations and are actively involved in recruiting our graduates.
Current members include:
The taught programme for the Air Transport Management masters is generally delivered from October to March and is comprised of nine compulsory modules and one module from the choice of optional modules. Many of the lecture modules include case study project sessions and seminars may also be led by senior visitors from industry.
Students also receive a subscription to industry databases; OAG Schedules, ICAO data, FlightGlobal, CAPA Centre for Aviation.
Group project
The group project undertaken in April, aims to provide a simulated industrial environment where knowledge and skills gained from the taught component can be applied to solving an air transport management problem.
Students are divided into groups and tasked with setting up an airline in any country of the group's choice. Students can also choose any type of airline business model. The group present and defend their business plans to a board of senior industry executives as well as to the faculty. Each group must also submit a detailed report which will be assessed.
Individual project
The individual project is an opportunity to study a current problem and allows students to choose a subject of interest to explore in detail. Students can undertake independent research on a subject relevant to technical, operational or commercial aspects of the air transport or related industries, including a review of relevant literature, methodological planning, data collection, analysis, presentation of results, and evaluation and discussion of these results.
Previous projects have included:
Assessment
Taught modules 50%, Group project 10%, Individual research project 40%
Many of our former graduates now occupy senior positions within the air transport industry. The Centre for Air Transport Management has close links with companies and organisations in the industry who consider our students a valuable source of potential recruits.
Former students have taken up employment in a variety of positions in a wide range of organisations. Some of the main recruiting areas in recent years have included:
Drawing on the School’s research expertise, the MSc in Air Transport Management provides you with a degree that is both intellectually rigorous and up-to-date.
You will learn to critically evaluate all aspects of air transport management, and have the opportunity to analyse and debate theoretical and applied knowledge in the management, operation, organisation and provision of airlines and airports.
Built with an international perspective, the programme offers an in-depth education in the fundamental elements of air transport management. You will also study a range of relevant areas that will enhance and accelerate your career in the air transport industry.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time over two academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The aims of the new programme are to provide:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
A student would be expected:
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Handle ethical dilemmas likely to arise in management, research and professional practice and to formulate solutions in dialogue with peers, clients, mentors and others.
Key / transferable skills
Display a range of skills relevant to the needs of existing and future managers, executives and professionals irrespective of their sector of operation, particularly in the areas of:
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Designed to equip you with the skills to pursue a successful career in various sectors of the air transport industry including airlines, airport companies and authorities, civil aviation departments, air transport consultancies and aerospace companies.
This part-time flexible Executive course, available either at Cranfield or Singapore (via the Singapore Aviation Academy), covers a broad range of management strategic issues to enable you to advance your career in the air transport industry. Focus on subjects that match your individual interests and career aspirations, whilst you remain in employment.
Created to meet the demand for more flexible executive teaching in air transport management, this course is suitable for those who require a broad knowledge of air transport management strategic issues whilst remaining in full-time employment. It combines compulsory air transport core learning with an increased focus on leadership and personal development including managerial, interpersonal, financial and analytical skills. Accelerate your career development by focusing on subjects that match your individual interests and career aspirations.
We also deliver this course via the Singapore Aviation Academy. Important: to study in Singapore visit the Singapore Aviation Academy website and apply using their application process.
The MSc Air Transport Management has been established since 1964. The course has an outstanding global reputation with over 1,500 graduates to date. We recognise the challenges faced by our executive students and have reduced the required number of visits to Cranfield through the introduction of several distance learning modules which are indicated in the modules overview. This enables students from all over the world to complete this qualification whilst balancing work/life commitments.
We are very well located for students from all over the world and offers a range of library and support facilities to support your studies. This MSc programme benefits from students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds which significantly enhances the learning experience for both staff and students.
The course is directed by an industrial advisory committee comprising senior representatives from leading airlines and associated sectors. This group meets annually and ensures that the course content remains up-to-date and equips you with the skills and knowledge required by leading employers. Members of the committee also attend the group project presentations.
We regularly invite senior industry experts to present to our students. Previous speakers have included:
The taught programme for the Air Transport Management masters starts in July and is comprised of ten modules (six compulsory and four optional). All the modules are completed over three one-week periods (two modules per week) so you are only expected to make three trips to Cranfield to complete the six compulsory modules in July, November and March. Some optional modules are available for distance learning.
Group project
Students are divided into groups and tasked with setting up an airline in any country of the group's choice. Students can also choose any type of airline business model. The groups present and defend their business plans to a board of senior industry executives as well as to teaching staff. Each group must also submit a detailed report which will be assessed.
The group project is undertaken in the second year, and is held in July for two weeks. The aim is to provide a simulated industrial environment where knowledge and skills gained from the taught component can be applied to solving an air transport management problem.
Individual project
The individual research project is undertaken during year three of your studies. It provides an opportunity to study a problem in detail, and sponsoring organisations may collaborate in the choice of a suitable subject. This allows you to demonstrate the application of your learning to real-life problems.
Assessment
Taught Module 45%, Group project 15%, Individual research project 40%
Successful completion of this course will gain you an internationally recognised qualification which benefits from the Cranfield reputation and can take you onto new levels of your career anywhere in the world. We provide access to our exclusive LinkedIn Cranfield University - Air Transport Group, which offers unrivalled networking and job opportunities.
This qualification facilitates accelerated career development for many of our graduates. One former graduate began his studies as an Operations Manager and was promoted three times during his study – he is now the Deputy CEO and credits the course for enabling his progression by allowing him to take a broader view of his organisation than his original role.
Other roles our former graduates have gone on to occupy include:
Events play an essential role in the business, cultural and sporting life of all countries. In recent years an exciting new profession has emerged with event planners designing and organising a diverse range of events, and marketing the great variety of destinations and venues in which they take place.
This course is specifically designed for people who want to enter or make further progress in, management-level careers in the fast-expanding field of event management. London is an ideal place in which to study events with many venues on the doorstep. As a regular host of world-class sports and culture events such as Wimbledon, the London Marathon, Notting Hill Carnival and the London Fashion Week, as well as one-off mega events such as the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics games and the 2015 Rugby World Cup, London is widely recognised as a world events capital. With several hundred venues and an abundance of international business and leisure events, London is a world leader in this dynamic industry.
This course explores the strategic development, design and logistical organisation of many different types of event. You will also learn how events and conferences contribute to enriching the lives of communities and improve communications in business, politics and professional life. The dissertation will give you further opportunity to research a conference or events topic in depth. The course is taught by experienced academics and industry practitioners, providing valuable insight into this exciting industry sector.
The following modules are indicative of what you study on this course.
Core modules
Option modules
We believe that field trips can make a huge contribution to student learning and course enjoyment and we take full advantage of our superb location to make visits to London hotels, event venues, visitor attractions and cultural sites.
At postgraduate level there is a residential field trip in the first semester to a UK destination, with some assessment work attached to the visit. There are also several London-based visits throughout the course.
Graduates from this course enter a wide range of careers, in both the private and the public sectors, in Britain and internationally. These careers range from conference and events planning, to venue management, to destination marketing. Some choose to work with specialist organisations, such as convention bureaux, while others opt to work as professional conference organisers, event managers and venue promoters. Some students go on to pursue doctoral studies.
Strathclyde Business School has been delivering the Strathclyde MBA on an executive (part-time) basis via our international centres since 1988. We’ve successfully offered and developed the MBA in Zurich, Switzerland since 1996.
A pioneering and experienced MBA provider, we update and review our MBA to reflect the current business environment. Strathclyde’s MBA is strategy-focused and blends theoretical and practical business learning. Our MBA is flexible, and responsive to the needs of working individuals. Our wide choice of electives can help you personalise the programme to suit your business interests. These elective classes can be studied in Zurich, as well as in Glasgow or at our other international centres, to give you an international learning and networking experience.
The MBA project gives you an opportunity to examine in depth a managerial, organisational or environmental issue of your choice over an extended period of time. Our Executive MBA allows you to study whilst continuing with your career and allows you to implement your learning into work.
The programme is designed for busy executives who need to combine career and family commitments with the demands of MBA studies. The flexibility of the part-time approach enables most participants to graduate within two years. However, study may be spread over a longer period if necessary, to a maximum of six years.
Typically, your MBA studies will be made up of:
You’ll work in an international environment alongside like-minded classmates and be part of our long established network of students and alumni from our international postgraduate centres.
A highlight of the Strathclyde calendar is the annual MBA Summer School which takes place in Glasgow, over May and June. The summer school is open to all study routes of the MBA who have reached the elective stage of the programme. It's a great way to accelerate your studies, and network with a large group of international colleagues.
There are two intakes per year for the Strathclyde MBA in Switzerland in October and April.
Strathclyde Business School is triple accredited by the three international accreditation bodies – AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB. To gain accreditation by one of these bodies is an achievement in itself. To gain accreditation by all three bodies is a truly outstanding accomplishment and one of which we're proud.
Learning methods include:
Assessment throughout the programme involves a combination of:
As far as possible, coursework will be related to your work environment. The examinations and assignments are set, marked and validated by the University of Strathclyde academic staff. They're identical to and assessed on the same basis as students undertaking the programme in the UK.
There are two examination schedules each year:
All examinations are available at each sitting and you choose which is most appropriate for you.
We recognise that career development is one of the main reasons why people invest in an MBA. The MBA job market offers plenty of global opportunity but can be complex and challenging.
That's why we offer a dedicated careers service for MBA students. This consists of career planning and skills development as well as unlimited access to personal advice and coaching. Our careers service is delivered in-house and by a team of top consultants.
We work with you to complement your proactive job search efforts. We help you use your own particular career background and strengths to help with your next career move too.
You’ll gain the understanding and tools to develop your personal, strategic career plan, as well as the self-marketing and communication skills to make effective applications and impress at interview.
You’ll have the knowledge of the global job market and a range of contacts to make it work for you.
Our core professional development programme is delivered in four modules throughout the year. Each lasts for a week and are held in October, November, January and February. The programme includes:
CPD 1
CPD 2
CPD 3
CPD 4
Throughout the year, there will be additional workshops, master classes and company presentations.
This master's programme has been designed to meet the needs of those who aspire to management in tourism. It is aimed to help you develop a detailed knowledge and understanding of tourism and of the tourist industry. It is designed to give you the associated management skills and abilities necessary for management in the world’s largest and fastest growing industry to meet the needs of an ever more sophisticated international traveller.
The MSc in International Tourism Management is intended for those with a passion for the wider tourism industry. It is designed for tourism managers and those who would see their career in tourism. The International Tourism Industry is one of the world’s major growth areas. The industry is vast and covers a diverse range of activities from Tourism Planning and Development at local and national level, creating and marketing tourist packages and the operation hotels and restaurants. The qualification is recognised worldwide for International Employment.
The course examines tourism management from the point of view of both the commercial private sector business and the public non-business perspective (tourism products and experiences), and is underpinned by understanding key principles of tourism. It will equip you for working at the level of individual enterprises, across the different sectors of the tourism industry, including its public sector in tourism development and promotion to managers within tour operations and destination management. The programme is vocationally relevant and academically challenging, this course is for current employees seeking to up-skill and move into management positions across the tourism sector, as well as providing graduates with all the competencies and qualities needed for employment and career growth as tourism managers.
The course starts with an induction period of three days duration. As a full time student you will complete the master’s degree in three semesters / one calendar year. Part-time students will complete a maximum of two modules per semester and it will take six semesters 2 to 2½ years.
A key strength of the MSc is that it is modular in structure and delivered in blended learning mode, with all modules being taught in 3 day intensive blocks.
Our novel delivery is designed to fit around your home and work life as a mature student. We recognise that being able to schedule study around your life-needs is of vital importance for academic success. Accordingly we have designed our master’s programmes to be delivered in compact and intensive three day immersive learning experiences.
The block delivered modules are supported with online discussion groups and three half day learning sets (tutorial learning support) per module. These days are set to meet with your tutors and student groups to develop your assessed work.
Semester three includes the three day learning block on research methods followed by a series of support meetings with your dissertation or business project supervisor between June and September.
The calendar of scheduled teaching blocks and learning sets is available to you prior to commencement on the programme.
Accredited by the Institute of Hospitality that academic, vocational and professional standards achieved are appropriate and programme content and delivery meet international Institute of Hospitality benchmark standards.
This qualification offers a world of opportunities in terms of career options in one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries. The tourism industry is composed of a diverse range of sectors and employers including national tourist organisations, airlines, visitor attractions (theme/amusement parks, natural landscape sites, castles, museums), tour operators, event venues, ferry/cruise companies, airport operations and management. You also have the opportunity to pursue avenues such as teaching, lecturing, training, research and consultancy in relation to tourism.
Do you want your work to involve revenue management, transport planning and scheduling in railways, shipping lines and airlines or supply chain design? Or would you rather excel in science? Do you have sound academic training in econometrics, mathematics, physics, industrial, mechanical or systems engineering? Then you should seriously consider the Operations Research and Quantitative Logistics programme.
Operations Research is a broadly applicable discipline in which advanced quantitative methods are used to help make better decisions. Quantitative Logistics studies the application of quantitative techniques to design, plan and control logistics systems. This programme trains you in both fields, while addressing real-world problems.
This specialisation focuses on areas in transport and logistics requiring strong quantitative skills. It differs from other standard logistics or supply chain management programmes in the sense that you also learn all about the methodology underlying advanced decision support systems. Giving you the edge.
With this specialisation, you can easily secure employment in sectors that are in increasing need of quantitative skills, like logistics / transport, healthcare and utilities. Records show that the analytical skills acquired in this programme will give you distinctive hiring and starting salary advantages over many other graduate programmes. Today’s need for data-driven management is fulfilled by our graduates. Examples of companies include:
Do you share our students’ sound academic training in a quantitative domain? Does the transport/logistics sector appeal to you, too? Are you ambitious and analytical just like they are? They will gladly share their thoughts on the programme with you.
Download the brochure here.
