With a projected demand for 27,000 new civil airliners by 2030, the industry faces a shortfall in postgraduate level engineers to meet future industry needs. Aircraft engineers need a combination of technical and business skills for today's aerospace engineering projects. This course will broaden your understanding of aircraft engineering and design subjects and provide you with a strong foundation for career development in technical, integration and leadership roles.
We recognise the challenge of undertaking part-time study while you are working. This course is specifically designed for people working in engineering or technical management positions in the aerospace industry who wish to study for an accredited master's degree while they are in employment.
You are required to attend a total of nine weeks of lectures over three years on a modular basis. The first year attendance pattern is two weeks in February, followed by one week in June and one week in November. Following a series of compulsory modules, you may choose three specialist optional modules in order to tailor the course to your particular interests and requirements.
This course provides accelerated development of engineering staff whilst delivering the right mix of technical and business skills for careers in the aerospace industry. The course will broaden your understanding of aircraft engineering and design subjects, and provide a strong foundation for career development in technical, integration and leadership roles. This accredited master's course supports your career development by meeting the further learning requirements for Chartered Engineer status. The Group project allows you to gain hands on experience of development and design lifecycle, and the Individual project allows you to investigate a topic that is of interest to your employer, with supervision from experienced staff.
Cranfield has been at the forefront of postgraduate education in aircraft engineering since 1946. We have a global reputation for our advanced postgraduate education and extensive applied research. You can be sure that your qualification will be valued and respected by employers.
The Industrial Advisory Panel, comprised of senior industry professionals, provides input into the curriculum in order to improve the employment prospects of our graduates. Panel members include:
The MSc in Aircraft Engineering will meet, in part, the exemplifying academic benchmark requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Accredited MSc graduates who also have a BEng (Hons) accredited for CEng will be able to show that they have satisfied the educational base for CEng registration.
The MSc in Aircraft Engineering consists of three elements: taught modules, a group design project and an individual research project.
Group project
The group project is undertaken throughout year two of your studies and provides a wealth of learning opportunities. You will work together on a significant design project, progressing from concept to hardware. Each student takes on a technical design role related to a major structural, systems or avionics item as well as a management role such as Chief Engineer, Project Manager, Finance Manager, etc.
Recent Group Projects have covered:
Individual project
The individual research project allows you to delve deeper into an area of specific interest of your choice, and you are encouraged to select a project that is of relevance to your sponsoring company. You will complete the individual project during year three of your studies.
Recent individual research projects have included:
Assessment
Taught modules 40%, Group project 30%, Individual research project 30%
This course will provide you with the tools and experience to help enhance your career opportunities in the aerospace industry, enabling you to progress further in your present discipline, or move into other specialist or integration roles. Networking with students from different backgrounds is valuable to gain an appreciation of how other companies work.
This course can be used for Chartered Engineer status, which can result in new career opportunities for the future.
This MSc aims to build up your knowledge of the design of flying vehicles such as aircraft, missiles, airships and spacecraft. Select from one of three specialist options and excel in a growing aerospace industry:
This MSc course provides a taught engineering programme with a focus on the technical, business and management aspects that encompass aircraft design in the civil and military aerospace sectors.
Teaching integrates a range of disciplines required for modern aircraft design, for example:
Cranfield have been at the forefront of postgraduate education in aerospace engineering since 1946 with the Aerospace Vehicle Design being one of the original foundation courses of the College of Aeronautics. Graduates from this course also become members of the Cranfield College of Aeronautics Alumni Association (CCAAA), an active community which holds a number of networking and social events throughout the year.
One unique feature of the course is that we have a range of external examiners, from industry and from academia who continually assess the quality of the course.
Cranfield University is very well located for students from all over the world, and offers a range of library, IT and support facilities to support your studies. This enables students from all over the world to complete this qualification whilst achieving the right balance of work/life commitments.
The course has an Industrial Advisory Committee with senior members from major UK aerospace companies, government bodies, and the military services. The committee meets twice a year to review and advise on course content, acquisition skills and other attributes which are deemed desirable from graduates of the course. Panel members have included professionals from organisations such as:
The MSc in Aerospace Vehicle Design, in part meets the exemplifying academic benchmark requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Accredited MSc graduates who also have a BEng (Hons) accredited for CEng will be able to show that they have satisfied the required educational base for CEng registration.
The taught component of the Aerospace Vehicle Design masters is generally delivered from October to March (or March-August for the March intake). Modules for each option vary - please refer to MSc course option pages for descriptions of compulsory modules which must be undertaken. Students also have an extensive choice of optional modules to match their specific interests.
Group project
The extensive group design project is a distinctive and unique feature of this course. This teamwork project takes place from October to March (or March-August for the March intake), and recreates a virtual industrial environment bringing together students with various experience levels and different nationalities into one integrated design team.
Each team member is given the responsibility for the detailed design of a significant part of the aircraft, for example, forward fuselage, fuel system, or navigation system. The project progress a design from the conceptual phase through to the preliminary and detail design phases. Students will be required to run project meetings, produce engineering drawings and conduct detailed analyses of their design. Problem solving and project co-ordination must be undertaken on a team and individual basis. At the end of the project, the group is required to report and present findings to a panel of up to 200 senior engineers from industry and academia.
This element of the course is both realistic and engaging, and places the whole student group in a professional role as aerospace design engineers. Students testify that working as an integrated team on real problems is invaluable and prepares them well for careers in a highly competitive industry.
Students following the Structural Design option do not participate in the Group Design Project but instead undertake a more intensive individual project.
Watch past presentation videos to give you a taster of our innovative and exciting group projects
Individual project
The individual research project element aims to provide the training necessary for you to apply knowledge from the taught elements to research, and takes place from March to September (or October-February for the March intake). The project may be theoretical and/or experimental and can be selected from a range of topics related to the course as suggested by teaching staff, your employer or even focused on your own area of interest.
Assessment
Refer to MSc course option pages for breakdown of assessment
The MSc in Aerospace Vehicle Design is valued and respected by employers worldwide. The applied nature of this course ensures that our graduates are ready to be of immediate use to their future employer and has provided sufficient breadth of understanding of multi-discipline design to position them for accelerated career progression.
This course prepares graduates for careers as project engineers, systems design, structural design or avionic engineers in aerospace or related industries, with the aim of progressing to technical management/chief engineer roles. Graduates from the MSc in Aerospace Vehicle Design can therefore look forward to a varied choice of challenging career opportunities in the above disciplines.
Many of our graduates occupy very senior positions in their organisations, making valuable contributions to the international aerospace industry. Some example student destinations include BAE Systems, Airbus, Dassault and Rolls-Royce.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Aerospace Engineering at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
Aerospace Engineering at Swansea University has a distinguished history of working with aerospace companies around the world. As a student on the MSc Aerospace Engineering, you will be provided with a systematic understanding of the advanced knowledge, critical awareness and new insights required by effective practising aerospace engineers.
The MSc Aerospace Engineering degree is based on the world-class expertise available in the Materials Engineering Centre and the Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering.
At Swansea, world-class aerospace research drives excellent teaching within a cutting-edge learning environment with state-of-the-art facilities. The MSc Aerospace Engineering course prepares you for the design, analysis, testing and flight of the full range of aeronautical vehicles, including propeller-driven and jet-powered planes, helicopters and gliders.
Students on the Aerospace Engineering course will gain hands-on experience through access to one of the world’s most advanced engineering flight simulators housed within the College of Engineering. The MSc Aerospace Engineering course at Swansea University is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), and the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED).
Modules on the Aerospace Engineering course typically include:
Finite Element Computational Analysis
Composite Materials
Flight Dynamics and Control
Advanced Airframe Structure
Advanced Aerodynamics
Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations
Aerospace Materials Engineering
Group Project
Research Dissertation
MSc Dissertation - Aerospace Engineering
“After passing all the modules on the MSc Aerospace Engineering course, I had the possibility to develop my final thesis in an industrial environment. I learnt about avionics and electronic equipment and developed team work and communication skills.
My favourite memory of the MSc Aerospace Engineering course is our team winning the International Aircraft Design and Handling competition. Our effort really paid off when we won the first prize!
Before starting my final thesis, I found a job as an Applications Engineer in one of the most important aerospace engineering companies, MTorres. Personally, I think obtaining a Master’s degree in a university with a great reputation such as Swansea University makes it much easier to find a job.
Swansea University provides a fantastic opportunity to study any field of engineering due to the professional and friendly staff.”
Roberto Morujo, MSc Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace Engineering at Swansea University has a distinguished history of working with aerospace companies around the world, including:
BAE Systems
Rolls Royce
EADS
Airbus
We have also contributed to many exciting projects, from the super-jet Airbus A380 to the 1,000mph land-speed record breaking BLOODHOUND SSC.
The MSc Aerospace Engineering course is suitable for those who would like to gain comprehensive knowledge, understanding and skills that will enable them to contribute to the creation and maintenance of aerospace and aeronautical equipment.
The MSc Aerospace Engineering course covers the necessary aspects for a successful career in the growing aerospace industry.
Our new home at the innovative Bay Campus provides some of the best university facilities in the UK, in an outstanding location.
Aerospace Engineering at Swansea University has a wide range of in-house facilities ranging from computer labs housing state-of-the-art PCs through to specialist equipment used almost exclusively by aerospace students.
Practical flying experience on the MSc Aerospace Engineering course is gained from the state-of-the-art Merlin MP521X engineering flight simulator mounted on a six axis hydraulic motion system and flying experience at a local airport.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 ranks Engineering at Swansea as 10th in the UK for the combined score in research quality across the Engineering disciplines.
The REF assesses the quality of research in the UK Higher Education sector, assuring us of the standards we strive for.
World-Leading Research
The REF shows that 94% of research produced by our academic staff is of World-Leading (4*) or Internationally Excellent (3*) quality. This has increased from 73% in the 2008 RAE.
Research pioneered at the College of Engineering harnesses the expertise of academic staff within the department. This ground-breaking multidisciplinary research informs our world-class teaching with several of our staff leaders in their fields.
Our Masters in Space Engineering programme is designed to give you the specialist multidisciplinary knowledge and skills required for a career working with space technology and its applications.
Surrey students have access to all aspects of the design and delivery of spacecraft and payloads, and as a result are very attractive to employers in space-related industries.
As we develop and execute complete space missions, from initial concept to hardware design, manufacturing and testing, to in orbit operations (controlled by our ground station at the Surrey Space Centre), you will have the chance to be involved in, and gain experience of, real space missions.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time students must study at least two taught technical modules per academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a project.
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.
Our philosophy is to integrate the acquisition of core engineering and scientific knowledge with the development of key practical skills (where relevant). To fulfil these objectives, the programme aims to:
Intended capabilities for MSc graduates:
This programme in Space Engineering aims to provide a high-level postgraduate qualification relating to the design of space missions using satellites. Study is taken to a high level, in both theory and practice, in the specialist areas of space physics, mechanics, orbits, and space-propulsion systems, as well as the system and electronic design of space vehicles.
This is a multi-disciplinary programme, and projects are often closely associated with ongoing space projects carried out by Surrey Satellite Technology, plc.
This is a large local company that builds satellites commercially and carries out industrially-sponsored research. Graduates from this programme are in demand in the UK and European Space Industries.
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.
This programme offers distinct specialisation areas in electronics: analogue VLSI design, bioelectronics and analogue and digital systems.
In analogue VLSI design, our facilities include a unique custom designed analogue integrated circuit specifically designed to support laboratory based teaching. Our advanced design and prototyping laboratories, advanced micro and nano fabrication facilities and state-of-the-art digital system laboratories use the latest industry standard software tools.
Alternatively, students may specialise in the emergent discipline of bioelectronics where our research and teaching interests include access to the fabrication facilities at the Scottish Microelectronics Centre. For students who wish to study a more general electronics course including digital systems, a prescribed course selection is available.
This programme is run over 12 months, with two semesters of taught courses, followed by a research project, leading to a masters thesis. There is a great deal of flexibility in our degree programme with three distinct streams as follows:
Analogue Stream
Compulsory courses:
Optional courses: A choice of either :
or
Analogue and Digital Stream
Compulsory courses:
Optional courses: Either
Plus one of:
And either:
or
Bioelectronics Stream
Compulsory courses:
Optional courses: A choice of either:
or
You will gain significant practical experience in analogue and digital laboratories and become familiar with the latest industry standard design software and environments. Having been exposed to concepts such as design re-use and systems on chip technology, you will be able to cooperate with others in electronic system design. Recent graduates are now working as applications, design, field, test and validation engineering for employers such as BMW, Guangzhou Hangxin Avionics and Kongsberg Maritime.
The unmanned systems industry is currently undergoing explosive growth; as a result there is an increased demand for unmanned vehicle systems designers. Our MSc Unmanned Aircraft Systems Design course has been created to provide graduate engineers with the necessary skills and knowledge to design unmanned airvehicle systems.
The future of exploration, transportation and conflict is in unmanned aircraft. Be the future and start a fascinating career on the precipice of national intelligence and technological advancements with a masters in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Design. Sometimes referred to as drones, UAVs, UAS or RPAS, unmanned aircraft are revolutionising our ability to monitor and understand our environment.
This industry-led course focuses on the cutting-edge design of these sophisticated vehicles and is ideally suited to engineers looking to specialise or to enter into this fast-paced industry.
Due to the explosive growth of the industry, unmanned aircraft systems designers are in high demand. This course has been created to provide graduate engineers with the skills and knowledge needed to design unmanned aircraft systems.
You will be taught by leaders in the field. The University has a strong reputation in autonomous systems with many world firsts including: SULSA, the first 3D printed plane and the first low-cost maritime surveillance UAV, 2SEAS.
Practical learning is a fundamental part of this one-year course. You will design, build and fly your own unmanned vehicle as part of a group design project. Visit the Design Show website to see examples of students' projects. We provide you with access to world-class facilities to put your design through mission validation including: a UAV test pilot base and dedicated flying site, state-of-the-art wind tunnels and rapid prototyping labs. You will also have the opportunity to study for a pilot’s licence.
Your core modules will give you a solid foundation of aerospace control systems and avionics. You will master design methodologies and put these into practice. Each semester, you can select specialist modules that are aligned to your interests.
The emphasis of the course is on the design of the vehicle, rather than the wider systems such as ground station and software associated with navigation and communications. The course will explore civil and commercial applications of unmanned systems. Although some of the teaching material may reference military technology, the course will not cover military, defence or weapon-specific systems.
In addition to group work, you will undertake an individual research project. Previous examples include the development of a hybrid vehicle and a multi-rotor automated Li-Po battery changer. Our students also benefit from our many industry partnerships and external contributors, including QinetiQ and Rolls-Royce.
View the specification document for this course
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Logic and Computation at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
Logic is the basis for reasoning about what we can express and compute, having a profound influence in philosophy, linguistics, mathematics, computer science, and electronics. Since the invention of computers, logic has always been the primary source of ideas and techniques for the theoretical and practical development of programming.
Today, as the scope of programming technologies expands, and the horizon of applications widens, research in logic and its applications in software and hardware development is booming. In industry, formal methods are an integral part of system development, e.g., in automotive electronics, avionics, and chip design.
The MRes Logic and Computation course will teach you about advanced techniques in logic and their applications in research problems in computer science. You will receive an elite education of direct relevance to research and development problems in contemporary information and communication technology (ICT).
Teaching score of Excellent.
Highest percentage of top-class researchers of any Computer Science department in Wales – and only 12 in the UK have higher.
70% of the research activity assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
Our industrial programme IT Wales which can arrange vacation employment placements.
A state-of-the-art education.
Friendly staff, committed to the highest standards.
A university with high success rate, low drop-out rate, and excellent student support.
Swansea's Library spends more per student on books and other resources than any other university in Wales, and most in the UK.
Research Component
The main part of the MRes in Logic and Computation is a substantial and challenging project involving cutting edge research. The completion of such a project will give you the ability and confidence to pursue a successful career in industrial research and development, or to proceed to academic PhD studies.
Taught Component
In seminars and reading courses you will enter the world of research by studying general topics in theoretical computer science as well as special topics for your research project. Guided by your supervisor you will conquer new technical subjects and learn to critically assess current research.
Lecturers and students will meet regularly to discuss recent developments and give informal talks. Topics of the seminars are chosen in accordance with the research projects, and will cover material such as:
Theorem proving techniques
Formal program verification
Algebraic and coalgebraic specification
Modelling of distributed systems
Advanced methods in complexity theory
Additionally you will choose selected taught modules covering important topics such as Critical Systems, IT Security, Concepts of Programming
Languages, Artificial Intelligence Applications, Design Patterns and Generic Programming.
The Department is well equipped for teaching, and is continually upgrading its laboratories to ensure equipment is up-to-date – equipment is never more than three years old, and rarely more than two. Currently, students use three fully networked laboratories: one, running Windows; another running Linux; and a project laboratory, containing specialised equipment. These laboratories support a wide range of software, including the programming languages Java, C# and the .net framework, C, C++, Haskell and Prolog among many; integrated programme development environments such as Visual Studio and Netbeans; the widely-used Microsoft Office package; web access tools; and many special purpose software tools including graphical rendering and image manipulation tools; expert system production tools; concurrent system modelling tools; World Wide Web authoring tools; and databases.
All Computer Science courses will provide you the transferable skills and knowledge to help you take advantage of the excellent employment and career development prospects in an ever growing and changing computing and ICT industry.
90% of Swansea’s Computer Science graduates are in full-time employment or further study within six months of graduating (HESA June 2011).
Some example job titles from the HESA survey 2011:
Software Engineer: Motorola Solutions
Change Coordinator: Logica
Software Developer/Engineer: NS Technology
Workflow Developer: Irwin Mitchell
IT Developer: Crimsan Consultants
Consultant: Crimsan Consultants
Programmer: Evil Twin Artworks
Web Developer & Web Support: VSI Thinking
Software Developer: Wireless Innovations
Associate Business Application Analyst: CDC Software
Software Developer: OpenBet Technologies
Technical Support Consultant: Alterian
Programming: Rock It
Software Developer: BMJ Group
The results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 show that Swansea Computer Science ranked 11th in the UK for percentage of world-leading research, and 1st in Wales for research excellence. 40% of our submitted research assessed as world-leading quality (4*).
The collaborative degree shows a level of commitment to the development of technical and professional skills that would impress any employer. Students – and potential employers – also benefit from the knowledge gained from faculty at two institutions. With the increasing globalization of the technical workforce, degrees that span institutions and provide an international perspective are particularly valuable.
In today’s competitive technology environment, top opportunities are going to skilled engineers who have a wide-range of professional capabilities. Aero-Systems Operations (AESOP) is an exceptional program joining UBx expertise in maintenance with UC expertise in engineering. Students at each university may purse UC CEAS' Master of Engineering (MEng) and UBx’s International Diploma collaboratively.
The AESOP curriculum offers a practice-oriented, personalized degree that prepares engineers to excel in the new working world. Advantages of the graduate degree include:
Core at UC, Fall Semester (9 Credits)
Technical Specialty at UC, Fall Semester (6 Credits)
Choose 2 Courses from Any of the Following Department Offerings:
Aero System Operations at UBx, Spring Semester (12 credits)
Airworthiness UBx/ENAC (Mandatory)
Each Module includes theory, applications and lab (3 credits – choose 1)
Each Module includes theory, applications and lab (6 credits – choose 1)
Capstone Project at UBx, Spring Semester (3 Credits, Mandatory)
