This course provides both fundamental and applied knowledge to understand airflows, vehicle dynamics and control and methods for computational modelling. It will provide you with practical experience in the measurement, analysis, modelling and simulation of airflows and aerial vehicles.
You have the choice of two specialist options which you chose once you commence your studies: Flight Dynamics or Aerodynamics.
Suitable if you have an interest in aerodynamic design, flow control, flow measurement, flight dynamics and flight control. Choose your specialist option once you commence your studies.
The aerospace industry in the UK is the largest in the world, outside of the USA. Aerodynamics and flight dynamics will remain a key element in the development of future aircraft and in reducing civil transport environmental issues, making significant contributions to the next generation of aircraft configurations.
In the military arena, aerodynamic modelling and flight dynamics play an important role in the design and development of combat aircraft and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). The continuing search for aerodynamic refinement and performance optimisation for the next generation of aircraft and surface vehicles creates the need for specialist knowledge of fluid flow behaviour.
Cranfield University has been at the forefront of postgraduate education in aerospace engineering since 1946. The MSc in Aerospace Dynamics stems from the programme in Aerodynamics which was one of the first masters' courses offered by Cranfield and is an important part of our heritage. The integration of aerodynamics with flight dynamics reflects the long-term link with the aircraft flight test activity established by Cranfield.
Graduates of this course are eligible to join the Cranfield College of Aeronautics Alumni Association (CCAAA), an active community which holds a number of networking and social events throughout the year.
The Industrial Advisory Panel, comprising senior industry professionals, provides input into the curriculum in order to improve the employment prospects of our graduates. Panel members include:
The MSc in Aerospace Dynamics is accredited by the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree to comply with full CEng registration requirements.
This course consists of optional taught modules, an individual research project and a group flight test project.
The group flight test project consists of two compulsory modules that offer an initial introduction to aerospace dynamics and provide grounding for the group flight test. Choice is a key feature of this course, with specialist options in either aerodynamics or flight dynamics. Choose your option once you have commenced your studies.
Group project
All students undertake the Group Flight Test Report during October to December. This involves a series of flight tests in the The National Flying Laboratory Centre (NFLC) Jetstream which are undertaken, reported and presented as a group exercise. This is an important part of the course as it enables candidates to experience the application of specialist skills within a real plane to a collaborative report/presentation.
Individual project
The individual research project allows you to delve deeper into an area of specific interest. It is very common for industrial partners to put forward real world problems or areas of development as potential research project topics. The project is carried out under the guidance of an academic staff member who acts as your supervisor. The individual research project component takes place between April and August.
If agreed with the course director, part-time students have the opportunity to undertake projects in collaboration with their place of work, which would be supported by academic supervision.
Previous Individual Research Projects covered:
Aerodynamics option
Flight Dynamics option
Taught modules 40%, Group project 20% (dissertation for part-time students), Individual project 40%
Industry driven research makes our graduates some of the most desirable in the world for recruitment in a wide range of career paths within the aerospace and military sector. A successful graduate should be able to integrate immediately into an industrial or research environment and make an immediate contribution to the group without further training. Increasingly, these skills are in demand in other areas including automotive, environmental, energy and medicine. Recent graduates have found positions in the aerospace, automotive and related sectors.
Employers include:
A significant number of graduates go on to do research and higher degrees.
The Masters in Aerospace Engineering is a multi-disciplinary programme that covers all aspects of modern aircraft design. This involves developing essential knowledge and skills in advanced aerodynamics and aerospace systems. By choosing specific options in the second semester the degree programme can be tailored to provide specialisms in either Aeronautics or Systems.
Modes of delivery of the MSc in Aerospace Engineering include lectures, seminars and tutorials and allow students the opportunity to take part in lab, project and team work.
The summer period is dedicated to project work, with either academic or industrial placements providing the context for your project.
Select a team project from:
Select five courses from the following:
* signifies courses that constitute the specialism in Aeronautics
** signifies courses that constitute the specialism in Systems
The aerospace industry is at the forefront of modern engineering and manufacturing technology and there is an expanding need for highly skilled chartered Aerospace Engineers.
If you are looking to pursue a career in aerospace engineering this course will enable you to apply your skills and knowledge of engineering devices and associated components used in the production of civil and military aircraft, spacecraft and weapons systems.
This module has been accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. On graduation you be able to work towards Chartered Aerospace Engineer status which is an independent verification of your skills and demonstrates to your colleagues and employers your commitment and credentials as an engineering professional.
The course will be taught by a series of lectures, tutorials, computer workshops and laboratory activities.
Some modules will include a structured factory visit to illustrate the processes and techniques and to enable investigations to be conducted.
Engineers from the industry will contribute to the specialist areas of the syllabus as guest lecturers.
The coursework consists of one assignment, and two laboratory exercises.
Mechanical Lab – This lab is used to understand material behaviour under different loading conditions and contains a tensile test machine and static loading experiments – typical laboratory sessions would include tensile testing of materials and investigation into the bending and buckling behaviour of beams.
Aerodynamics Lab – Contains low speed and supersonic wind tunnels – typical laboratory experiments would include determining the aerodynamic properties of an aerofoil section and influence of wing sweep on the lift and drag characteristics of a tapered wing section.
Composite Material Lab – This lab contains wet lay-up and pre-preg facilities for fabrication of composite material test sections. The facility is particularly utilised for final year project work.
Control Dynamics Lab – Contains flight simulators (see details below) and programmable control experiments – typical laboratory sessions would include studying the effects of damping and short period oscillation analysis, forced vibration due to rotating imbalance, and understanding the design and performance of proportional and integral controllers.
Flight Simulators
Merlin MP520-T Engineering Simulator
Elite Flight Training System
This is a highly valued qualification and as a graduate you can expect to pursue careers in a range of organizations around the world such as in aerospace companies and their suppliers, governments and research institutions.
You may consider going on to further study in our Engineering 2050 Research Centre which brings together a wealth of expertise and international reputation in three focussed subject areas.
Research at the centre is well funded, with support from EPSRC, TSB, DoH, MoD, Royal Society, European Commission, as well as excellent links with and direct funding from industry. Our research excellence means that we have not only the highest calibre academics but also the first class facilities to support the leading edge research projects for both post-graduate studies and post-doctoral research.
Visit http://www.cse.salford.ac.uk/research/engineering-2050/ for further details.
The global market for aerial, ground, and marine Autonomous Vehicles has grown rapidly due to the advent of drones and driverless cars. Defence, Aerospace, Automotive, and Marine Industries seek graduates conversant in key aspects of Autonomy including: dynamics & control, guidance & navigation, decision making, sensor fusion, data & information fusion, communication & and networking. These durable and transferrable skills are the bedrock of this unique MSc course whose content has been based on advice from the Industrial Advisory Board, comprising the relevant Industrial representatives from Big Primes to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
The Autonomous Vehicle Dynamics and Control MSc is a unique course for graduates in engineering, physics, or mathematics wishing to acquire durable and transferrable skills in Autonomous Vehicles to pursue career opportunities in Defence, Aerospace, Automotive, and Marine Industries.
We are unique in that we offer a combination of subjects much sought after in the Autonomous Vehicle Industry and not covered in a single MSc course anywhere else. Successful graduates of our MSc course become conversant in key aspects of Autonomy which advantageously differentiates them in today's competitive employment market
The Autonomous Vehicle Dynamics and Control MSc course begins with the fundamentals of autonomous vehicle dynamics and control, and progresses to the core subjects of guidance & navigation, decision making, sensor fusion, data & information fusion, communication & and networking. A choice of optional modules allows individual tailoring of these subjects to specialise in appropriate subject areas.
The taught part of the course is followed by Individual Research Projects (IRPs) and the topic of each of the IRPs is provided by one of the member of the Industrial Advisory Board. The real-world relevance of the IRP topics is another unique feature of our MSc course and can be another effective differentiator in the job market.
This course is also available on a part-time basis enabling you to combine studying with full-time employment. This is enhanced by a three-stage programme from a Postgraduate Certificate, to a Postgraduate Diploma through to an MSc.
The relevant, competent and pro-active Industrial Advisory Board includes:
who not only continuously advise on updating the course content but also provide topics for Individual Research Projects (IRPs). After the final oral exams in early September, all students present posters summarising their IRPs to the whole Industrial Advisory Board thus exposing their work to seasoned professionals and potential employers. The IRPs benefit from our own lab where real autonomous vehicles can be designed and tested.
Accreditation is being sought for the MSc in Autonomous Vehicle Dynamics and Control from the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree to comply with full CEng registration requirements.
The taught course element consists of lectures in three areas: dynamics, control systems, and autonomous systems and technology. The MSc consists of two equally weighted components, taught modules and an individual research project.
Individual project
Our industry partners sponsor individual research projects allowing you to choose a topic that is commercially relevant and current. Topics are chosen during the first teaching period in October and you begin work during the second half of the MSc course (May - August). The project allows you to delve deeper into an area of specific interest, taking the theory from the taught modules and joining it with practical experience.
Projects encompass various aspects of operations, not only concerned with design but including payloads, civil applications, system, sensors and other feasibility studies industry wishes to explore.
For the duration of the project, each student is assigned both a university and industry supervisor. In recent years, students have been based at sponsor companies for sections of their research and have been given access to company software/facilities.
During the thesis project all students give regular presentations to the course team and class, which provides an opportunity to improve your presentation skills and learn more about the broad range of industry sponsored projects.
Previous projects have included:
Assessment
Taught modules 50%, Individual research project 50%. Please note: Modules for this course are under review, to incorporate the latest advice from the Industrial Advisory Board.
The industry-led education makes Cranfield graduates some of the most desirable all over the world for recruitment by companies competing in the autonomous vehicle market including:
Graduates from this course will be equipped with the advanced skills which could be applied to the security, defence, marine, environmental and aerospace industries. This approach offers you a wide range of career choices as an autonomous systems engineer, design engineer or in an operations role, at graduation and in the future. Others decide to continue their education through PhD studies available within Cranfield University or elsewhere.
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.
The overall objective of this course is to add value to your first degree and previous relevant experience by developing a focused, integrated and critically aware understanding of underlying theory and current policy and practice in the field of control systems engineering.
The course is control systems focused, with the emphasis on control systems theory together with a range of control applications including industrial control (SCADA), intelligent control, flight control and robotic control. The control systems approach provides continuity in learning throughout the one year of study.
This course has been awarded accredited status by both the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) for 2010 to 2014 intake cohorts as meeting the exemplifying academic benchmark for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for students who also hold an accredited BEng Honours degree. Candidates who do not hold an appropriately accredited BEng Honours degree will gain partial exemption for CEng status; these candidates will need to have their first qualification individually assessed if they wish to progress onto CEng registration.
Professional registration and Institution membership will enhance your career in the following ways:
On completion of the course you should have a critical awareness and understanding of current problems in control engineering, techniques applicable to research in the field of control systems and how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the field of control systems. You should also be able to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgments in the absence of complete data, and communicate your conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialists.
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials, computer workshops and laboratory activities.
Mechanical Lab – This lab is used to understand material behaviour under different loading conditions and contains a tensile test machine and static loading experiments – typical laboratory sessions would include tensile testing of materials and investigation into the bending and buckling behaviour of beams.
Aerodynamics Lab – Contains low speed and supersonic wind tunnels – typical laboratory experiments would include determining the aerodynamic properties of an aerofoil section and influence of wing sweep on the lift and drag characteristics of a tapered wing section.
Composite Material Lab – This lab contains wet lay-up and pre-preg facilities for fabrication of composite material test sections. The facility is particularly utilised for final year project work.
Control & Dynamics Lab – Contains flight simulators (see details below) and programmable control experiments – typical laboratory sessions would include studying the effects of damping and short period oscillation analysis, forced vibration due to rotating imbalance, and understanding the design and performance of proportional and integral controllers.
Flight Simulators
Merlin MP520-T Engineering Simulator
Elite Flight Training System
A wide range of control and automation opportunities in manufacturing and engineering companies, opportunities in the aerospace sector.
There are opportunities to go on to further research study within our CASE control and Intelligent Systems Research Centre.
Research themes in the Centre include:
The Masters in Aerospace Engineering & Management introduces you to contemporary business and management issues while increasing your depth of knowledge in your chosen aerospace engineering speciality.
There are two semesters of taught material and a summer session working on a project or dissertation. September entry students start with management courses and January entry students with engineering courses.
You will be based in the Adam Smith Business School, developing knowledge and skills in management principles and techniques. We offer an applied approach, with an emphasis on an informed critical evaluation of information, and the subsequent application of concepts and tools to the core areas of business and management.
You will study engineering courses, which aim to enhance your group working and project management capability at the same time as improving your depth of knowledge in chosen aerospace engineering subjects.
You will undertake an individual project or dissertation work in the summer period (May–August). This will give you an opportunity to apply and consolidate the course material and enhance your ability to do independent work, as well as present results in the most appropriate format. Project and dissertation options are closely linked to staff research interests. September entry students have a choice of management dissertation topics in addition to aerospace engineering projects, and January entry students have a choice of aerospace engineering projects.
Career opportunities include positions in aerospace, defence, renewable energy, nuclear energy and management. You can also continue studying, for a research Masters or a PhD.
