Aerospace Engineering

This new course will replace the hugely successful MEng (Hons) / BEng (Hons) Aircraft Engineering over the next few years. Building upon the strengths of Aircraft Engineering, the MEng (Hons) / BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering will be open for Year 1 and Year 2 applications in September 2027.

Let Your Engineering Career Soar
The MEng (Hons) / BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering at UWS will provide you the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills needed for the design, build and technological advancement of aerospace vehicles and their systems. You will be able to explore and learn about current and new emerging technologies which includes low and zero-carbon design for commercial aviation, drone technology, jet and space propulsion systems, and more.

The degrees have been designed, with the input from regional aerospace industry, to shape the specialised skills needed for aircraft design, manufacturing, aerodynamic and structural testing, and system operation and maintenance and overhaul roles.

The increasing demand for air and space travel and also, UAV utilisation in human activity, will require engineers to maintain safety, improvement and regulations for all operating aerospace systems. By studying Aerospace Engineering you will be a critical role player in the field of aerospace and be able to apply your learnt knowledge and skills to design and deliver new products or services using new and/or existing technologies. You will have the opportunity to visit major aerospace organisations such as Spirit AeroSystems, British Airways, and GE Aerospace to observe first-hand the workings of cutting-edge aerospace companies. A number of final year engineering projects may be offered in collaboration with these organisations.

CAREER-FOCUSED
Professional Recognition
MEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering and BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering are currently seeking accreditation from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). We expect to meet IMechE professional accreditation requirements for the new MEng / BEng Aerospace Engineering moving forward and will update this entry accordingly.

CAREER PROSPECTS
The Aerospace Engineering degrees have been designed to meet the needs of Scotland’s aerospace sector, which includes companies from the Prestwick aerospace cluster such as BAE Systems, Spirit AeroSystems, Collins Aerospace, GE Aerospace, and Ryanair, and also satellite design businesses. However, the skills you’ll develop are appropriate for careers in the UK and international industries too.

Jobs
A shortage of aerospace engineers locally and globally means that there are significant employment opportunities. Career options range from working on the design and manufacture of civil and military aircraft, to roles in aerodynamic and structure research, project management and many more.

As an Aerospace Engineering graduate, you’ll have a wide range of skills that are applicable not only to the traditional aerospace disciplines but also to the broad spectrum of other engineering fields. This includes, but is not limited to, mechanical, energy, defence, offshore and automotive.

Typical employment engineering roles are found in design, manufacture, maintenance and overhaul, project management, technical analyst, certification and quality control.

Further study
Successful completion of MEng (Hons) / BEng (Hons) would allow you to progress your studies to a taught postgraduate master's (eg MSc) or research (eg MRes, MPhil, PhD) degree.

Course Modules

Year 1
Aircraft aerodynamics and systems, materials and mathematics provide a foundation to engineering design. Aspire for professional and career development alongside skills development in communications and IT technology.

Year 2
Topics include design of aerospace structures and systems, strength of materials, vibration theory, materials and manufacturing technology, aerodynamics (theory, application and measurements), propulsion systems; as well as computer-aided design, information technology related techniques.

Year 3
Aircraft design and performance; testing and measurements, aircraft design modelling (CAD); computer-based simulation and analysis techniques are introduced, along with project management skills.

Year 4 (BEng Hons)
Aerodynamic understanding is enhanced whilst design, analysis and testing of composite structures is introduced. Computer-aided engineering design is explored further through Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

A variety of assessment approaches are utilised throughout the course such as examination, written coursework, portfolio and presentations.