What does an aerospace engineer do?
Aerospace engineers design and build aircraft and spacecraft. It’s a very technical job requiring a high level of attention to detail, and you’ll need excellent numeracy and IT skills. There’s a range of different roles available to aerospace engineers, for example you could be designing parts of an aircraft, or building a space shuttle. As an aerospace engineer, you could work in:
- research and development
- testing
- production and maintenance
What do I need to do to become an aerospace engineer?
You’ll need a degree in engineering or aerospace engineering to become an aerospace engineer. You’ll usually be expected to have an A level in maths as well.
To get on to a relevant degree course, you usually need three A levels, including maths and or physics. You will also require five GCSEs A-C, including maths, English and science.
Check with universities for exact entry details, as level 3 vocational qualifications in engineering may also be accepted.
Vocational route
- Level 3 vocational qualification in engineering may be accepted
Essential qualifications
- Engineering degree
Desirable qualifications
- Engineering postgraduate degree
- A level maths
- A level physics
Where could I be working?
You're likely to be working for a medium or large engineering and manufacturing company.Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0