| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2024-02-01 | - |
Program Overview
The Aircraft Engineering MSc is a part-time program designed for professionals in the aerospace industry. It combines technical and business skills to advance careers in technical, integration, and leadership roles. The program includes taught modules, an individual research project, and networking opportunities with industry professionals. Graduates can gain Chartered Engineer (CEng) status, opening doors to new career opportunities.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
Overview:
The Aircraft Engineering MSc is a part-time program designed for professionals working in engineering or technical management positions in the aerospace industry. The program provides a combination of technical and business skills for engineers to advance their careers and take on technical, integration, and leadership roles within the aerospace industry.
Objectives:
- Broaden your understanding of aircraft engineering and design subjects.
- Provide a strong foundation for career development in technical, integration, and leadership roles.
- Meet the further learning requirements for Chartered Engineer status.
- Equip students with the tools and experience to enhance their career opportunities and progress further in their current or new specialist or integration roles.
Description:
This program emphasizes the development of engineering staff while delivering the right mix of technical and business skills for careers in the aerospace industry. It also supports career development by meeting the further learning requirements for Chartered Engineer status. The program includes both taught modules and an individual research project, allowing students to focus on areas of personal interest and relevance to their sponsoring companies. Students are expected to attend a total of nine weeks of lectures over three years, which are divided into one week in February, followed by one week in June and one week in November.
Additional information:
- The program is accredited by Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) on behalf of the Engineering Council.
- Students have access to networking opportunities with Cranfield students and industry professionals.
- Graduates can gain Chartered Engineer (CEng) status, opening doors to new career opportunities.
Outline:
Content:
- Aircraft engineering and design subjects
- Business and leadership skills
- Individual research project
Structure:
- Taught modules (50%)
- Individual research project (50%)
- Group project (10% of MSc, included in taught modules)
- Nine weeks of lectures over three years
- Part-time format
Modules:
- Major Component Design and Manufacture: covers structural layout, manufacturing processes, design for assembly and maintainability, and aircraft systems including wings, fuselages, and control surfaces.
- Methodology for Integrated Product Development: focuses on systems engineering principles, MBSE, and product lifecycle management.
- Design and Development of Airframe Systems: explores airframe systems, their role, design, and integration, covering power generation, distribution, and management.
- Introduction to Avionics: provides a comprehensive overview of avionics systems, covering hardware, human-machine interaction, automation, displays, sensors, communication systems, radar, databases, and safety considerations.
- Tools for Integrated Product Development: explores the role of CAD in product development, covering solid modeling, assembly modeling, parametric design, surface modeling, and 3D model creation using CATIA v5 software.
- Through Life System Effectiveness: addresses factors influencing availability, logistics, reliability, maintainability, cost, and overall effectiveness of systems throughout their lifecycle.
- Detail Stressing: introduces principles and techniques associated with stress analysis and airworthiness requirements for basic aircraft structural components.
- Fatigue and Damage Tolerance: focuses on fatigue and damage tolerance analysis techniques as applied to aircraft structural design, covering crack initiation, crack growth, fracture mechanics, and design against fatigue.
- Aircraft Dynamics and Stability: introduces flight dynamics and stability analysis, covering equations of motion, stability derivatives, aircraft response, autopilot theory, and control system design.
- Introduction to Autonomous Systems: introduces the concept of autonomy and explores technologies for development of autonomous systems.
Schedule:
- Three years part-time
- Taught modules 50% (including group project 10%), individual research project 50%
- Taught modules delivered through nine weeks of lectures spread over three years (February, June, November)
- Individual research project conducted flexibly over three years
Assessment:
The program will include a combination of coursework assessments, group projects, and an individual research project, with potential elements such as:
- Post-module assignments: assess understanding of material covered in specific modules.
- Group project assignment: evaluates ability to work in teams and solve practical design problems.
- Individual research project: assessed via written report, thesis, and presentation.
- Participation and contribution to group discussions and other learning activities.
Students are expected to achieve a pass standard in each assessment component to successfully complete the program.
Teaching:
Teaching Approach:
The program combines theoretical knowledge with practical application through lectures, tutorials, case studies, guest lectures from industry experts, and group projects. Students are encouraged to apply the acquired knowledge to real-world problems and scenarios relevant to their specific interests and professional experience.
Flexibility:
The part-time format allows students to balance their work responsibilities with their academic studies.
Faculty:
The program is led by experienced Cranfield academic staff, many with industry experience, and includes guest lecturers from leading companies within the aerospace industry.
Networking:
The program allows students to network with peers, academic staff, and industry professionals, providing valuable insights into current industry practices and trends.
Careers:
Opportunities:
The program can help students enhance their career opportunities in the aerospace industry, enabling them to progress in their current specialization or move into other technical or integration roles. Potential job titles include:
- Aerospace Engineer
- Design Engineer
- Project Engineer
- Systems Engineer
- Integration Engineer
- Technical Manager
- Program Manager
Skills:
The program equips graduates with skills and knowledge in:
- Aircraft engineering, design, and analysis
- Business and leadership skills
- Project management
- Communication and teamwork
- Problem-solving and critical thinking
Graduate Prospects:
Cranfield’s Career Service assists students with career coaching, CV development, interview preparation, and access to job opportunities. Graduates benefit from strong industry connections and career support to pursue successful careers in the aerospace field.
Other:
Industry Input:
The program's Industrial Advisory Panel, comprising senior industry professionals, provides input into the curriculum to improve graduate employability prospects. This ensures that program content remains relevant to current industry needs and prepares graduates for successful careers in the aerospace field.
Research Opportunities:
The program includes an individual research project, allowing students to delve deeper into a topic of specific interest to them and their sponsoring company. This provides an opportunity to conduct research, gain valuable experience, and contribute to industry knowledge advancement.
Entry Requirements
General Requirements:
- A first or second class UK honours degree, or equivalent, in an engineering discipline.
Professional Qualifications:
- Applications are also welcome from professionals with HNC/HND qualifications if supported by substantial work experience.
Specific Entry Requirements:
- Applicants who have been awarded a first degree in Mechanical Engineering, or a demonstrably equivalent qualification, from a UK University or overseas, will be considered as having satisfied the academic requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) via the academic route.
- Applicants must have a proven aptitude and interest in aircraft engineering, which can be demonstrated through academic results, relevant work experience, or research experience.
- Applicants with non-standard qualifications must demonstrate their background knowledge, skills, and abilities. This could include submitting a CV and portfolio of their work.
English Language Requirements:
- To study for a formal award at Cranfield, you must demonstrate that you can communicate effectively in English in an academic environment.
- You should have a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 overall, with 5.5 in all skill components.
- Other equivalent language tests are also accepted.
Additional Information:
- For international students, there may be additional requirements, such as a visa.
- You are encouraged to contact the Admissions Office for more information about the specific entry requirements for this course.
Note:
- The above information is based on the current entry requirements for the Aircraft Engineering MSc program at Cranfield University.
- Entry requirements may change from year to year, so it is important to check the university website for the most up-to-date information.
Language Proficiency Requirements
IELTS:
- Overall score of 6.5
- Minimum score of 5.5 in each skill component (reading, writing, listening, and speaking)
TOEFL iBT:
- Overall score of 92
- Minimum score of 18 in each skill component (reading, writing, listening, and speaking)
Cambridge English:
- Any Cambridge English test meeting the required scores will be accepted.
- The following are recommended as being within the scale score range:
- Cambridge C1 Advanced
- Cambridge C2 Proficiency
- Linguaskill General - Cambridge English Scale score of 180 overall and 160 in all skill components.
Duolingo:
- Overall score of 120
- Minimum sub-scores of 95 literacy, 100 comprehension, 85 conversation, and 75 production.
Kaplan:
- Kaplan Test of English - 475 overall and 410 in all skill components.
LanguageCert:
- LanguageCert Academic (approved by UKVI as a SELT exam) - 70 overall and 60 in all skill components.
International ESOL B2 Communicator:
- Written and Spoken exams together - High Pass overall and 33 in all skill components.
- Written exam - High Pass overall and 33 in each skill component.
- Spoken exam - Pass overall and 33 in speaking skill component.
Password:
- Password Skills Plus - 6.5 overall and 5.5 in all skill components.
Pearson PTE:
- PTE Academic, PTE Academic Online, PTE Academic UKVI - 65 overall and 59 in all skill components.
Trinity College London:
- Integrated Skills in English - ISE III (C1) - Overall Pass outcome.
Note:
- The above information is based on the current language proficiency requirements for the Aircraft Engineering MSc program at Cranfield University.
- Language proficiency requirements may change from year to year, so it is important to check the university website for the most up-to-date information.
