BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering with Pilot Studies
University of Hertfordshire
Key Information
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Campus location
Hatfield, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 - 6 years
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
GBP 13,450 *
Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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* international students full time, part time £1680 per 15 credits / UK students full time £9250, part time £1155 per 15 credits / EU students full time £13450, part time £1680 per 15 credits
Scholarships
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Introduction
"Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, examinations may be replaced by an alternative form of assessment during the academic year 2021/2022. Please refer to the Programme Specification on these pages for further details."
Why choose this course?
You’d like to design aircraft and have a passion for flying.
We’ll teach you how to design from a pilot’s perspective. We’ll train you up in everything you need to know, from aircraft structures and materials to aerodynamics. There’ll also be opportunities to fly. We’re passionate about aerospace, and it’s an important part of our institution’s history. It’s how we began. Working with the de Havilland Aircraft Corporation and BAE Systems, the first aerospace engineers started their training back in 1952. As a result, our degree has an excellent and well-established reputation within the aerospace industry.
University of Hertfordshire aerospace engineers graduate with practical experience in design and development for future aerospace systems. You’ll get hands-on with our flight simulators, wind tunnels, specialist laboratories and CAE software. We have an open-access laboratory policy for students doing experiments in their own time. With an emphasis on Computer-Aided Engineering, you’ll be using industrial standard software wherever possible.
We’re members of the C.D.I.O. Initiative (Conceive Design Implement Operate), a worldwide network of academic professionals, industry representatives and engineering leaders who have a passion for engineering education and engineering leadership. The C.D.I.O. framework has been embedded into our undergraduate degree programme, ensuring you’ll put into practice what you learn through “Design and Build” projects during your studies.
Our TEF Gold rating, which recognises our excellent teaching and support. You’ll be taught by experienced aerospace staff, who’ll share their industry knowledge with you. There's plenty of support on offer to help you gain the skills you need to succeed. You'll get a personal tutor for the duration of your course, who can guide you all the way to graduation. You can also access our specialised Centre for Academic Skills. Our Learning Resources Centre is open 24/7, so you can study whenever suits you best, plus you’ll have access to online resources and online discussions with staff and students.
Like the students before you, you’ll benefit from our strong links to the industry. Our students have had work placements at companies such as Airbus, Virgin Atlantic Engineering and BAE Systems. Recent Aerospace Engineering graduates have gone on to work at organisations including The Royal Air Force, Jaguar Land Rover and BAE Systems.
What's the course about?
In your first year, you’ll learn the fundamental skills and knowledge required by a modern engineer, including principles of flight and aircraft operations. You’ll be introduced to computer packages commonly used in the aerospace industry. You’ll also have the opportunity, at an additional cost, to sign up for a Flight Experience course at our partner flying school, Northwestern Michigan College in the USA and fly over the great lakes.
In your second year, the first-year core themes are developed for use in aerospace engineering. You’ll learn about the components and the electronics inside the airframe that enable the aircraft to be so widespread and the safest form of transport available. You’ll learn how aircraft are designed for their handling qualities, and expand your knowledge of aerodynamics, with wind tunnel experiments. You’ll also build your pilot skills by studying elements of PPL Ground School.
Additionally, you’ll learn about the design process through our practical C.D.I.O. modules. In a group, you will design and manufacture a model aircraft. The best models of the year will be taken to compete at the University Challenge organised by the British Model Flying Association. Your aircraft may be the winner!
Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you can choose to take a work placement or a study abroad year. Both are valuable experiences and something you can add to your CV to make you stand out.
In your final year, in addition to your flight training you’ll work on two projects:
- The Aerospace Design group project - is where you’ll showcase your engineering skills. You will be allocated to a team to design a full-size aircraft and test fly it using our flight simulator. Every year the design task is different – in previous years, our students designed wide-body commercial airliners, heavy cargo aircraft, fire-fighting aircraft and even strategic bombers.
- The Individual Project - is where you’ll immerse yourself in an area of aerospace engineering, you’re passionate about, using either the University or industrial facilities. This is a rewarding part of your degree that can lead to future employment.
Flying training is supported further by a Pilot Studies and Flight Analysis module and our flight simulation facilities.
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Scholarships and Funding
Curriculum
What will I study?
Degree programmes are structured into levels 4, 5, and 6. These correspond to your first, second, and third/final year of study. Below you can see what modules you’ll be studying in each.
Level 4
- Aerospace Technology & Industry II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Engineering Mathematics for Aerospace II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Mechanical Science for Aircraft Engineering II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Introduction to Projects and Design II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Electrical Science for Aircraft Engineering II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Programming for Aircraft Engineers II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Aerospace Engineering Professionalism II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Introductory Robotics & Microcontrollers II 15 Credits II Compulsory
Level 5
- Fluids & Aerodynamics II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Thermodynamics for Aerospace II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Materials for Aerospace II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Practical Aerodynamics II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Control & Autopilot Systems II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Aircraft Structural Mechanics II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Air Law, Communications & Principles of Flight II 15 Credits II Compulsory
- Structural Design & CAE II 15 Credits II Compulsory
Level 6
- Industrial Placement II 0 Credits II Optional
- Year Abroad II 0 Credits II Optional
- Semester Abroad II 0 Credits II Optional
Study abroad
An opportunity for an amazing experience, which will help make you stand out from the crowd. With more and more companies working internationally, the experience of living in another country can make a great impression on future employers.
This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a sandwich year abroad. The University has partnerships with over 150 universities around the world, including the USA, Canada, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America, and closer to home in Europe.
If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee to the partner university and no tuition fee to us either. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.
Work placement
Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd.
This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a work placement sandwich year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought-after professional skills.
Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process.
Companies that have employed students in the past on a placement basis include:
- Honeywell (UK) Ltd
- Goodrich Engine Control Systems
- Marshall Aerospace
- MBDA
- Eads Astrium
- Rockwell
- and numerous smaller companies
If you take up a work placement between your second and third year of study at the University of Hertfordshire, you’ll pay no tuition fee for this year. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.
What if I need support?
You’ll get a personal tutor to guide you through your course, all the way to graduation.
You might also want or need extra support during your time with us. Rest assured, no matter what you study, we’ve got you covered. For help with study skills, including referencing, essay writing, and presentations, you’ll have access to our academic support services. You can attend workshops, 1-to-1 sessions, and online tutorials. Both our Learning Resources Centres's run drop-in study skills sessions. And the best thing is, it’s all free.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
What's next for my career?
In the past, many of our aerospace systems engineering graduates have become professional pilots either with the RAF, Royal Navy, Commercial Airlines, or private pilot instructors. By integrating the experience of flying in the initial stages of this degree, you will find the transition to working as a professional pilot easier. Alternatively, graduates may keep flying as a hobby and pursue an engineering career in an aerospace company or a smaller company in the aerospace supply chain.
Many of our graduates have become professional pilots with the RAF, Royal Navy, and commercial airlines. Others have become private pilot instructors. Some graduates decide to keep flying as a hobby and pursue an engineering career in an aerospace organisation or a smaller company in the supply chain.
Facilities
English Language Requirements
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