Aeronautical Engineering
Immerse yourself in the UK’s top 10 course for aeronautical engineering and apply your skills to a real-life aircraft.
How to apply Apply Through UCAS Book an Open Day Chat to Us/prod01/channel_2/media/university-of-south-wales/site-assets/images/03-courses/engineering-aerospace/beng-aeronautical-engineering-1.png)
Key Course Details
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UCAS Code
H410
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Start Date
September
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Location
Pontypridd
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Campus Code
A
Fees
Home students
£9,535*
International students
£16,200*
- Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
-
UCAS Code
HK10
-
Start Date
September
-
Location
Pontypridd
-
Campus Code
A
Fees
Home students
£9,535*
International students
£16,200*
- Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
Learn the skills to work on every aspect of air vehicles from design, development, manufacture, flight testing and certification, to preserving airworthiness and sustainable aircraft operations, with our top-rated aeronautical engineering course.
DESIGNED FOR
This course is ideal for curious students who have an analytical mind and a strong interest in air vehicles and enjoy a practical way of learning. Our aeronautical engineering course allows students to gain Chartered Engineer status with further learning after graduation.
In collaboration with
- Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS)
- Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
- Industrial Advisory Board
Career Paths
- Design Engineers
- Project Managers
- Researchers
- Military Personnel
- Certification and Airworthiness Engineer
Skills Taught
- Research
- Critical thinking
- Teamwork
- Strong communication skills
- Management and leadership
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Course Highlights
Module Overview
Our Aeronautical Engineering students start learning the minute they begin as our two-storey Aerospace Centre provides a practical workshop and laboratory space for engineering students. Here, our two aircraft hangars with aircraft, flight simulators and more encourage that practical way of learning.
Year One
Mathematics for Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineers
Design and Manufacture
Engineering Computing Applications
Engineering Mechanics 1
Electrical Science
Thermofluids 1
Year two
Further Engineering Mathematics
Aircraft Systems Integration and Performance
Aeronautical Design
Control and Instrumentation
Thermofluids 2
Engineering Materials
Year three
Individual Project
Engineering Computational Analysis
Aircraft Structure
Propulsion
Aircraft Flight Dynamics
The first year of our course looks at the essential scientific principles and practices associated with aeronautical engineering. You’ll be introduced to design tools, general manufacturing and workshop techniques and learn to use industry-standard CAD packages and programming languages.
Mathematics for Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineers
Develop a solid confidence in mathematics and learn about the relevance of mathematics in engineering.
Design and Manufacture
You’ll gain a basic knowledge of engineering design, manufacturing and materials as well as the skills you’ll need for manufacturing practice.
Engineering Computing Applications
This module will introduce you to the use of computer applications in engineering through programming and computer-aided design known as CAD.
Engineering Mechanics 1
Learn all about engineering mechanics and the mechanics of materials and be exposed to the issues in mechanics via real-world scenarios to prepare you for the future.
Electrical Science
Explore the cross-disciplinary nature of engineering in professional practice, gaining insight into the importance of electrical theory and circuit design.
Thermofluids 1
Grasp a basic understanding of the thermodynamic and fluid mechanic properties of both liquids and gases.
In your second year, you'll explore key areas such as thermofluids, basic aerodynamics, aircraft performance and aircraft systems engineering. You’ll also work as a team to develop a conceptual aircraft design which is tested on our engineering flight simulator.
Further Engineering Mathematics
You'll learn how to apply a range of mathematical analyses to solve engineering problems and develop an understanding of the mathematical models of engineering systems.
Aircraft Systems Integration and Performance
Learn about aircraft systems; their architecture, design and integration. You'll learn about flight mechanics and design characteristics on performance.
Aeronautical Design
You’ll be introduced to all aspects of aircraft design focusing on the conceptual design of civil aircraft, cumulating in the production of an RC aircraft model.
Control and Instrumentation
Learn to assess static and dynamic behaviours of instrumentation and control systems using basic analytical approaches and control theory in time and frequency domains.
Thermofluids 2
Explore the principles of thermodynamics applied to a range of engineering and industrial applications further. You’ll analyse more complex applied phenomena in terms of fluid flow.
Engineering Materials
Gain knowledge of standard material testing methods and material failures and explore the relationship between structure, properties, processing and using engineering materials.
The third-year modules look at aerodynamics, propulsion and aircraft structures. Learn about advanced computational tools, modelling techniques and create a dissertation. You'll also have the opportunity to take part in real aircraft flight testing.
Individual Project
This is your chance to choose your research area to explore and analyse, working independently and developing your understanding of aeronautical engineering in your capacity.
Engineering Computational Analysis
You’ll develop your understanding of engineering analysis and be introduced to computational methods in finite element, fluid mechanics and aerodynamics analysis.
Aircraft Structure
Explore the basics of structural design and analysis of aerospace structures such as aircraft wings, fuselage, control surfaces, and vertical and horizontal stabilisers.
Propulsion
Build on the fundamental principles of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, and apply them to aeronautical propulsion systems such as gas turbine engines, piston engines, and rocket motors.
Aircraft Flight Dynamics
Understand the static and dynamic stability behaviour of aircraft and assess the flying and handling qualities during a real aircraft flight test.
Course Highlights
How you’ll learn
Our course is taught through a mix of lectures, tutorials, practical lab sessions and seminars. You’ll also spend time researching and preparing for your assessments and lectures outside of your class time through self-study.
Experience a mix of theory and practical learning with the chance to go on placement. Assessments happen throughout the year and include exams, coursework, and simulations, as well as problem-solving tasks. You’ll also take part in group projects to build on your presentation and teamwork skills.
In the final year, you’ll test a real aircraft, developing your grasp on aircraft behaviour and control principles.
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Teaching staff
You’ll learn from experienced staff who have a wide range of experience in the aeronautical engineering space. Some of our faculty have developed this expertise through high-quality research, others have expanded their knowledge in successful careers, ready to prepare you for future success.
This blend of backgrounds represented in the academic staff gives breadth to the student experience and develops you technically and professionally. You’ll work closely with your tutor throughout the course and enjoy guest lectures from industry giants such as Airbus and Reaction Engines.
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Placements
We have links with the regional aviation industry including GE Aviation, Airbus and other members of the Aerospace Wales Forum. They’ll help prepare you for a possible career in the aeronautical industry whilst demonstrating the real-life challenges engineers face on the job every day.
All our students are actively encouraged to enjoy a placement whilst they learn with us. We offer opportunities for work placements throughout the course and students can take full advantage of our strong industry connections for engineering.
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Facilities
We’ve recently invested £3.3m in our aerospace facilities, including a two-storey Aerospace Centre, and a new FCES building. This now offers our engineering students 1,000m2 of workshop and lab space, two aircraft hangars, and an MP521 flight simulator on campus. The Merlin MP521 can be programmed to any aircraft type and is pivotal in design and flight test preparation.
The centre also houses a Jetstream 31 aircraft, gas turbine maintenance, riveting, hand tools, and welding workshops. It has clean and dirty composite workshops, labs for electronic tasks, avionics, hydraulics, and pneumatics as well as a subsonic wind tunnel for aerodynamic instruction.
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Top 10 in the UK and top in Wales for Aerospace Engineering (Guardian University Guide 2025)
Top in the UK
Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering at USW is top in the UK for teaching quality.
National Student Survey 2024Top 10 in the UK and top in Wales for Aerospace Engineering (Guardian University Guide 2025)
Innovation Hub at USW
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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
UCAS points: 96 (or above)
Typical qualification requirements:
- A Level: CCC to include Mathematics and one other Science subject
- Welsh BACC: Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales Grade C and CC at A Level to include Mathematics and one other Science subject.
- BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Merit Merit Merit in a relevant Maths, Science or Engineering subject which must include Maths modules
- Access to HE: Pass an Access to HE Diploma in Maths, Science or Engineering and obtain a minimum of 96 UCAS tariff points
Additional requirements include:
The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.
International applications welcomed:
We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.
English language requirements
International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.
Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.
If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.
If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.
Contextual offers
We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.
USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.
We're here to help
Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.
Fees and Funding
£9,535
per year*£16,200
per year*£16,200
per year*Additional Costs
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
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Investing in your future
We are investing in the future of STEM at USW with an exciting new Computing, Engineering and Technology building at our Pontypridd Campus.
University Quality Assurance
At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.
If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.
How to apply
All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time.)
Advanced entry
If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.
International admissions
International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.
