Aircraft Maintenance Engineering including Foundation Year
Prepare yourself for a career in the aerospace industry. Gain relevant expertise and get hands-on with state-of-the-art facilities at USW.
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/bsc-aircraft-maintenance-engineering-foundation-year-1.png)
Key Course Details
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UCAS Code
H404
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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.
Didn’t get the grades you wanted? Complete your foundation year and then gain a degree at the top university in Wales for aerospace engineering (Guardian University Guide 2023) – plus the qualifications required for the Part-66 B1.1 basic aircraft maintenance licence, achieved through real-world experiences that will help kick-start your career.
Designed For
Ours is currently the only UK-based course delivering the degree and the EASA-approved Part-66 B1.1 licence on the same campus. We've got excellent connections with the most well-known aviation companies – offering career opportunities to help jumpstart your career and obtain the accelerated Part-66 B1.1 basic aircraft maintenance licence.
Accredited by
- Approved EASA and CAA
Career Paths
- Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
- Aircraft Maintenance Planning
- Aircraft Manufacturing
- Maintenance Management
- Aircraft Technical Support
Skills taught
- Mechanical, sheet metal and avionic hand skills
- Problem Solving and analytical thinking
- Communication and Team Work
- Safety Awareness and Knowledge of regulations
- Personal responsibility and accountability
Course Highlights
Module Overview
The Foundation Year will give you a good understanding of our engineering courses and provide you with a good numerical background to support you throughout the remainder of the degree. Following your initial foundation year, you will progress onto the modules studied as part of your award.
Foundation of Mathematics
Application of basic numeracy, algebra and mathematical methods.
Application of Mathematical Skills
Application of basic calculus and statistical methods.
Essential Engineering Skills
Students will gain an appreciation of the engineering disciplines with an insight into engineers of the world.
Engineering Project
Students will realise the importance of effective teamwork and planning, and will typically consist of background research, planning, Pre-Construction, Construction and Handover of a designed brief.
Foundation Engineering Principles
This module will allow the students to acquaint themselves with the basic concepts and their application within the subjects of:
Mechanical/Aeronautical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
English for Engineering
This module will enable students to communicate in an appropriate register and to demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly reflectively and critically in a range of different academic and professional genres.
Introduction to Aircraft MaintenanceAcademic Studies
An introduction to aircraft structural components and their relationship to one another using a basic knowledge of aircraft terminology.
Aircraft are complex machines that incorporate a host of engineering disciplines. An understanding of general science, mathematics, and technology-based subjects are explored to provide the foundations necessary to progress to the more complex subjects related to commercial aircraft.
Aerospace Mechanics
The content of this module will provide the essential underpinning to understand the aerodynamics and physics related to flight and the control mechanisms used to maintain altitude, speed and direction.
Electronic Fundamentals for Maintenance and Electrical Fundamentals for Maintenance Engineers
These modules will equip you with the foundations in Electrical and Electronic engineering required to progress onto more complex avionics systems.
Aerospace Materials and Hardware
By studying this module, you will gain a theoretical and practical understanding of the materials and hardware requirements for aircraft design, manufacture and maintenance.
Professional Engineering Techniques
You will investigate the soft skills that are a vital attribute of any future engineer, including communication skills, professional development planning and critical analysis.
Analytical Methods for Engineers
This module will provide the mathematical principles to underpin your ongoing studies. The focus is to ensure you have sufficient knowledge and understanding to apply mathematical solutions to aircraft engineering problems.
This year will expose you to common mechanical and electronic systems found on aircraft. It also introduces you to Human Factors along with an underpinning knowledge of the business practices within the aviation industry.
The Maintenance Practices for B1 Licence
This module will provide you with the knowledge necessary to conduct aircraft maintenance tasks and the know-how to complete the required legislative paperwork, a requirement for audit and accountability purposes.
The Aircraft Instrumentation Systems
You will learn about various sensors typically found on aircraft systems and understand the operation, the process of testing and how to interface them to a digital system.
Fundamentals of Air Transport Management
This module provides you with the knowledge and understanding of airline companies' challenges in maintaining and operating aircraft in a very competitive commercial environment.
Human Factors
Using historical case studies, you will be shown how the research into Human Factors (HF) has influenced and changed the processes and procedures that were once adopted as standard practices.
Maintenance and Repair of Aircraft Propeller Systems
You will gain a detailed knowledge of the theoretical aspects of propeller construction, control, operation, maintenance and storage.
The final year of the course has been designed to focus the student's attention on the new and emerging technologies used in MROs and the challenges surrounding the maintenance practices of operating in these organisations.
Aerospace Turbine Propulsion Systems
You will continue to develop maintenance engineering skills by investigating propulsion systems, their environmental impact and alternative sustainable solutions.
Aero-Structures, Aerodynamics and Systems
This module is the largest in terms of content and aims to combine the breadth of knowledge gained across all modules and consolidate this to holistically review aircraft maintenance.
Aviation Legislation
Understand the aviation sector's legislation and the laws surrounding aircraft maintenance, which will dictate the expectations and responsibilities of individuals and organisations performing maintenance tasks.
Employment in a PART-145 organisation
This module will give you understanding of the operation of a PART-145 MRO organisation and MOE requirements. Gain aviation training in Human Factors, Fuel Tank Safety and Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems, required for working in the industry.
Group Project – PART-145
The Simulated Environment You will gain an insight into working in a regulated Part-145 MRO organisation by preparing and conducting maintenance activities in terms of the Maintenance Resources and Planning Management requirements.
Individual Project
You are expected to derive a project plan that would enable you to review an aircraft engineering problem and conduct in-depth research in aircraft maintenance or design an engineering solution to aircraft problems.
Course Highlights
How you’ll learn
Students receive 2400 hours of education and training over the three years of study, equating to 27 hours/week of contact time. Students will be in lectures/workshops for 4.5 days per week. The type of activities vary, but as you progress through the years, a more intense hands-on practical approach will be adopted, allowing you to gain valuable experience maintaining complex aircraft systems.
You will be assessed through assignments, coursework, ongoing class tests, practical work and exams. The Part-66 assessments contribute to the overall module mark into which they are embedded. This contribution varies depending on the academic level.
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Teaching staff
Our teaching staff have a wealth of experience and come from both military and commercial aviation backgrounds.
Some have developed this expertise through high quality research. The research areas are international in their scope whilst also having a relevance locally, often working with international companies that operate locally.
Others have developed their expertise through successful careers in industry and are now using that knowledge to teach and prepare the students for their own careers.
This blend of backgrounds represented in the academic staff give a breadth to the student experience and develops them technically and professionally.
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Placements
We know the value of placement and work experience and are passionate about seeing our students take up these opportunities. We work with several local and national companies in order to assist students to take up these opportunities
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Facilities
The University has invested £3.3m in its aerospace facilities, including a two-storey Aerospace Centre extension, offering engineering students 1,000m2 of workshop and lab space, two aircraft hangars, and a MP521 flight simulator.
The Centre houses a Jetstream 31 aircraft, gas turbine maintenance, riveting, hand tool, and welding workshops. Additionally, it features clean and dirty composite workshops, labs for electronic tasks, avionics, hydraulics, and pneumatics. Sub-sonic wind tunnels facilitate aerodynamic instruction.
The Merlin MP521 simulator, programmable for any aircraft type, is pivotal in design testing and flight test preparation.
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100%
Of BSc (Hons) Aircraft Maintenance Engineering students at USW were satisfied with their course.
National Student Survey 2024ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
UCAS points: 48 (or above)
Typical qualification requirements:
- A Level: DD
- Welsh BACC: N/A
- BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Pass Pass Pass or BTEC Diploma Pass Pass
- Access to HE: Pass the Access to Higher Education Diploma
- T Level: Pass (D or E)
Additional requirements include:
The University normally requires a minimum 3 GCSEs including Mathematics and English at Grade C/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*Additional Costs
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 stationery, printing, or equipment during your foundation year. For costs after you progress to year 1 of your degree programme, please see the list below.
Students who successfully secure on the job training in industry to work towards qualifying for the accelerated licence, would be expected to pay their own travel costs to and from the venue during the period of placement. The cost of this will of course vary and some students have chosen to pay for accommodation close to their place of work for the duration of their placement. Any fees charged for the practical training will be at the discretion of the EASA Part-145 company and will be the responsibility of the student.
Introducing Calon
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.