Aircraft Maintenance Engineering
Industry-approved. Career-ready. The only UK degree where your hangar, licence, and future take off together.
How to apply Apply through UCAS Book an Open Day Chat to us/filters:format(webp)/prod01/channel_2/media/university-of-south-wales/site-assets/images/03-courses/engineering-aerospace/bsc-aircraft-maintenance-engineering.png)
UCAS Code
H402
Start Date
September 2027
Location
Pontypridd
Campus Code
A
UCAS Points
96
International students: £17,600*
Course overview
Earn your honours degree and EASA Part-66 B1.1 licence. We're accredited by the Civil Aviation Authority and are a European Union Aviation Safety Agency Approved Training Provider.
Accreditations
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We’re accredited by the Civil Aviation Authority and are an Approved Training Provider by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Why study this course?
What you'll study
In your first year of study, you’ll learn the fundamentals first, with modules of maths, physics, mechanics and electronics.
Then we’ll start applying these learnings to aerospace and commercial aircraft.
Understand the aerodynamics and physics related to flight and the control mechanisms used to maintain altitude, speed and direction.
Gain foundations in Electrical and Electronic engineering ready for more complex avionics systems.
Develop a theoretical and practical understanding of the materials and hardware requirements for aircraft design, manufacture and maintenance.
Learn the soft skills engineers need, including communication skills, professional development planning and critical analysis.
Study mathematical principles and develop the knowledge and understanding to apply mathematical solutions to aircraft engineering problems.
In your second year, you’ll get to apply your knowledge through a series of practical challenges.
You’ll get time in our hangar, working on real planes, getting to grips with the mechanics and understanding how human factors can make a difference.
Master what you need to know to conduct aircraft maintenance tasks and legislative paperwork.
Learn about aircraft sensors and their operation testing and how to interface them to a digital system.
Gain the knowledge and understanding of airline companies' challenges in maintaining and operating aircraft in a competitive commercial environment.
Use case studies to understand how Human Factors (HF) influence and change the processes and procedures that were once standard practices.
Develop detailed knowledge of the theoretical aspects of propeller construction, control, operation, maintenance and storage.
In your final year, we put it all together. You’ll learn about aircraft systems and the highest levels of aircraft safety.
We’ll look at new and emerging technologies and make sure your knowledge is future-proof. You’ll also work on a group project and an individual project to test your skills.
Continue to develop maintenance engineering skills by investigating propulsion systems, their environmental impact and alternative sustainable solutions.
Understand how a PART-145 MRO organisation works, including Human Factors, Fuel Tank Safety and Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems.
Put your skills and knowledge together to review aircraft maintenance.
Gain an insight into working in a regulated Part-145 MRO organisation by preparing and conducting maintenance activities.
Understand the aviation sector's legislation and the laws surrounding aircraft maintenance and how they define your expectations and responsibilities.
Develop a project plan to review an aircraft engineering problem and conduct in-depth research in aircraft maintenance or design an engineering solution.
We regularly review our courses to keep pace with changing skills and employer needs. If a review leads to significant changes, we’ll contact you to explain what’s changing for the coming year.
Teaching and assessment
This is a time-intensive course that makes the most of your study hours each week. You can expect to spend about 27 hours each week between the classroom and practical facilities. We focus on making sure you complete your course ready to start working in the industry, so we teach first and show second, giving you the opportunity to get hands-on with aircraft in our hangar.
You’ll learn the exact procedures used in industry and complete the course with all the knowledge and skills you need to go straight to work on an aircraft. We’ll assess your progress through assignments, coursework, ongoing class tests, practical work and exams.
You’ll be assessed using a mix of theory and practical work that reflects real world industry needs. This includes written assignments, coursework and regular class tests, as well as formal exams to test your understanding of engineering principles and aviation systems.
Practical work is a key part of your assessments. You’ll complete hands-on tasks in workshops and the aircraft hangar to show your technical skills.
You’ll also complete both group and individual projects, where you’ll use what you’ve learned to solve real engineering problems. These projects will help you build your problem-solving and professional skills and prepare you for a career as an aircraft maintenance engineer.
Our close relationships with industry help us make sure you have every opportunity to learn and experience life on the job. The course includes an employability module in your third year when you are encouraged to approach industry to learn more about what they’re looking for from future hires. We take an annual trip to Ryanair and work with Virgin Atlantic to get you out of the university campus and into the workplace.
A lot of our students come here for our facilities, which are among some of the best in the world. If you’re going to be keeping aircraft safe, we believe you need to learn on actual aircraft. Our hangar includes a BAE Jetstream to provide a simulated maintenance environment. We also have a Boeing 747 flight simulator, the rear of an A320 fuselage, three sheet metal workshops, a composites workshop, an avionics suite and a host of engines to learn on.
You will be set tasks that include removing and replacing landing gear, and removing and reinstalling a propeller. You’ll learn what it takes in real-time using the real tools of your trade.
Course Leader
Gary Dornan
Gary has over 14 years of teaching experience and focuses on hands-on, simulation-based learning in aircraft maintenance, helping students build confidence, leadership skills and real-world readiness. Before moving into teaching, he worked in aircraft engineering at Bombardier, contributing to major programmes with Boeing, Airbus and Rolls-Royce. He maintains close industry connections to keep the course up to date and support student employability. Gary’s teaching approach combines strong technical knowledge with an emphasis on communication, teamwork and professionalism, helping you prepare for a successful career in aviation.
Got questions about the course, teaching style or whether it’s the right fit for you? Reach out to Gary directly by email.
"I confidently believe this course has trained and prepared me to go into the industry as an aircraft mechanic."
Matthew Dyke, Aircraft Maintenance Engineering student
Entry requirements
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.
How to applyContextual admissions policyAsk us a question96 UCAS points or above
Typical qualification requirements
A Level:
CCC to include Mathematics or a numerate subject
Welsh BACC:
Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales Grade C and CC at A Level to include Mathematics or a numerate subject
BTEC:
BTEC Extended Diploma Merit Merit Merit in a relevant Maths, Science or Engineering subject
Access to HE:
Pass an Access to HE Diploma in Maths/Science and obtain a minimum of 96 UCAS tariff points
T Level:
P
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.
International studentsPre-Sessional EnglishEnglish 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 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component 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.
Fees and Funding
Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).
*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.
Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy. We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.
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.
per year
Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).
*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.
Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy. We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.
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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Explore our facilities
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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).
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Apply direct
Aircraft Maintenance Engineering
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Full-time, 3 years
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September
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Pontypridd
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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.
Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.
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.
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