Aircraft Engineering

Aircraft engineering is the discipline concerned with the design, maintenance, modification, and airworthiness certification of aircraft and their systems. It combines the principles of mechanical, electrical, and structural engineering with the highly specific regulatory and safety requirements of the aviation industry, where standards of precision and reliability are among the highest demanded of any engineering field. Aircraft engineers keep the global aviation fleet in the air, and their work covers everything from routine scheduled maintenance to the investigation of complex technical faults and the management of major modifications.

At the University of the West of Scotland, this four-year degree provides a thorough grounding in the engineering sciences as they apply to aircraft systems, including aerodynamics, aircraft structures, propulsion, avionics, and maintenance engineering practice. You will develop both theoretical understanding and practical skills, learning to apply engineering principles within the regulatory frameworks that govern civil and military aviation. The degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at an international partner institution and to develop a global perspective on an industry that is inherently international in its standards, its operations, and its workforce.

The aviation sector operates to the same technical standards across borders, and experience of working within different national and institutional contexts is a genuine professional advantage.

Aircraft engineering graduates move into roles as aircraft maintenance engineers, avionics technicians, structural engineers, systems engineers, and airworthiness specialists in commercial airlines, aircraft manufacturers, maintenance, repair, and overhaul organisations, and civil aviation authorities. Many pursue licensing with the Civil Aviation Authority or the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, qualifying as licensed aircraft maintenance engineers. The engineering foundations of the degree also provide routes into aerospace systems engineering, defence, and the growing fields of unmanned aerial vehicles and space systems.

Postgraduate study in aerospace engineering or aviation management is available for those who wish to develop further expertise.