Aerospace

About Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace engineering is normally thought of as only aircraft engineering, however, they do much more. Aerospace engineers have the skills and technical knowledge to work in the defence, telecommunications, space and automotive industries to name a few. As a aerospace engineer graduate you will be well equipped to tackle the most challenging tasks. This makes aerospace engineers a vital component to develop countries and companies forward.

As a aerospace engineer graduate you will be highly qualified and highly in demand. This means you will have a wide variety of jobs you can apply to.

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements will vary from university to university, however, all will require BBB or higher with most asking for at least AAA. You will need to have maths as one of the A-level qualifications.

GCSEs that suit this Degree

Regardless of what GCSEs you do you can always go down various career paths, but certain GCSEs will give you an advantage and some will be required. Below is a list of GCSEs which will help you with aerospace engineering:

• English Language and Literature *(required)
• Mathematics *(required)
• Double or Triple Science *(required)
• Design and Technology
• Electronics
• IT

A-levels that suit this Degree

Regardless of what  A-levels you do you can always go down various career paths, but certain A-levels will give you an advantage and some will be required. Below is a list of A-levels which will help you with aerospace engineering:

• Mathematics *(required)
• Further Maths
• Physics
• Chemistry
• IT / Computer Science

Duration of Degree

The duration of the degree is 3 years for a bachelors (BEng) and an additional year for a masters (MEng and MSc). You can also carry on and do a PhD which is usually 4 years.

Who This Degree Suits?

Every degree will be enjoyable and suit different personalities, below is a list of characteristics and personalities which will enjoy the aerospace engineering degree:

• Enjoy Mathematics
• Enjoy Physics
• Interested space
• Interested in aviation (planes, rockets etc...)

Module /Topics

Aerospace engineering has many topics that need to be covered, below is a list of the topics that will be in all university curriculums:

• Aerodynamics
• Space mission analysis and design
• Space systems
• Airframe design and flight dynamics
• Aircraft design
• Mechanics of flight
• Heat transfer
• Thermodynamics
• Fluid mechanics
• Management and business

Industry Sectors

Aerospace engineering allows you too apply to many different industries, below is a list of them:

• Aerospace (Military aircrafts, Missiles, Space, Commercial airliners and general aviation)
• Automotive
• Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
• Finance (Investment Banking, Retail Banking, HMRC, Insurance)
• Energy
• Telecommunications
• Oil and Gas
• Scientific research

Types of Jobs

Aerospace engineers can apply to a wide variety of roles, below is a list of them:

• Aerospace engineer
• Manufacture engineer
• Aeronautical designer
• Mechanical engineer
• Structural engineer
• Automotive engineer
• Production engineer
• Supply chain management
• Data scientist
• Physician
• Consultant
• HMRC Tax specialist
• Teacher

Work hours and Salary

As a aerospace engineering graduate you will usually work 9-5 job, which is roughly 40 hours a week. Companies are more flexible now and would let you work from home for part of the week, which can help make work life balance more easy. The salary you will get will vary on your experience and which sector you go into, below is the average expected salaries:

• Graduate can expect £25,0000 - £30,000;
• With experience (3-4 years) salaries will rise to £30,000 - £45,000;
• Chartered or senior engineers (5-10 years) can expect £40,000 - £90,000