BEng (Hons) Aeronautical Engineering (with a placement year) Bachelor's degree at Staffordshire
BEng (Hons) Aeronautical Engineering (with a placement year) at Staffordshire. You'll study core theory, research methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project and professional skills.
About this course
Our BEng (Hons) in Aeronautical Engineering is ideal if you want to become a pilot, or work as an engineer or manager in the airline industry. Foundation Year in Aeronautical Engineering available. From the provider’s course page.
BEng (Hons) Aeronautical Engineering (with a placement year) is a Bachelor's degree (BEng (Hons)) at Staffordshire, based in Stoke on Trent Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Aeronautical and aerospace engineering graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 65% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £29,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Engineering, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 55% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 7 modules
- Aerospace Engineering PrinciplesCompulsory20 credits
Module details
In this module you will gain an in-depth understanding of aircraft systems and flight. Features such as aircraft instruments, controls and engines will be covered in depth. The multiple mechanisms of aircraft lift and drag will be studied, and human factors and decision-making errors will also be looked at in depth. Some significant air crashes and incidents will also be forensically reviewed in detail.
- Applications Of Electrical And Electronic Engineering 1Compulsory20 credits
Module details
Applications of electrical and electronic devices and circuits are continuously growing. This module will be a great opportunity for engineering students to understand how electrical and electronic circuits, components, and devices are applied to support cross discipline applications.
- Engineering Design And PracticeCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module will provide you an opportunity to understand the advantages of design processes, research, analyse and develop potential design solutions that can be realised from concept through to prototyping. You will document the stages of the design and development process demonstrating methodology and project management skills to achieve the set aims and objectives of the project.
- Engineering MechanicsCompulsory20 credits
Module details
Mechanics is applied in many areas of engineering including aeronautical, automotive, electrical & electronics, mechanical and so on. This module covers the concepts related to mechanics. In addition to the theoretical principles and their numerical applications, students will also get an opportunity to verify the bending moment principles in the mechanics lab.
- Engineering ThermofluidsCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module will provide students with sufficient thermo-fluid fundamental knowledge and practical to understand and tackle thermo-fluid concepts for engineering applications
- Engineering Mathematics 1 (A-Level)Optional20 credits
Module details
Mathematical tools play a crucial role in engineering to solve real-world problems. As an engineer, you are expected to have extensive problem-solving skills for the design, innovation, optimisation, precision, and accuracy of systems. In this module, you will encounter a wide variety of mathematical techniques including algebra, trigonometry, complex numbers, matrices, probability theory, and basic and advanced calculus techniques to develop your analytical ability and problem-solving skills es
- Engineering Mathematics 1 (Non A-Level)Optional20 credits
Module details
This module will provide you with the mathematical concepts required to support your degree level learning, including Algebra, Trigonometry, Complex Numbers and Calculus.
Year 2 6 modules
- Aerodynamics And PropulsionCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module covers the concepts related to both aerodynamics and propulsion. In addition to the theoretical principles and their numerical applications, experimental techniques such as wind tunnel simulation and the basics of computational techniques such as Fluent and GasTurb will also be taught in this module.
- Control System AnalysisCompulsory20 credits
Module details
The theory and principles of control systems have gained attention recently due to its increasing applications. This module will cover principles of feedback control and techniques that allow evaluation of a given system. Performance of control systems in several real-world applications will be covered. Computational methods used to analyse, interpret, and inform about a given control system will be studied. Simulation exercises and group work will be conducted to analyse practical systems consi
- Engineering Mathematics 2Compulsory20 credits
Module details
This module will provide students with sufficient mathematical tools and techniques to tackle a variety of engineering problems.
- Engineering Product CommercialisationCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module equips you with the commercialisation aspect of Engineering and products. This module will give you knowledge of business and customer requirements before indulging in R&D or improvement of currently available products in the market. How and why is marketing important? What do you find out from a PESTLE analysis and a TOWS analysis? You will develop an understanding of Project Management, Change Management and Quality Management.
- Flight Dynamics And ControlCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module covers the concepts related to aircraft performance, stability and control. With the help of the MATLAB and Simulink introduction tutorial sessions, students will be able to develop an aircraft pitch controller during this module to solve a real-life problem.
- Mechanical Design And StructuresCompulsory20 credits
Module details
An understanding of mechanical design and structures are vital to multiple schools of engineering. This module will cover advanced design and assembly, analytical and computational analysis of structures, and the integration of materials science principles to optimise performance. Students will delve into complex structural systems, exploring how to design and evaluate components under various loading conditions. Emphasis will be placed on applying computational tools to model and simulate real-
Year 3 5 modules
- Aerospace Engineering ApplicationsCompulsory20 credits
- Aircraft Design Group ProjectCompulsory20 credits
- Applied Computational Fluid DynamicsCompulsory20 credits
- Engineering ProjectCompulsory40 credits
Module details
The Engineering Project module will provide an opportunity to design and implement your own large-scale proje
- Structural Analysis And FeaCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module provides detailed study of the process of Structural Analysis and how such process techniques can be used to solve real-life problems. Design and Analysis case studies and design problems will be considered, and their applications will also be highlighted. Software based modelling and simulation techniques to create complex systems will be studied. Industry standard software will be used for detailed analysis, complex modelling and simulations during this module. Laboratory based act
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course is designed for those aiming to become a pilot or work as an engineer or manager in the airline industry. You'll study aeronautical engineering over four years, usually progressing from foundational principles to specialist options and a final project. Early on, you'll cover Engineering Mathematics, Mechanics & Materials, and Design & Practical Skills, including CAD and workshop practice. In the second year, you'll typically move to discipline-specific modules such as Thermodynamics & Fluids, Engineering Analysis & Computing, and a team design project against a real specification. In your final year, you'll choose specialist options such as Mechanical, Electrical & electronic, Civil & structural, Robotics & mechatronics, or Energy & sustainability, complete Professional Engineering Practice (covering safety, ethics and project management), and undertake an individual project as the centrepiece of your degree.
Who it's for
This course suits those with A-level qualifications or equivalent. Recent entrants typically held a UCAS tariff of 96–111 points. You'll need fluency in English and a genuine interest in aeronautical engineering principles and their real-world application. The placement year means you'll gain practical experience alongside academic study.
Careers & job market
Nationally, 90% of engineering graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 80% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. National graduate earnings data shows starting salaries of £29,000–£35,000 at 15 months; after three years, £26,775–£37,800; and after five years, £33,150–£46,800. These figures reflect the broader engineering sector, not a guarantee. Your placement year will strengthen your employability and professional network.
University & format
This is a full-time Bachelor's degree (BEng (Hons)) taught in English at the University of Staffordshire, based on the Stoke on Trent Campus. The course runs for four years and includes a placement year. It is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so your qualification is nationally recognised. The university holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. A Foundation Year in Aeronautical Engineering is available if you need additional preparation.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Names detected beside accreditation or recognition copy on the provider course page; verify the route and intake.
With a placement. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 100% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code H410). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Staffordshire →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Engineering graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £29,500 | £24,000 – £32,000 | 10 |
| 3 years after | £24,500 | £17,500 – £29,500 | 30 |
| 5 years after | £27,500 | £23,000 – £41,000 | 30 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in engineering · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Engineering nationally
National figures for Engineering graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Engineering courses at the same study level.
Compared with 2,256 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Engineering professionalsSOC 2020 212 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £50,325
- Process, plant and machine operativesDiscover Uni category · 15% of published destinations
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 40; response rate: 65%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Engineering graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Engineering graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Engineering & manufacturing firms
- Automotive & aerospace
- Energy & utilities
- Defence & consultancies
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Engineering graduates.
Engineering Surveyor (Machine Control)BAM UK & IrelandEngineering Operations Project ManagerFdo Consulting LimitedEngineering ManagerVerto PeopleEngineering ManagerRobert WaltersEngineering ManagerPremier Technical RecruitmentEngineering ManagerRedline Group LtdIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £29,500. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.4 out of 10: NSS 77.6% · in work or study 90% · continued 55%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Staffordshire
Engineering and technology across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Stoke on Trent Campus
1,636 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Engineering right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Staffordshire from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £17,085 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Staffordshire’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Staffordshire and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Staffordshire
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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