Course summary

This specialist option in Aerospace Vehicle Design explores how different structural and systems elements can be designed and integrated using up-to-date methods and techniques. The course will give you an overview of the whole aircraft design process as well as the design of aircraft performance. This Aircraft Design option aims to provide a comprehensive overview of whole aircraft configuration design as well as, structures and systems. A holistic teaching approach is taken to explore how the individual elements of an aircraft can be designed and integrated using up-to-date methods and techniques. You will learn to understand how to select and integrate specific systems such as fuel systems, and their effect on the aircraft as a whole. We have been at the forefront of postgraduate education in aerospace engineering since 1946. Aerospace Vehicle Design at Cranfield University was one of the original foundation courses of the College of Aeronautics. Graduates of this course are eligible to join the Cranfield College of Aeronautics Alumni Association (CCAAA), an active community which hold a number of networking and social events throughout the year. Cranfield University is well located for students from all over the world, and offers a range of library and support facilities to support your studies. This enables students from all over the world to complete this qualification whilst balancing work/life commitments. The Aircraft Design option consists of a number of mandatory modules and a minimum of 60 hours of optional modules, which are selected from optional modules. You are also required to complete a group design project and an individual research project. A unique feature of the course is that we have four external examiners, two from industry who assess the group design project and two from academia who assess the individual research project. This MSc is valued and respected by employers worldwide. The applied nature of this course ensures that our graduates are ready to be of immediate use to their future employer and has provided sufficient breadth of understanding of multi-discipline design to position them for accelerated career progression. Graduates from this option have gone on to pursue engineering careers in disciplines such as structural design, stress analysis or systems design. Many of our graduates occupy very senior positions in their organisations, making valuable contributions to the international aerospace industry. Typical student destinations include BAE Systems, Airbus, Dassault and Rolls-Royce.