Aerospace Engineering at University then Employement
I'm a Year 13 student studying A-level Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics and looking into potentially studying Aerospace Engineering at University. I wanted to ask anybody who has taken this course and is currently studying it or working in this industry what university they went to for it, and what the employment opportunities look like afterwards?
Hi Ivan,
My son has just graduated from Swansea University with a 2:1 BEng in Aerospace Engineering. The beauty of Swansea is that the engineering buildings are brand new and that they are on the Bay campus (directly on the beach). Swansea is also a relatively inexpensive place to live as a student compared to somewhere like London or Nottingham. If you achieve high grades in Y13 (AAA for example) then you will also qualify for an annual excellence scholarship of circa £1,000 per year.
Alex has found with regard to employment, that it is preferable to go on to achieve a master’s degree. He found it reasonably straightforward line up a place to study for an MSc Thermal Power and Propulsion for next year. This will be at Cranfield University. In the meantime he is taking a PGCE to teach maths in further education (16 plus), this is enabling him to save towards the cost of undertaking the master’s degree. The government currently offer generous bursaries to engineering grads willing to train to teach, and of course, a teaching qualification is useful if you hope to boost your salary by perhaps tutoring A level students, alongside a career in industry.
Hope this is helpful. Annabelle
My son has just graduated from Swansea University with a 2:1 BEng in Aerospace Engineering. The beauty of Swansea is that the engineering buildings are brand new and that they are on the Bay campus (directly on the beach). Swansea is also a relatively inexpensive place to live as a student compared to somewhere like London or Nottingham. If you achieve high grades in Y13 (AAA for example) then you will also qualify for an annual excellence scholarship of circa £1,000 per year.
Alex has found with regard to employment, that it is preferable to go on to achieve a master’s degree. He found it reasonably straightforward line up a place to study for an MSc Thermal Power and Propulsion for next year. This will be at Cranfield University. In the meantime he is taking a PGCE to teach maths in further education (16 plus), this is enabling him to save towards the cost of undertaking the master’s degree. The government currently offer generous bursaries to engineering grads willing to train to teach, and of course, a teaching qualification is useful if you hope to boost your salary by perhaps tutoring A level students, alongside a career in industry.
Hope this is helpful. Annabelle
As someone who is an engineer in aerospace, you won't struggle to find work, and many employers may well be amenable to funding a further masters. Where I work, we are currently seeing the impact of a need for more people.
There are huge shortages of engineers in all sectors, including Air, and good people are always going to find work.
There's also a large number of graduate schemes out there for after a person graduates, as well as aerospace (and other firms) offering degree apprenticeships as an alternative route.
There are huge shortages of engineers in all sectors, including Air, and good people are always going to find work.
There's also a large number of graduate schemes out there for after a person graduates, as well as aerospace (and other firms) offering degree apprenticeships as an alternative route.
Employability dep
Fwiw I can’t remember running into many students in industry who graduated from Swansea when I worked in aerospace. And £1,000 a year at uni is not at all worth compromising future earnings for.
There is clear trends between the research partners of aerospace OEMs & graduates in the most desirable employers (i.e. rr/airbus/BAE etc.)
I used to regularly see:
Sheffield/Bristol/Nottingham/loughbrough/Imperial/Oxford/Cambridge - it’s also an industry with lots of degree apprenticeships (particularly in manufacturing engineering roles) & PhDs (on the analytical roles) so lots of different entry points.
Original post by AlrKingsHill
Hi Ivan,
My son has just graduated from Swansea University with a 2:1 BEng in Aerospace Engineering. The beauty of Swansea is that the engineering buildings are brand new and that they are on the Bay campus (directly on the beach). Swansea is also a relatively inexpensive place to live as a student compared to somewhere like London or Nottingham. If you achieve high grades in Y13 (AAA for example) then you will also qualify for an annual excellence scholarship of circa £1,000 per year.
Alex has found with regard to employment, that it is preferable to go on to achieve a master’s degree. He found it reasonably straightforward line up a place to study for an MSc Thermal Power and Propulsion for next year. This will be at Cranfield University. In the meantime he is taking a PGCE to teach maths in further education (16 plus), this is enabling him to save towards the cost of undertaking the master’s degree. The government currently offer generous bursaries to engineering grads willing to train to teach, and of course, a teaching qualification is useful if you hope to boost your salary by perhaps tutoring A level students, alongside a career in industry.
Hope this is helpful. Annabelle
My son has just graduated from Swansea University with a 2:1 BEng in Aerospace Engineering. The beauty of Swansea is that the engineering buildings are brand new and that they are on the Bay campus (directly on the beach). Swansea is also a relatively inexpensive place to live as a student compared to somewhere like London or Nottingham. If you achieve high grades in Y13 (AAA for example) then you will also qualify for an annual excellence scholarship of circa £1,000 per year.
Alex has found with regard to employment, that it is preferable to go on to achieve a master’s degree. He found it reasonably straightforward line up a place to study for an MSc Thermal Power and Propulsion for next year. This will be at Cranfield University. In the meantime he is taking a PGCE to teach maths in further education (16 plus), this is enabling him to save towards the cost of undertaking the master’s degree. The government currently offer generous bursaries to engineering grads willing to train to teach, and of course, a teaching qualification is useful if you hope to boost your salary by perhaps tutoring A level students, alongside a career in industry.
Hope this is helpful. Annabelle
Fwiw I can’t remember running into many students in industry who graduated from Swansea when I worked in aerospace. And £1,000 a year at uni is not at all worth compromising future earnings for.
There is clear trends between the research partners of aerospace OEMs & graduates in the most desirable employers (i.e. rr/airbus/BAE etc.)
I used to regularly see:
Sheffield/Bristol/Nottingham/loughbrough/Imperial/Oxford/Cambridge - it’s also an industry with lots of degree apprenticeships (particularly in manufacturing engineering roles) & PhDs (on the analytical roles) so lots of different entry points.
I think it rather rude to be so utterly dismissive of my son’s degree, his university and many cohorts of graduates. I think you will find that AIRBUS currently run their 40 month degree apprenticeship in collaboration with Swansea University (part of their blurb posted below). The degree that is awarded at the end of the apprenticeship is the exact same BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering degree that my son earned. The AIRBUS. degree apprentices (I gather they travel from sites in Bristol and N Wales) and the regular Aerospave students use the same facilities, labs and receive the same lectures.
My son also completed his final year project in collaboration with ROLLS ROYCE and was mentored through his entire third year by a Swansea alumni, a man who is a current employee at ROLLS ROYCE.
The current Professor of Aerospace at Swansea is one of the lead engineers on the Bloodhound project. I also understand that Swansea is one of the few universities in the country to currently offer a rotorcraft module. This has been useful to my son when applying for and completing internships. It is obviously not only about the university you attend but the internships that you complete and your extra curricular activities, for example, Formula Student and Rocketry Society seem to serve one well when it comes to the example questions on grad recruitment online applications. Both AWE and MBDA put my son through several selection rounds (so clearly a Swansea qualification did not lead to any automatic discrimination ), but ultimately, he has decided that another year of more specific study at Cranfield University is his preference.
Current blurb on the Airbus degree apprenticeship site:
About us:
The Airbus Engineering Degree Apprenticeship gives you the “university experience” with 3 whole years of invaluable industry experience. Achieve a BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering from Swansea University whilst earning a full-time salary and paying ZERO fees to do so.
This unique 40 month programme not only offers you a degree from one of the most highly-recognised engineering institutes in the country, but together with vocational training and placements in design, manufacturing and quality engineering, you will develop excellent engineering skills recognised across the globe.
My son also had offers from other universities including Loughborough, Sheffield, and Southampton Uni but chose Swansea for cost of living reasons. The costs are very different to those incurred by previous generations. I studiedcat Durham University in the ‘90s for free. My son and daughter (Exeter uni) both have student loan debt of over £50k. This year’s students will be expected to pay their loans back over 40 years with interest rates of circa 6 to 7%. The sky high cost of accommodation in cities like London and Nottingham, can be exceptionally prohibitive to some 18 year-olds and to their parents.
My son was also offered a Propulsion MSc at Southampton Uni. I believe this university is currently top three for Aerospace in the country, (offers are A*AA for undergrads) but has again chosen another uni, Cranfield, for a variety of reasons.
Anyway, Ivan. I would suggest you visit everywhere that you plan to place on your UCAS form and talk to the lecturers and current students at length. Where you end up might very much depend on the grades that you achieve, your interests and hobbies or affordability. This is three to four years of your early adult life that you will hopefully enjoy and remember forever. The overall university experience, the societies, the campus, the quality of the life that you will be able to lead there, are also important factors in your decision making.
My son also completed his final year project in collaboration with ROLLS ROYCE and was mentored through his entire third year by a Swansea alumni, a man who is a current employee at ROLLS ROYCE.
The current Professor of Aerospace at Swansea is one of the lead engineers on the Bloodhound project. I also understand that Swansea is one of the few universities in the country to currently offer a rotorcraft module. This has been useful to my son when applying for and completing internships. It is obviously not only about the university you attend but the internships that you complete and your extra curricular activities, for example, Formula Student and Rocketry Society seem to serve one well when it comes to the example questions on grad recruitment online applications. Both AWE and MBDA put my son through several selection rounds (so clearly a Swansea qualification did not lead to any automatic discrimination ), but ultimately, he has decided that another year of more specific study at Cranfield University is his preference.
Current blurb on the Airbus degree apprenticeship site:
About us:
The Airbus Engineering Degree Apprenticeship gives you the “university experience” with 3 whole years of invaluable industry experience. Achieve a BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering from Swansea University whilst earning a full-time salary and paying ZERO fees to do so.
This unique 40 month programme not only offers you a degree from one of the most highly-recognised engineering institutes in the country, but together with vocational training and placements in design, manufacturing and quality engineering, you will develop excellent engineering skills recognised across the globe.
My son also had offers from other universities including Loughborough, Sheffield, and Southampton Uni but chose Swansea for cost of living reasons. The costs are very different to those incurred by previous generations. I studiedcat Durham University in the ‘90s for free. My son and daughter (Exeter uni) both have student loan debt of over £50k. This year’s students will be expected to pay their loans back over 40 years with interest rates of circa 6 to 7%. The sky high cost of accommodation in cities like London and Nottingham, can be exceptionally prohibitive to some 18 year-olds and to their parents.
My son was also offered a Propulsion MSc at Southampton Uni. I believe this university is currently top three for Aerospace in the country, (offers are A*AA for undergrads) but has again chosen another uni, Cranfield, for a variety of reasons.
Anyway, Ivan. I would suggest you visit everywhere that you plan to place on your UCAS form and talk to the lecturers and current students at length. Where you end up might very much depend on the grades that you achieve, your interests and hobbies or affordability. This is three to four years of your early adult life that you will hopefully enjoy and remember forever. The overall university experience, the societies, the campus, the quality of the life that you will be able to lead there, are also important factors in your decision making.
Original post by AlrKingsHill
I think it rather rude to be so utterly dismissive of my son’s degree, his university and many cohorts of graduates. I think you will find that AIRBUS currently run their 40 month degree apprenticeship in collaboration with Swansea University (part of their blurb posted below). The degree that is awarded at the end of the apprenticeship is the exact same BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering degree that my son earned. The AIRBUS. degree apprentices (I gather they travel from sites in Bristol and N Wales) and the regular Aerospave students use the same facilities, labs and receive the same lectures.
My son also completed his final year project in collaboration with ROLLS ROYCE and was mentored through his entire third year by a Swansea alumni, a man who is a current employee at ROLLS ROYCE.
The current Professor of Aerospace at Swansea is one of the lead engineers on the Bloodhound project. I also understand that Swansea is one of the few universities in the country to currently offer a rotorcraft module. This has been useful to my son when applying for and completing internships. It is obviously not only about the university you attend but the internships that you complete and your extra curricular activities, for example, Formula Student and Rocketry Society seem to serve one well when it comes to the example questions on grad recruitment online applications. Both AWE and MBDA put my son through several selection rounds (so clearly a Swansea qualification did not lead to any automatic discrimination ), but ultimately, he has decided that another year of more specific study at Cranfield University is his preference.
Current blurb on the Airbus degree apprenticeship site:
About us:
The Airbus Engineering Degree Apprenticeship gives you the “university experience” with 3 whole years of invaluable industry experience. Achieve a BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering from Swansea University whilst earning a full-time salary and paying ZERO fees to do so.
This unique 40 month programme not only offers you a degree from one of the most highly-recognised engineering institutes in the country, but together with vocational training and placements in design, manufacturing and quality engineering, you will develop excellent engineering skills recognised across the globe.
My son also had offers from other universities including Loughborough, Sheffield, and Southampton Uni but chose Swansea for cost of living reasons. The costs are very different to those incurred by previous generations. I studiedcat Durham University in the ‘90s for free. My son and daughter (Exeter uni) both have student loan debt of over £50k. This year’s students will be expected to pay their loans back over 40 years with interest rates of circa 6 to 7%. The sky high cost of accommodation in cities like London and Nottingham, can be exceptionally prohibitive to some 18 year-olds and to their parents.
My son was also offered a Propulsion MSc at Southampton Uni. I believe this university is currently top three for Aerospace in the country, (offers are A*AA for undergrads) but has again chosen another uni, Cranfield, for a variety of reasons.
Anyway, Ivan. I would suggest you visit everywhere that you plan to place on your UCAS form and talk to the lecturers and current students at length. Where you end up might very much depend on the grades that you achieve, your interests and hobbies or affordability. This is three to four years of your early adult life that you will hopefully enjoy and remember forever. The overall university experience, the societies, the campus, the quality of the life that you will be able to lead there, are also important factors in your decision making.
My son also completed his final year project in collaboration with ROLLS ROYCE and was mentored through his entire third year by a Swansea alumni, a man who is a current employee at ROLLS ROYCE.
The current Professor of Aerospace at Swansea is one of the lead engineers on the Bloodhound project. I also understand that Swansea is one of the few universities in the country to currently offer a rotorcraft module. This has been useful to my son when applying for and completing internships. It is obviously not only about the university you attend but the internships that you complete and your extra curricular activities, for example, Formula Student and Rocketry Society seem to serve one well when it comes to the example questions on grad recruitment online applications. Both AWE and MBDA put my son through several selection rounds (so clearly a Swansea qualification did not lead to any automatic discrimination ), but ultimately, he has decided that another year of more specific study at Cranfield University is his preference.
Current blurb on the Airbus degree apprenticeship site:
About us:
The Airbus Engineering Degree Apprenticeship gives you the “university experience” with 3 whole years of invaluable industry experience. Achieve a BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering from Swansea University whilst earning a full-time salary and paying ZERO fees to do so.
This unique 40 month programme not only offers you a degree from one of the most highly-recognised engineering institutes in the country, but together with vocational training and placements in design, manufacturing and quality engineering, you will develop excellent engineering skills recognised across the globe.
My son also had offers from other universities including Loughborough, Sheffield, and Southampton Uni but chose Swansea for cost of living reasons. The costs are very different to those incurred by previous generations. I studiedcat Durham University in the ‘90s for free. My son and daughter (Exeter uni) both have student loan debt of over £50k. This year’s students will be expected to pay their loans back over 40 years with interest rates of circa 6 to 7%. The sky high cost of accommodation in cities like London and Nottingham, can be exceptionally prohibitive to some 18 year-olds and to their parents.
My son was also offered a Propulsion MSc at Southampton Uni. I believe this university is currently top three for Aerospace in the country, (offers are A*AA for undergrads) but has again chosen another uni, Cranfield, for a variety of reasons.
Anyway, Ivan. I would suggest you visit everywhere that you plan to place on your UCAS form and talk to the lecturers and current students at length. Where you end up might very much depend on the grades that you achieve, your interests and hobbies or affordability. This is three to four years of your early adult life that you will hopefully enjoy and remember forever. The overall university experience, the societies, the campus, the quality of the life that you will be able to lead there, are also important factors in your decision making.
My comment was based on actual experience and working in & with some of the mentioned companies, not intended to be rude but best advice to the OP of this thread. Degree apprenticeships with the same university and title are very different to conventional degrees (guaranteed employability but typically in selective technical roles, excellent if you want a career in a specific role which is available - arguably better pathway for some jobs than conventional route).
Yes university is irrelevant for early stages of recruitment for grad schemes i.e. basic background checks, online testing and hirevue interviews (it’s correct everyone get these for graduate schemes) however it is fundamentally not the case for direct entry graduate roles which make up more than 50% of the jobs at the same companies and these companies have dedicated advantageous pathways for specific universities (the same unis they run their CDT programs at).
Ive worked as an engineer directly in aerospace and other industries, whilst hundreds of engineers get hired every year in all these companies they are not distributed evenly across universities, there are some very clear trends. Id recommend to future engineers looking at the macro level data, and types of roles they are interested.
Id note rotorcraft education is not unique to Swansea, it’s a standard topic as it’s a whole class of aeronautical vehicles- often taught in mechanical engineering degrees as well. Although it might be covered in modules that split aeronautical vehicle fluids & propulsion rather than split via vehicle type.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering
- Received all offers from university
- engineering or natsci?
- Which university is better?
- I cant decide between studying Physics or Aerospace Engineering at uni
- UWE Bristol
- Mechanical Engineering Meng vs Aerospace Engineering Meng
- Does university rep matter for Aeronautical Engineering? (UCL Ranking)
- Aerospace Engineering - UCLAN vs Nottingham Trent
- Various types of Engineering
- Which are the top 5 universities for aerospace/aeronautical engineering
- aerospace engineering
- Need help in deciding Masters Program
- Uni of Hertfordshire Vs uni of Swansea
- Physics or engineering degree??
- Space Engineering Discussion
- aerospace engineering v mechanical engineering
- A levels needed for engineering?
- Aerospace Engineerings vs. Mechatronics *NEED HELP*
- Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or Mechatronics? Please help!
Latest
Trending
Last reply 1 month ago
Is Sheffield Engineering good? How is it compared to Warwick/Bristol?Last reply 1 month ago
How long does Edinburgh, Bath and Southampton take to make offers?Engineering
7
22
