Aircraft Engineering BEng (Hons) top-up

Why choose this course?

Do you have an engineering foundation degree from Kingston University? Or, do you hold an EASA Cat B aircraft engineering licence? If so, this course is a perfect choice to top-up your qualification to an honours degree.

Your studies will include exploring the performance of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft and analysis of their structures, and evaluating materials for aircraft applications.

You'll also study the principles of air transport economics and how they affect management decision-making and project planning and mapping. You'll also undertake group and individual projects on industry-related topics.

Apply for this course in Clearing

Course	Attendance	UCAS code/apply	Year of entry
Aircraft Engineering BEng(Hons) top-up	1 year full time	H416	2023 (Clearing) 2024
Aircraft Engineering BEng(Hons) top-up	2 years part time	Apply direct to the University	2023 (Clearing) 2024

Please note: If you are applying from our partner institution, Exeter College on the Aircraft Engineering FdEng then please do not apply via UCAS. Please liaise with your college on how to best apply for Aircraft Engineering BEng (Hons) top-up.

Location

Roehampton Vale

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Reasons to choose Kingston University

This course aligns with the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC) and meets the academic requirements for Incorporated Engineering (IEng) Membership of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS).
You'll be able to enhance your learning through an industrial placement with an approved employer.
We have a successful history of providing graduates to the aviation industry, especially around Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
Through this course, you can obtain an Aircraft Engineering BEng (Hons) in one year (full-time) or two years (part-time).

What you will study

You will study fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft performance and will analyse aircraft structures. You will evaluate materials for aircraft applications and the fundamental principles of air transport economics and their application to management decision-making.

You will also learn about the fundamentals of project planning and mapping, and will complete significant group and individual projects on industry-related topics.

Partner institutions

The following partners also deliver the top-up course:

Nilai University, Malaysia. This course is currently only available to students who complete the Nilai University Diploma in Aircraft Engineering. For further information, contact louie@nilai.edu.my.
Sri Lankan Aviation College (SLAC). For further information, contact thiwanka.sundarapperuma@srilankan.com.

Application for places on these courses must be made directly to the institute. Please note that local restrictions apply.

Modules

You will also learn about the fundamentals of project planning and mapping, and will complete significant group and individual projects on industry-related topics.

Core modules

Air Transport Economics

30 credits

Throughout the course of your studies, you will have so far studied material that has been focused on a specific role or roles within the air transport industry whether it be aircraft design, maintenance, operations or repair and overhaul. The aim of this module is to take a step back and explore how employers within the various sectors of the air transport industry combine all these functions in order to make a profit.

In addition to looking in detail at the overall profit and loss equation:

Traffic x Yield - Output x Cost = Profit or Loss

The module also compares the operation of the air transport market with that in other sectors and, in more general terms, looks at what makes the industry tick. The standard method of recording and reporting financial performance is also considered.

On successful completion of this module, you will not only understand how your future role will contribute to your employer's success but, should you decide to move away from the air transport sector, you will have a firm grounding in the general economic principles by which all industries operate.

Aerospace Technology

30 credits

This module is designed for students from a range of aerospace-related programmes. It provides an understanding of how the principles of aerodynamics, propulsion, structures and materials science all determine the configuration and performance of fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

Individual Project (Aircraft IEng)

30 credits

The overarching aim of this individual project module is to provide each student with the opportunity to impress. Working on a topic of their own choosing, the student, with minimal guidance from their supervisor, should apply approximately 300 hours of individual effort into the analysis of a problem and determination of the best solution and/or course of action. The analysis can take a variety of forms ranging from an in-depth comparison of a number of already documented potential solutions to the collection and comparison of experimental and theoretical data. The topic investigated should ideally be of an aircraft maintenance or engineering nature, though other topics may be permitted with the agreement of the module leader.

By completing a capstone project of this type, each student is able to demonstrate that they can draw together the information from all the other teaching and learning on the course and past learning and experience; and through innovation and analysis, demonstrate that they truly are independent learners.

Aircraft Maintenance Operations

30 credits

This module is designed to encourage independent learning and develop the skills required of those holding senior posts in the aviation industry; particularly in the field of aircraft maintenance. It therefore provides an ideal opportunity for you to develop and demonstrate a number of intellectual, practical and transferable skills.

The module starts by briefly examining maintenance cost drivers, airline logistic support processes and cooperative logistic support strategies before moving onto project planning. In project planning, the basic processes of determining tasks, writing aims and objectives and estimating time are considered before looking at the planning and mapping of projects using network diagrams and finally network analysis.

The purpose of completing the preparatory studying is to prepare you for what is to follow: a significant group exercise in which you work together to produce a realistic and cost effective maintenance solution for an airline operation. The details of which (routes, flight schedule, aircraft details etc.) are provided by the course team. The project involves reviewing the "scenario" to determine the exact requirements, planning for successful completion of the project, identifying options and determining costs through research, analysing data collected and formulating an evidence-based solution and presenting the findings. As part of the project, you will produce a project plan, do a group presentation, produce a substantial written report, and maintain a project log book.

Future Skills

Knowledge to give you the edge

Embedded within every course curriculum and throughout the whole Kingston experience, Future Skills will play a role in shaping you to become a future-proof graduate, providing you with the skills most valued by employers such as problem-solving, digital competency, and adaptability.

As you progress through your degree, you'll learn to navigate, explore and apply these graduate skills, learning to demonstrate and articulate to employers how future skills give you the edge.

At Kingston University, we're not just keeping up with change, we're creating it.

Learn employability enhancing Future Skills

A female engineering student, in the engineering lab.

Entry requirements

If you would like to join us through Clearing 2023, please call our Clearing hotline on 0800 0483 334 (or +44 020 8328 1149 if you are calling from outside the UK) and speak to our friendly and knowledgeable hotliners who will be able to provide information on available courses and will guide you through your options.

Please note the entry requirements listed below are for 2024 entry only.

Typical offer 2024

Progression from an appropriate Kingston University Foundation Degree.
Possession of a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part 66 Category B Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Licence.

Typical offer 2023

Progression from an appropriate Kingston University Foundation Degree.
Possession of a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part 66 Category B Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Licence.

Additional requirements

Entry on to this course does not require an interview, entrance test, audition or portfolio.

International

We welcome applications from International Applicants. View our standard entry requirements from your country.

All non-UK applicants must meet our English language requirements. For this course it is Academic IELTS of 6.0, with no element below 5.5.

Country-specific information

You will find more information on country specific entry requirements in the International section of our website.

Find your country:

Typical offer and UCAS points explained

Like most universities, we use the UCAS Tariff point system for our course entry requirements.

Find out more about UCAS Tariff points and see how A-level, AS level, BTEC Diploma and T-level qualifications translate to the points system.

Facilities

There is a wide range of facilities for practical work at our Roehampton Vale campus, where this course is based.

You will have access to a modern environment with the latest technology, including the rocket propulsion laboratory which is a fully equipped rocket propulsion test lab for testing and firing of live rockets for data acquisition. Here you can fire rocket engines you have designed and constructed. Current apparatus include:

gaseous oxygen and propane bi-propellant engine;
nitrous oxide and PMMA hybrid engine;
liquid oxygen and high density polyethylene (HDPE) 300 N engine;
fully automated/programmable firing sequence;
blast chamber with extraction system for safety; and
thermochemistry software packages for simulation of rocket combustion.

Other facilities include:

a fully equipped manufacturing workshop where you can manufacture your rocket engine designs using the extensive range of equipment - including CNC machines;
3D rapid prototype printer allowing you to print off your computer designed models for testing and evaluation;
industry-standard test and experimental equipment for metrology, robotics, fatigue and quality control;
state-of-the-art computing facilities for computer aided design (CAD) and other specialist software;
a mission control room equipped with high-performance PCs with tri-screen setup, for planning and operating space missions;
the Merlin flight simulator where you can programme a mathematical model of your design into the simulator and then monitor the results;
a Learjet 25, providing a real-world environment for gaining practical engineering skills;
large-scale wind tunnels that enable testing in winds of up to 90 miles per hour; and
laser doppler anemometry system which allows us to make very accurate velocity measurements in the wind tunnel.

Take a look inside our engineering labs at Roehampton Vale campus

Teaching and assessment

Guided independent study (self-managed time)

When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for final assignments. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the online virtual learning platform.

Academic support

Our academic support team here at Kingston University provides help in a range of areas.

Dedicated personal tutor

When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of academic staff who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at Kingston and show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer at Kingston University.

Your workload

Type of learning and teaching

Year 1

Scheduled learning and teaching: 252 hours
Guided independent study (self-managed time): 948 hours

How you will be assessed

Type of assessment

Year 1

Coursework: 55%
Practical: 10%
Exams: 35%

Feedback summary

We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.

Your timetable

Your individualised timetable is normally available to students within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled learning and teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9am and 6pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.

Class sizes

To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally enrols 10 students and lecture sizes are normally 10. However this can vary by module and academic year.

Who teaches this course?

The course is taught by the Department of Aerospace and Aircraft Engineering. Staff have a wide range of experience across research and industry and continue to practice and research at the cutting edge of their discipline. This ensures that our courses are current and industry informed ensuring you get the most relevant and up to date education possible.

We have a dedicated campus for engineering students at Roehampton Vale, a short journey from Kingston town centre and close to Richmond Park.

We offer a wide-range of specialist facilities on site, supported with software technology and laboratory technicians.

Renowned companies are involved in course delivery, placements, final year projects and industry talks. Companies range from global leaders KLM Engineering, Marshall Aerospace and the Defence Group, Airbus UK, Astrium Eads, GE Aircraft, and Lockheed, to small and medium enterprises such as Aero Optimal, Aircraft Research Associates, and Aim Aviation.

Postgraduate students may run or assist in lab sessions and may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.

Mr Waruna Masinghe

Course Leader

Dr Doni Daniel

Mr Phil Hudson

Dr Sing Lo

Course fees and funding

2024/25 fees for this course

The tuition fee you pay depends on whether you are assessed as a ‘Home' (UK) or ‘International' student. In 2024/25 the fees for this course are:

Fee category	Amount
Home (UK students)	£9,250*
International	£17,800

This fee applies to students studying for the BSc (Hons) or BA (Hons) top-up in the 2024/25 academic year.

* For full time programmes of a duration of more than one academic year, the published fee is an annual fee, payable each year, for the duration of the programme. Your annual tuition fees cover your first attempt at all of the modules necessary to complete that academic year. A re-study of any modules will incur additional charges calculated by the number of credits. Home tuition fees may be subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body. Full time taught International fees are subject to an annual increase and are published in advance for the full duration of the programme.

Eligible UK students can apply to the Government for a tuition loan, which is paid direct to the University. This has a low interest rate which is charged from the time the first part of the loan is paid to the University until you have repaid it.

Need to know more? Our fees and funding section provides information and advice on money matters.

2023/24 fees for this course

The tuition fee you pay depends on whether you are assessed as a ‘Home' (UK) or ‘International' student. In 2023/24 the fees for this course are:

Fee category	Amount
Home (UK students)	£9,250*
International	£15,800

This fee applies to students studying for the BSc (Hons) or BA (Hons) top-up in the 2023/24 academic year.

Need to know more? Our fees and funding section provides information and advice on money matters.

Funding and bursaries

For this course, the William Willis Aircraft Engineering Scholarship offers financial assistance to those unable to afford the cost of the tuition fees.

William Willis Aircraft Engineering Scholarship

Thanks to a generous bequest from William Willis, the University is now able to offer financial assistance to those unable to afford the cost of the tuition fees. The bursary will cover up to 50% of the fees.

Application Process

Send a brief CV describing your education and employment history along with a Personal Statement of no more than 500 words explaining how achieving an honours degree would enable you to enhance your contribution to the UK Aerospace/Aviation Industry.

Your Personal Statement should also explain how your previous education and experience have prepared you for further study at honours degree level. You should email these to: s.adams@kingston.ac.uk. Please include the words Aircraft Engineering Top up Bursary in the subject line of your email. Your application must be received by Friday, June 26 2020.

Note for EU students: UK withdrawal from the European Union

The Government has recently announced that new students from the European Union and Swiss Nationals starting their course after August 2021 will no longer be eligible for a student loan in England for Undergraduate or Postgraduate studies from the 2021/22 academic year. This decision only applies to new EU students starting after 2021/22. If you are an existing/continuing EU student, you will continue to be funded until you graduate or withdraw from your course.

Need to know more?

Our undergraduate fees and funding section provides information and advice on money matters.

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.

Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.

Textbooks

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to buy your own copy of key textbooks; this can cost between £50 and £250 per year.

Computer equipment

There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan. You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet which you can use around campus and in halls of residence. Free WiFi is available on each campus. You may wish to purchase your own computer, which can cost between £100 and £3,000 depending on your course requirements.

Photocopying and printing

In the majority of cases, written coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing, binding and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees, this may cost up to £100 per year.

Travel

Travel costs are not included in your tuition fees but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses, Surbiton train station, Kingston-upon-Thames train station, Norbiton train station and halls of residence.

3D printing

It is not compulsory as part of your degree to print projects using the 3D printer. However if you wish to, you will need to pay for the material. Printing costs are estimated by weight (cheapest material is 3p per gram and most expensive material is 40p per gram).

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Kingston University will supply you with a lab coat and safety goggles at the start of the year. A £10 voucher will be supplied to help cover the cost of the safety boots when purchasing with our supplier Activity Work Wear. Safety boots can range in cost between £25 and £100.

What our students say

I was looking for something different to do so chose aircraft engineering. As a mature student, I was a bit concerned that I might be too old, but this hasn't been the case at all and I am thoroughly enjoying the course.

We have got some excellent facilities and some excellent assistants over in the lab. They are very clever guys and they really know their subject.

A mature student's perspective of the course

If you want any help, you can go straight to the lecturer who will explain everything. You can go and ask them questions every time.

Kingston is a good place for students, especially when it comes to socialising. There's everything from pubs to shopping centres.

A student's view of our academic support

After you graduate

You'll gain knowledge and skills that provide a good foundation for senior roles in engineering. Our graduates work at British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, KLM UK Engineering, DHL, the Royal Navy, the British Army and BAES.

Examples of recent graduate destinations

British Airways
Flybe
Virgin Atlantic
KLM UK Engineering
Monarch Airlines
DHL
Bristows
Royal Navy
British Army
BAES

This forerunner of this course, the Aircraft Engineering Foundation Degree, plus the BSc(Hons) top-up was delivered for 13 years (2001 to 2013). During that time, many hundreds of students achieved the foundation award and went on to obtain careers in the aircraft maintenance industry. And, several hundred practising licensed engineers completed the honours top-up to complement their vocational licence. Therefore, it would probably be true to say that you will find an ex Kingston aircraft engineering student in almost every maintenance organisation in the UK. And, in many overseas organisations as well.

Careers and recruitment advice

The Faculty has a specialist employability team. It provides friendly and high-quality careers and recruitment guidance, including advice and sessions on job-seeking skills such as CV preparation, application forms and interview techniques. Specific advice is also available for international students about the UK job market and employers' expectations and requirements.

The team runs employer events throughout the year, including job fairs, key speakers from industry and interviews on campus. These events give you the opportunity to hear from, and network with, employers in an informal setting.

Employability preparation at Kingston University

In addition to building expertise in your own discipline, our courses will also help you to develop key transferable skills that you'll need for professional life or further study once you graduate.

As well as a range of careers and employability activities at Kingston, we also offer you the chance to apply and develop your skills in live contexts as an integral part of your course. Opportunities include:

placements;
working or studying abroad;
volunteering;
peer mentoring roles; and
internship opportunities within and outside the University.

In your final year, you'll get the opportunity to complete a major 'capstone' project where you can apply the knowledge and skills you have acquired to a range of real issues in different contexts. This is a great way to learn and is a valuable bridge to employment or further research at masters level.

Courses available after you graduate

If you decide that you would like to go on to postgraduate study after your undergraduate course, we offer a 10 per cent discount on our postgraduate course tuition fees to our alumni.

What our graduates say

After my A-levels in Sri Lanka, I joined Kingston University in early 2002 as part of the second intake of what was then the new "JAR course" run in collaboration with KLM UK. At the end of my second year, having completed all my licence exams, I secured a position at KLM UK as an aircraft certifying mechanic. Whilst at KLM UK I worked on Boeing 737, Fokker and BAE 146 aircraft and gained a full EASA B1 licence and type certificate on B737CG aircraft. I was also able to work in the Production Support and QA departments as a technical co-ordinator and QA support engineer respectively. In 2009, I enrolled on Kingston University's Aircraft Engineering top-up BEng(Hons) programme and graduated in 2011 with a first-class pass.

I found that both the courses I took at Kingston University were well thought out and were designed to give students the skills demanded by industry. Another aspect that top-up students in particular appreciated was how accessible the course was; both in terms of pre-requisites where they received credit for licences and experience, and also in terms of its part-time delivery.

My career has involved many disciplines, cultures, environments and has certainly involved many challenges. The broad-based foundation I received at Kingston, together with the dedication of its faculty, contributed in no small way to my being able to achieve my goals to date, both academic and career.

Nuwan Kamaragoda

Having studied Mental Health/Applied Psychology, I was working as a registered nurse/therapist in the NHS but I was looking for a career change. I wanted to go back to Aircraft Engineering as I have previously graduated in this field in 1993 and, after some research, I found the Aircraft Engineering BEng(Hons) at Kingston University.

After I enrolled on the Aircraft Engineering BEng(Hons) in 2009 my career started to change significantly. I was offered the post of CAMO engineer and later moved on as a production and planning engineer at Augsburg Airways GmbH in Munich (Member of Lufthansa Regional) and in 2013 I started a new position as planning engineer at DC Aviation GmbH in Stuttgart, where I was taking care of the Daimler aircraft fleet among others.

During that time I was noticed by my technical director for my knowledge and performance acquired from the Aircraft Engineering BEng(Hons) and he asked me to join him on his project to build a new MRO facility in Erfurt, Germany. We have built and developed Haitec Aircraft maintenance GmbH (VIP Department), for which I am the manager of Planning and Engineering and we plan to have up to 200 employees by 2016.

I would like to conclude that I found this course very beneficial and it has helped me to build a successful career. My advice to current and future students is to make the most of your time while you are on the course; the lecturers and course director are always willing to help and ready to answer your questions.

Kingston University is a wonderful place for you to learn, develop and better yourselves for the future – not only for your career but also as individuals.

Fei-sal Chatharoo

Course changes and regulations

The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.

Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.

Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.