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Aeronautical engineering

Design, build and pilot the aircraft of the future

Aeronautical engineering is the design, production, testing and maintenance of aircraft, aerospace vehicles and their systems. This includes conventional fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters, spacecraft and drones.

What is aeronautical engineering?

Aeronautical engineers design, construct and operate aircraft, aerospace vehicles and propulsion systems. An aeronautical engineer needs a sound understanding of the mathematics, physics, computer science, materials science and design philosophy to apply their skills in a variety of important areas in the global aerospace industry.

They also lead the way in many other fields of science and technology, so graduates are in demand in other areas, including low-speed aerodynamics such as automobile design, navigation systems, and computer operation and software engineering.

With the growth in commercial air and space travel and the demand for high-speed travel on the rise, the opportunity to revolutionise the next generation of aircraft and become a leader in the aerospace industry is all yours.

Aeronautical engineering careers

  • Improve flight safety, fuel efficiency, operational systems, and the environmental impact of air travel.
  • As an aerodynamicist or design engineer, you can design and develop products in fields such as formula and endurance racing, or the automotive industry.
  • Take your skills into the defence industry, specialising in military aircraft, rockets, satellites, and helicopters.
  • Become an aerodynamicist, design engineer, navigation systems engineer, automotive designer or aircraft engineer, among many other career options.
  • As your degree is accredited internationally, you can work anywhere in the world.
  • Work for renowned companies like Boeing, Airbus and Qantas, or start your own business.
  • Design, build and test new designs for small unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).
  • Graduate salaries start at $60–63K per annum (Graduate Careers Australia)

Why study aeronautical engineering with us?

There are many reasons for choosing our Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Aeronautical) as your first preference.

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Jeremy Cox

Jeremy Cox
Engineering Honours Aeronautical (Space) / Science
"I chose to study at Sydney because of the state-of-the-art facilities and equipment available. There are the motion and static flight simulators, two wind tunnels, the unmanned aerial systems lab and Jabiru – the two-seater aircraft that students have the chance to assemble.”
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