Buckinghamshire New University
UCAS Code: N850 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE Grade 4 or above in Maths and English are required. We will consider equivalent qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
UCAS Tariff
A typical offer will require a UCAS Tariff score between 104 - 128. A minimum of two full A-levels (or equivalent) is required. Every application is considered on an individual basis.
About this course
With over 20 years of experience, we specialise in preparing you for a dynamic career in aviation. In just three years, you will earn a full honours degree while completing your flight training and the ground exams required for your ‘frozen’ Air Transport Pilot Licence – Helicopters (ATPL(H)).
Led by seasoned lecturers who were former airline pilots with major airlines, you will benefit from real-world insights and professional connections. You’ll work with our UK-leading partner Heli Air towards your ATPL, and together, we’ll help prepare you for a career in the exciting world of rotary wing aviation.
**Why study Aviation Management and Commercial Pilot Training at BNU?**
**Integrated Pilot Training and Degree**
This programme offers a combination of academic study and professional pilot training. Unlike traditional aviation courses, you will graduate with both a BSc and a ‘frozen’ Airline Transport Pilot Licence – Helicopters (ATPL(H)). This dual qualification not only enhances your employability but also gives you the flexibility to switch between or combine roles in piloting and management within the aviation industry.
**Industry Partnerships**
BNU has relationships with leading flight training organisations and major aviation companies throughout the country. These connections can help provide you with networking opportunities, which could lead to internships, and placements, increasing your exposure to the industry before you even graduate. We work closely with our industry connections to make sure that the course content is regularly updated to reflect real-world practices and standards, so you can be confident that you're learning what employers are looking for.
**Aviation Management Skills**
Studying topics such as airline operations, airport management, aviation law, and safety regulations will help you master Aviation Management. Our broad curriculum prepares you not only to fly planes but also to take on leadership and strategic roles in areas like airline management, logistics, operations, and air traffic control.
**State-of-the-Art Facilities**
BNU has modern, industry-standard facilities including the use of immersive technology and virtual reality teaching, which can offer hands-on experience, allowing you to practice flying techniques, emergency procedures, and other critical aspects of pilot training in a controlled environment. Your practical training is complemented by classroom instruction, helping you develop both the technical skills and theoretical understanding necessary to excel as a pilot and aviation professional.
**Global Career Opportunities**
The combination of a recognised UK degree and an Airline Transport Pilot Licence - Helicopters (ATPL(H)) opens doors to careers not only in the UK but globally. The aviation industry is offers a truly international career, and your qualifications will be valued in numerous countries, giving you the flexibility to work with airlines, airports, or aviation management companies all around the world.
**What will I study?**
On the management side of this degree, you’ll learn how airlines and airports operate, covering topics like airline operations, airport management, aviation safety, and security. You’ll also study aviation law and regulations, along with the economics of the industry, gaining insight into the financial and legal challenges faced by airlines.
For the pilot training, with our external training partner HeliAir you'll work towards an ATPL(H). This involves learning flight theory—covering aerodynamics, navigation, and flight planning—alongside hands-on flight training with approved providers. You’ll also practice using advanced flight simulators to handle complex procedures and emergencies. Additional studies include meteorology and aircraft systems, helping you understand how weather affects flights and how aircraft components function.
Modules
**Year one**
**Core Modules**
Aviation Operations
Academic and Professional Skills
Fundamentals of Management
PPL Theory
PPL Flying Helicopters
**Year two**
**Core Modules**
Research Methods and Academic Skills
ATPL Theory 1 (Helicopter) – Instrumentation and General Navigation
ATPL Theory 2 – Meteorology, Human Performance and Limitations and Mass and Balance
ATPL Theory 3 – Radio Navigation, Air Law and Communications
ATPL Theory 4 (Helicopter) – Aircraft General Knowledge and Flight Planning and Flight Monitoring
ATPL Theory 5 (Helicopter) – Operational Procedures, Principles of Flight and Performance
**Year three**
**Core Modules**
Sustainability and Ethics in Aviation
Extended Independent Work
Operational Management in the Aviation Industry
The Aviation Business
**Optional Modules**
Airline Assessment Preparation Course OR
Aviation Strategy and Financial Performance OR
Digital Technology and Innovation in Aviation OR
Network Planning
Assessment methods
**How will I be taught and assessed?**
During your time at BNU you'll be taught through a mix of lectures, seminars, and simulation sessions.
Classroom-based learning will cover key aviation management topics, with lectures and seminars providing the theoretical foundation for your studies. These sessions will be interactive, often incorporating case studies, group discussions, and presentations to help you engage with real-world aviation issues.
For your pilot training, you'll work closely with HeliAir, where you'll receive practical, hands-on flight experience. This includes flight training leading to Private Pilot Licence for Helicopters (PPLH), ground school theory portion of ATPL(H), advanced flight training for your Commercial Pilot Licence for Helicopters (CPLH), Instrument Rating (IR), Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT), Airline Pilot Standards Multi-Crew Cooperation (APS MCC). The university will coordinate the academic side of your studies, including PPL(H) ground school theory, while your flight school delivers the practical pilot training component.
For theoretical modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of written assignments, exams, presentations, and case studies. These assessments will test your understanding of aviation management concepts, industry regulations, and your ability to apply what you've learned to practical scenarios.
For your pilot training, assessments will be in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations, with 9 ground school exams for PPL(H), and 13 ground school exams for ATPL(H) theory, and practical flying tests for your flight training.
For more information, please visit: https://www.bucks.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/bsc-hons-aviation-management-commercial-pilot-training-helicopters
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
There are several ways you can fund your studies, including sponsorship and student loans. You may be able to use ELCAS credits for some of our courses. We also have scholarships and bursaries to help support our students.
The Uni
High Wycombe Campus
School of Aviation and Security
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Tourism, transport and travel
Teaching and learning
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Aerospace engineering
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Tourism, transport and travel
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
This course sits in a wide group of smaller subjects that don't necessarily have that much in common - so bear this in mind when you look at any employment data. Most graduates took a hospitality, events management or tourism-related course, but there are a group of sports and leisure graduates in here as well who do different things. Events management was the most common job for graduates from this group of subjects, and so it’s no surprise that graduates from specialist events management courses did better last year than many of the other graduates under this subject umbrella - but all did about as well as graduates on average or a little better. If you want to find out more about specific job paths for your chosen subject area, it's a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what previous graduates went on to do, or to have a look at university department websites.
Aeronautical and aerospace engineering
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Just over a thousand UK graduates got a degree in aerospace engineering in 2015. There are a few dedicated employers, unevenly spread around the country, and so there's often competition for graduates looking for their first job - which leads to a relatively high (although improving) early unemployment rate, and a good grade is particularly important for graduates. Sponsorship and work experience can be key if you're after the most sought-after roles in the industry. Starting salaries are usually good and graduates commonly go into the aerospace (yes, this does include manufacture of equipment for satellites and space operations) and defence industries. Bear in mind that a lot of courses are four years long, and lead to an MEng qualification — this is necessary if you want to become a Chartered Engineer.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Tourism, transport and travel
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£26k
£28k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Aeronautical and aerospace engineering
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£33k
£29k
£36k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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