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University of West London

UCAS Code: N857 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

D,D,D

Pass Access to HE Diploma (Minimum of 45 credits at level 3)

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MMP

UCAS Tariff

72

About this course

Course option

4years

Full-time | 2026

Subject

Aviation studies

Are you looking for an aviation management degree with strong industry links, taught by experienced academics?
The BSc (Hons) Airline and Airport Management course provides you with the knowledge and skills required to pursue a leadership management role within the aviation industry.
You will learn about various aspects of aviation including:
• the theory of flight
• how airlines transport passengers and goods around the world
• how airports welcome and process millions of passengers
• how the air traffic control system works
• how the industry ensures safety and security on every flight.
You will learn about the practice of managing people and resources and have the opportunity to practise your knowledge and understanding by completing a placement year in the industry.
The aviation degree features interaction with industry through guest lectures, field visits and case studies and our courses offer opportunities to discuss current issues and examine solutions from a sector perspective.
With course content developed with support from a wide network of sector professionals to include changes in the industry, this is the perfect way to start your career in the world of aviation.
We are a member of the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME).

What you'll study
Capitalising on its location in the heart of west London, just 12km from Heathrow – one of the world's busiest international airports, the University of West London has strong links with Heathrow Airport Limited, as well as numerous other airlines and aviation companies.
As well as being delivered by a diverse and experienced team of experts in the aviation industry, you will benefit from the university’s Boeing 737 flight simulator facility which provides a practical learning environment.
Additionally, industry visits and engaging lectures from guest speakers will keep you knowledgeable about the latest industry insights and developments.
The placement option will give you the opportunity to experience employment within the industry to accelerate your career and put theory into practice. Throughout the course, you will learn about a variety of aviation business models and strategies, discover how airports enable people to move around the globe, learn how the global aviation system operates in a safe and efficient manner and much more.
Upon completion, you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge required for graduate employment and further training to manage in this exciting industry.
Placement*
If you choose to study full-time, you can opt to do a work placement after your second year (Level 5). You will have the opportunity to secure an aviation-industry work placement that will allow you to complete at least 40 hours per week (1,400 hours) over the course of the academic year. Using the theories you have studied in real-life scenarios will help to ground your knowledge and enhance your employment prospects.
While you will be responsible for finding your own placement, our placement office can give you guidance and exposure to employers through career fairs and aviation industry networks.
*If you choose a course with placement/internship route we would like to advise you that if a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route. This is to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.
The placement route for this course is open to UK students only.

The foundation year course is designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to continue onto your Honours degree. You will study a range of subjects that will underpin your future study and also gain valuable experience of university life, with full access to campus facilities. Successful completion of the year allows you to progress straight onto Level 4 of this course.

Modules

This course is designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge of managing the aviation industry through a set of unique and exciting modules covering the broad air transport industry. You will have the opportunity to learn about how airlines and airports are managed, dive deeper into the world of flight operations, safety and accident investigation and learn about the latest technology being used by airlines, airports, air traffic controllers and aircraft manufacturers.
The knowledge and skills gained on the course will set you up for an exciting career in the aviation, freight, travel or transport industry and enable you to step into numerous business and management roles.

Modules:

Foundation Year
• Introduction to Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure
• Business Environment of Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism
• Careers in the HEAT Industries
• Delivering Customer Experience
• Personalised Learning
• Academic Performance.

Year One
• The Aviation Professional
• Introduction to Air Transport Management
• Aircraft Operations and Flight Planning
• Air Passenger Experience
• Air Transport Finance and Business Strategy
• Specialised Air Transport Operations.

Year Two
• Air Transport Network and Operations
• Air Accident Investigation and Safety
• Aviation Technology and Innovation
• Talent Management and Leadership
• Digital Marketing and Revenue Management
• Applied Research Methods.

Year Three
• Airline Route Development and Operations
• Sustainable Aviation and the Environment
• Airline Maintenance and Fleet Management
• Aviation Strategy and Commercial Analysis
• Dissertation.

The Uni

Course location:

Main site - West London

Department:

London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism

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What students say

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.

Aeronautical and 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?

92%
UK students
8%
International students
86%
Male students
14%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
D
B

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.

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.

£30,000
med
Average annual salary
85%
low
Employed or in further education
85%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

29%
Engineering professionals
14%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
7%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

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.

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.

£29k

£29k

£31k

£31k

£27k

£27k

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.

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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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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