Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Aerospace Engineering)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of New South Wales

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Aerospace Engineering at UNSW is a four-year degree designed for students who dream of building, designing or operating aircraft and spacecraft. It’s ideal for those who enjoy physics and mathematics and want to learn how to turn those into real-world aerospace innovations — from aerodynamics and propulsion to full aircraft design and systems engineering.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1
Your first year gives you a solid foundation in the basics: you’ll study Mathematics 1A and 1B, Physics, Engineering Mechanics, and get your first taste of design and innovation through courses like Engineering Design & Innovation and Design & Manufacturing. These courses set you up with the fundamental math, physics and engineering-thinking skills — vital for any aerospace endeavour.

Year 2
In Year 2 you build on that foundation: courses such as Fluid Mechanics for Engineers, Mechanics of Solids, Thermodynamics and Engineering Mathematics deepen your understanding of how forces, fluids and structures behave — the building blocks of aeronautical systems. You’ll also start developing a sense of professional practice through Engineering Design & Professional Practice, preparing you for real-world challenges.

Year 3
This year brings you into core aerospace territory. You’ll take courses such as Aerodynamics, Flight Performance and Propulsion, and Aerospace Structures, exploring how air flows over a wing, how aircraft perform, and how structures of aircraft or spacecraft are built to handle real stresses. You’ll also begin Aerospace Design 1, where you’ll start applying what you’ve learned in hands-on design work.

Year 4 (Honours & Final Projects)
Your final year is a culmination of everything — you’ll take Dynamics of Aerospace Vehicles, Systems & Avionics, and along with discipline electives, embark on a major design or research project (thesis), pulling together aerodynamics, control systems, propulsion, structures and avionics. Along the way you’ll complete mandatory industrial training (about 60 days), giving you exposure to real industry practices and preparing you for employment.

Focus Areas: aerodynamics, flight mechanics, propulsion, aerospace structures, avionics/systems, aircraft and spacecraft design

Learning Outcomes: apply core engineering principles to design and analyse aerospace vehicles; integrate aerodynamics, propulsion, structures and systems to deliver safe, efficient and innovative aerospace solutions; work collaboratively on complex engineering problems; communicate and manage professional aerospace projects.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):
This degree is fully accredited by the national professional body for engineers (Engineers Australia) and meets the standards set under the global Washington Accord — so once you graduate you’ll be recognised as a qualified engineer not just in Australia, but in many other countries too. It also includes industrial training to ensure you graduate “work-ready”.

Reputation (Employability & Rankings):
UNSW Sydney is widely regarded as a global leader in engineering education and research — ranked #1 in Australia and among the top 25 worldwide for Engineering & Technology. Students from this Aerospace programme benefit from those facilities, reputation and strong industry connections, putting them in an excellent position for careers in aerospace, defense, space technology or advanced manufacturing.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

If you choose the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Aerospace Engineering at University of New South Wales (UNSW), you’ll be in a program that’s designed not just to teach you theory — but to build your skills through real, hands-on work so that you graduate ready to contribute from day one. From the very first year, you begin learning how aircraft and spacecraft are designed, built, tested, and operated. Over time you progress into courses and labs that let you actually work like an engineer — culminating in a full team design project in the final year. And before you finish the degree, you complete 60 days of approved industrial training: real-world exposure to the aerospace industry to help you transition smoothly into a professional career.

Here are some of the genuine hands-on, experiential-learning opportunities you’ll get in this program:

You’ll work in state-of-the-art engineering and aerodynamics labs, including facilities with multiple wind tunnels (subsonic and supersonic) and a full aerodynamics test lab — giving you the chance to test airflow, pressure, forces and flow visualization on realistic models.
Access to advanced engineering workshops and mechanical-testing facilities: tensile and compression testing machines, mechanical workshop space — ideal for working on structures, materials and components relevant to aircraft and spacecraft.
Use of a flight simulator to complement your coursework: a powerful way to link theory with hands-on experience in flight mechanics and aircraft operation.
Collaboration in multidisciplinary design projects via the program’s project-based learning structure — including the final-year team project where you integrate aerodynamics, propulsion, flight mechanics, structures and design to meet a real, mission-driven specification.
Opportunity to join industry-linked, real-world projects through the university’s “ChallEng” program — solving authentic engineering problems in collaboration with companies and preparing you for the engineering workplace.
60 days of approved industry training (internship/work placement), giving you work experience in aerospace or related industries — a valuable head start before graduation.

Progression & Future Opportunities

If you pick the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Aerospace Engineering at UNSW Sydney, you’ll be stepping into a path where graduates consistently land exciting, high-impact roles — everything from designing aircraft and spacecraft to working on defence, aviation, research or even software and systems for aerospace applications. Many go on to become aerospace designers, structural/propulsion engineers, flight-test/methods engineers, or engineers in defence and certification agencies.

Here’s what this means for you:

Built-in industry experience and real project work. The degree includes 60 days of approved industry training, so before you graduate you'll already have hands-on, real-world exposure.
Outstanding graduate employability. UNSW enjoys a top ranking in Australia for employment outcomes — many engineering graduates secure full-time jobs within months of graduation, and median salaries sit among the highest in the country.
Strong industry and employer connections. UNSW partners with aerospace, automotive, power, defence and broader engineering industries — which helps students build professional networks and find relevant internships and jobs.
Global recognition and mobility. The degree is accredited by Engineers Australia and acknowledged under the Washington Accord — meaning your qualification is recognised worldwide, opening international career and further-study opportunities.

Further Academic Progression:
After finishing your aerospace bachelor’s, you could pursue a master’s — for example a Masters in Space Systems Engineering at UNSW — and even go on to a PhD if you’re drawn to advanced research (in space, propulsion, materials, aerospace design). This path keeps doors open for highly specialised technical roles or academic/research careers, giving you flexibility to follow what excites you most.