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Studies & Degrees in Aeronautical Engineering

Aeronautical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with aircraft: how they are designed, built, tested, certified and maintained. It is one half of aerospace engineering. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) describes aeronautical engineers as the engineers who work with aircraft and with the theory, technology and practice of flight within the Earth's atmosphere, while astronautical engineers work with spacecraft. Many universities teach both as aerospace engineering, so search under both names.

The degree is built on mathematics and physics. Students then move on to the core aeronautical subjects: aerodynamics, structures and materials, propulsion, flight mechanics, and guidance, navigation and control. The BLS advises school pupils who are interested in the field to take classes in chemistry, physics and maths.

Qualifications and levels

The name and length of the degree depend on the country.

  • Spain: the profession is regulated at two levels. A bachelor's degree (grado) that qualifies for the profession of Ingeniero Técnico Aeronáutico has 240 ECTS credits under Orden CIN/308/2009: 60 credits of basic sciences, 60 credits common to the aeronautical branch, a 48-credit block in one specific technology and a 12-credit final project. The profession of Ingeniero Aeronáutico requires an official master's degree, and Orden CIN/312/2009 sets a minimum of 300 credits for the bachelor's and master's degrees together.
  • United Kingdom: the MEng in Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London is an integrated master's degree that takes four years, or five years in the versions with a year abroad or a year in industry.
  • Italy: the Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano takes three years and is taught in Italian on the Milano Bovisa campus.
  • United States: the entry qualification is a bachelor's degree. According to the BLS, some colleges and universities offer a five-year programme that leads to both a bachelor's and a master's degree.

Accreditation matters in this field, because it links the degree to professional registration. Imperial College London states that its MEng is accredited by the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and meets the educational requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Purdue University states that its BS in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. Ask each school which body recognises its degree.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 16 active schools for aeronautical engineering. Spain and the United States have three each, the United Kingdom and Argentina two each, and there are single schools in Italy, France, Ireland, Brazil, Guyana and Nicaragua.

In Spain, the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Aeronáutica y del Espacio of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid offers three bachelor's degrees, among them the Grado en Ingeniería Aeroespacial, and the Máster Universitario en Ingeniería Aeronáutica, which qualifies for the regulated profession of aeronautical engineer. The Universidad de León offers a Grado en Ingeniería Aeroespacial of 240 ECTS credits over four years, with 60 places and teaching in Spanish and English. At the Universidad Europea de Madrid, the Grado en Ingeniería Aeroespacial is taught in English at Villaviciosa de Odón; the university states that it qualifies for the profession of Ingeniero Técnico Aeronáutico. Its master's degree in aeronautical engineering has 90 ECTS credits, takes a year and a half and is taught in Spanish.

Elsewhere, students at Purdue University enter the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics in their second year, after a common first year of engineering. At Imperial College London, second-year students attend a flight-testing course at Cranfield University's National Flying Laboratory Centre. In Argentina, the Facultad de Ingeniería of the Universidad Nacional de La Plata teaches Ingeniería Aeroespacial, a degree that the faculty lists as accredited for six years.

The language of instruction follows the country in most cases: Spanish in Spain and Argentina, Italian in Milan, English in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States.

Careers

Aeronautical engineers design aircraft and propulsion systems, analyse structures and aerodynamic performance, plan flight tests and work on certification, maintenance and air transport operations. The BLS lists aerodynamic fluid flow, structural design, guidance, navigation and control, instrumentation and communication, robotics, and propulsion and combustion as the usual areas of specialisation.

Official figures are available for the United States. According to the BLS, aerospace engineers held about 68,700 jobs in 2025, 38% of them in aerospace product and parts manufacturing, and employment is projected to grow 8 percent from 2025 to 2035. International students should know that defence-related projects may need a security clearance and that, according to the BLS, some types and levels of clearance require U.S. citizenship.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between aeronautical and aerospace engineering?

Aeronautical engineering covers aircraft and flight within the Earth's atmosphere. Aerospace engineering also includes astronautical engineering, which deals with spacecraft. Many degrees called aerospace engineering cover both.

How long does an aeronautical engineering degree take?

It depends on the country. A Spanish grado has 240 ECTS credits over four years, the Bachelor of Science at the Politecnico di Milano takes three years and the integrated MEng at Imperial College London takes four years.

Do I need a master's degree to work as an aeronautical engineer in Spain?

The bachelor's degree qualifies for the regulated profession of Ingeniero Técnico Aeronáutico. The profession of Ingeniero Aeronáutico requires an official master's degree that meets Orden CIN/312/2009.

Can I study aeronautical engineering in English in Spain?

Yes, in some cases. The Universidad Europea de Madrid teaches its Grado en Ingeniería Aeroespacial in English, and the Universidad de León lists Spanish and English as the languages of its degree.