Technically Challenging Engineer Courses

The term 'engineering' is used in many different ways. If either automotive or aeronautical engineering appeal to you, you're probably the sort of person who enjoys a technical challenge.

The aerospace industry in the UK is world-class, and is one of the most diverse and technically advanced industries to be employed in today. Well over a quarter of a million people work in the automotive industry, and the UK motorsport industry is acknowledged around the world.

Courses Of Repute

You'll find a very high concentration of aero and auto engineering based undergraduate degree courses in the UK - many with international reputations. Engineering graduates can also choose to take post-graduate qualifications. (Other colleges and institutions offer training in the subjects as well). Undergraduates can take the opportunity to put the knowledge and experience they've gained in the first two years of their degree programme into practice by taking a one year industrial placement in year three.

Part-time sandwich training is also an option for those who prefer to split their time between studying and working. Equally, it's also possible for some students to arrange sponsorship (for example from the Army) if they're prepared to commit to them after training. With so many variables open to you, it's a good idea to really research everything that's on offer.

The Automotive Industry

This area involves everything to do with the production of motorised vehicles. Auto engineers need to have knowledge of several other engineering principles - primarily mechanical engineering. As standards are constantly set to improve to accommodate global issues, new technologies such as ultra low emissions are being introduced.

From initial concepts to manufacture, automotive engineering can be divided into three main streams. Design engineers obviously come up with the vehicle's design, but they also have to check each component part. The development engineers' co-ordinate the engineering attributes of vehicles. They may stipulate certain requirements to the design engineers. Working out how to actually assemble and produce the vehicle is the manufacturing engineers' job.

Auto engineering courses are very in-depth, and mastering the detail will take time and experience. In addition to gaining comprehensive knowledge of automotive engineering and design, students should also learn transferable skills on a graduate programme. There are also very strict regulations to be learned and adhered to in safety engineering.

Design engineers test individual components, but they must also be tested to prove synchronicity with the vehicle as a whole. That's why automotive engineering students need to learn about the work of development engineers. Sometimes opposing requirements have to be taken through a trade-off process, to ensure each system doesn't compromise another. In the end, developers must have carried out sufficient checks and tests to verify that the finished automobile will be street legal and in line with the manufacturers' demands.

When the design and development work are completed, the vehicle is ready for the manufacturing process. Parts have to be assembled, (usually in separate plants) and vehicles built to the exacting standards of the manufacturing engineers. Safety procedures have to be applied to every stage of manufacture - from design of equipment and layout of people, to machine and line rates and all automated tasks.

Aeronautical Engineers

We think of aeronautical engineering as the science of aircraft, but it also embraces space technology and missiles. Individuals interested in aeronautical engineering must be intelligent self starters with the capacity for analytical, innovative and technical thought processes. Only those who relish a challenge should consider a career in aeronautics. (Some aerospace engineers go into Formula One design and development as well.)

Atmospheric pressure and temperature changes place huge stresses on aircraft during flights. Therefore aerospace engineering divides into very specialist areas, such as materials science and aerodynamics, which all come together to form the whole.

University students will be introduced to aircraft design techniques early on in their training, with modules on key analytical subjects. Analytics is essentially problem-solving, and deals with things like dynamics and fluid mechanics. Computational fluid dynamics is used to simulate the behaviour of fluid today, which reduces wind-tunnel testing time and expense. (Nevertheless, students will still get plenty of opportunity to experiment with wind tunnels and other physical testing machines).

Engineering students will get a lot of practical hands-on experience. You can expect a group project that requires students to design a complete vehicle or aircraft, along with significant individual projects. Aeronautical and Automotive Student Engineers are often also taught a variety of soft skills that will be useful for their career. Employers often expect graduate entrants to have additional soft skills when they get into industry.

Highly skilled engineering professionals can pursue a variety of extremely rewarding career opportunities that involve leading-edge technology. Graduates and Post-graduates can gain professional recognition as Incorporated Engineers or Chartered Engineers.