Aviation

The Aviation programme will prepare you for a variety of activities in aeronautics.
As a development engineer you will calculate and design commercial aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles. At the same time you will develop propulsion units, integrate aircraft systems, flight control computers and airborne radar, and accompany the process of airworthiness certification. Furthermore, you’re also interfacing with specialists from disciplines such as materials development and communications technology.

As a calculation engineer you will simulate the forces affecting an aircraft in flight using the latest software and optimise the aerodynamics. In this way you can minimise fuel consumption and noise generation. In the field of manufacturing you will work in production processes for novel materials and construction methods, and in quality control you will apply innovative and technologically demanding measurement techniques.

The operation of aircraft for handling scheduled and charter airlines as well as non-scheduled air traffic demands a whole range of technical, organisational and business qualifications. Your area of responsibility is not restricted to the technical configuration of the aircraft alone, but also includes creating and maintaining infrastructure on the ground.
Additional pilot training could open the way for you to become an aircraft pilot.

Environmentally-friendly aviation

Aviation is about to undergo a substantial technological transition. In order to achieve climate goals, environmentally-friendly aviation based on sustainable technologies is becoming ever more important. The curriculum for the Bachelor’s degree programme in Aviation has therefore been revised and the focus of new lectures placed on environmentally-friendly aviation and innovative technologies:

• Reduction of emissions through sustainable aviation fuels
• Optimisation of flight routes with artificial intelligence
• New aircraft concepts using hydrogen technology
• Recyclable fibre composites
• Innovative drone application

Design and simulation

Calculation, design and simulation are the main pillars for the construction of aeroplanes, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Courses in mathematics, mechanics, materials science and materials strength provide an important foundation for this. You will learn design and working methodology in design practicals. With the help of computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools, you can deepen your skills in technical calculations and simulations, including computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite-element calculations (FEM). The use of modern composite materials in aircraft construction is also an important topic. For this reason you will also focus on the theory and practical application of fibre-composite materials.

Aircraft systems

Modern aircraft can no longer manage on their own without complex aircraft systems. This begins with jet engines and combustion engines, whose structure and function you will learn in lectures in the field of thermodynamics, fluid dynamics and propulsion engineering. Electrical systems and flight electronics – so-called avionics – are today indispensable in civil aviation. They support pilots in their job by stabilising the flight attitude and, if required, can fly parts of the route on automatic. In doing so the avionics system relies on navigation aids, which are part of air traffic control.

Aerospace industry

Another focus of the programme is on different aspects of the aerospace industry. This includes industry-specific knowledge about organisations and committees in national and international aviation, relevant language skills, a knowledge of business administration and know-how in project management and air traffic. The interdisciplinary and practically oriented approach will enable you to become qualified for almost the whole range of activities in aviation. These include development and design, construction, sales and quality assurance, and activities at airports, airlines and aviation authorities.