Latest information for applicants and offer-holders

This course will begin on schedule in the Autumn and we plan to reopen our campuses. We are looking forward to seeing you in person, if travel and visa arrangements allow. If you can’t travel to campus in time for the start of term, we want to reassure you that your academic Department has made plans which make it possible to offer you a high-quality remote educational experience during the Autumn term. 

Your teaching will be a combination of on-campus (in-person) and remote learning (online). We call this ‘multi-mode’ delivery. Depending on official government guidance throughout the entirety of next academic year, the ‘multi-mode’ balance may be subject to change. We hope to be able to offer you increased on-campus teaching and learning activities throughout the year. 

For more information about multi-mode delivery, your learning experience and the steps we’ll be taking to keep you safe on campus if you are able to join us, please see our COVID-19 information for applicants and offer holders page.

Course overview

New aircraft and other challenging engineering applications are becoming increasingly dependent upon the unique capabilities of high performance composite materials.

This programme addresses the broad field of advanced composites, specifically the manufacturing and characterisation of composites and engineering design.

Please note: We only award MSc qualifications. Postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas are not available in the Department of Aeronautics.

Why should I apply for this MSc?

The programme is delivered by leaders in the composites field at Imperial as well as expert lecturers from other universities, research organisations, industry and the Ministry of Defence.

Additionally, the facilities in the Department are of a high standard with numerous technicians on-hand to support students when using the equipment and software in the laboratories and workshops.

The programme is designed to meet the increasing need for high calibre graduates with the required scientific and technological understanding of composite materials.

As a result, graduates of this MSc are in high demand and possess the skills necessary for leading roles in design, research, development and manufacturing.

Graduates find employment in a variety of industries from the aerospace and motorsport sectors to the marine and offshore sectors, from the sports goods industry to civil engineering. For further information about graduate destinations please see the following:

• What do Aeronautical Engineering postgraduates do?

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Entry requirements (2021-22 entry)

PLEASE NOTE: Applications for 2021-22 entry are now closed. Applications for 2022-23 entry will open in November 2021.

Applicants should have been awarded, or expect to be awarded, a first class (1st) or upper second class (2:1) or equivalent degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics or Chemistry.

Questions about the application process? Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Fees and funding

• Programme fees
• Scholarships Search Tool
• Loan Schemes

Links with industry and employers

The programme has been designed to provide a breadth and depth of knowledge of composite materials that will be of relevance to a wide range of companies who use these materials. This is reflected by the Accreditation awarded to the programme, as detailed above. Many of the Research Projects and Literature Review topics proposed to students are from industry contacts.

The programme is one of the primary providers of postgraduate education in composite materials in the EU, and strives to pursue excellence through the delivery of a comprehensive and integrated programme attracting ambitious applicants of high intellectual calibre.

Structure

Modules shown are for the current academic year and are subject to change depending on your year of entry.

Please note that the curriculum of this programme is currently being reviewed as part of a College-wide process to introduce a standardised modular structure. As a result, the content and assessment structures of this course may change for your year of entry. We therefore recommend that you check this course page before finalising your application and after submitting it as we will aim to update this page as soon as any changes are ratified by the College.

Find out more about the limited circumstances in which we may need to make changes to or in relation to our courses, the type of changes we may make and how we will tell you about changes we have made.