Program Overview

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Overview

Aerospace engineering research at Bristol is organised via cross-faculty research groups with interests spanning four key areas:

• Fluid Flow and Aerodynamics
• Bristol Composites Institute (BCI)
• Dynamics and Control
• Robotics.

This work is supported by at least 50 academic staff, more than 70 research staff and over 240 postgraduate students, plus a highly experienced administrative and technical support team.

Aerospace engineering is a specific discipline involving experimental, numerical, theoretical and computational research which is later applied to aerospace-related problems, for example, fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft, wind turbines and UAVs.

All postgraduates would expect to publish in high-quality journals and present at international conferences so our research programmes are aimed at independent and self-motivated applicants.

Key Information

Programme Duration

• MScR: up to two years full-time; up to four years part-time
• PhD: up to four years full-time; up to eight years part-time

Start Date

• From September 2025

Application Deadline

• For September 2025 entry:
  • Overseas applicants: 31 July 2025
  • Home applicants: 18 August 2025

Delivery Method

• On-Campus

Location

• Clifton

Awards Available

• PhD, MSc by research

World-Leading Research

• 5th: The University of Bristol is ranked fifth for research in the UK (Times Higher Education).
• 94%: 94% of our research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Entry Requirements

PhD Applicants

• Must hold/achieve a minimum of upper second class MEng/MSci (or equivalent) or a merit at postgraduate master's degree (or international equivalent) in a science, mathematics or engineering discipline.
• Applicants without a master's qualification may be considered on an exceptional basis, provided they hold a first-class undergraduate degree.
• Acceptance will also depend on evidence of readiness to pursue a research degree.

MSc by Research Applicants

• Must hold/achieve a minimum of an upper second class honours degree (or international equivalent) in science, mathematics or engineering and demonstrate readiness to pursue a research degree.

Fees and Funding

Home Students

• Full-time: £4,850 per year
• Part-time: £2,425 per year

Overseas Students

• Full-time: £26,700 per year

Alumni Discount

• University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study.

Funding and Scholarships

• A number of funded studentships are available each year, supported by research council, industry, University or other funds.
• Self-funded or sponsored students are also very welcome to apply.

Career Prospects

• Graduates from the department leave with a breadth of technical and personal skills and expertise, far beyond their particular degree specialism.
• They progress into a wide variety of careers within engineering (for example, aerospace, automotive/motorsport, transportation, consulting engineering), academia, public services (for example, civil service, air traffic management) and commerce (for example, IT, finance).
• A higher degree can accelerate your career significantly, particularly into positions of greater responsibility.
• Furthermore, it increasingly provides entrepreneurial opportunities, which build on the skills and knowledge you acquire during the programme.

Meet Our Supervisors

• Professor Giuliano Allegri
• Professor Christian Allen
• Professor Karen Aplin
• Professor Mahdi Azarpeyvand
• Dr Anna Baker
• Dr Jonathan Belnoue
• Professor Lucy Berthoud
• Professor Ian Bond
• Dr Steve Bullock
• Professor Steve Burrow
• Dr Neha Chandarana
• Professor Jonathan Cooper
• Professor Steve Eichhorn
• Dr Ian Farrow
• Professor Ann Gaitonde
• Mr Mark Graham
• Dr Rainer Groh
• Professor Stephen Hallett
• Professor Ian Hamerton
• Dr Josh Hoole
• Dr Dmitry Ivanov
• Professor Dorian Jones
• Dr Luiz Kawashita
• Dr ByungChul Eric Kim
• Dr Bahadir Kocer
• Dr James Kratz
• Emeritus Professor Nicholas Lieven
• Professor Mark Lowenberg
• Dr Terence Macquart
• Professor Alberto Pirrera
• Dr Daniel Poole
• Dr Karthik Ram Ramakrishnan
• Dr Thomas Rendall
• Dr Djamel Rezgui
• Professor Arthur Richards
• Professor Tom Richardson
• Professor Fabrizio Scarpa
• Dr Mark Schenk
• Professor Ole Thomsen
• Dr Brano Titurus
• Professor Richard Trask
• Professor Paul Weaver
• Dr Shane Windsor
• Professor Michael Wisnom
• Dr Benjamin King Sutton Woods
• Dr Nick Zang

Research Groups

• A list of research groups in Engineering can be found on the Faculty webpages.

How to Apply

• You need to contact a potential academic adviser to discuss available projects, and complete a Supervisor Suitability Form (Office document, 70kB) before submitting an application.
• You can then apply using our online application system. For further information, please see the guidance for how to apply on our webpages.

Application Deadline

• For September 2025 entry:
  • Overseas applicants: 31 July 2025
  • Home applicants: 18 August 2025

Start Your Application

• Select your award type and start date to begin your application
• Award type: Aerospace (Visiting) (PGR), Aerospace Engineering (MSc by Research), Aerospace Engineering (PhD), Aerospace Engineering (RMIT) (PhD)