Program Overview

Aerospace Medicine MSc/PG Dip

Key Information

• Delivery mode: In person
• Study mode: Full time
• Duration: MSc one year, PG Dip six months
• Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent): MSc UK 180/ECTS 90; PG Dip UK 120/ECTS 60
• Application status: Open
• Start date: September 2025

Course Description

The Aerospace Medicine programme aims to provide specialist training for medical graduates in the discipline from its research-orientated basic science to its operational and clinical application. The course is therefore appropriate for Flight Medical Officers (Flight Surgeons), specialists in aviation and space medicine, and for clinicians from other disciplines with a role to fulfill in aerospace medicine.

Key Benefits

• World-class learning course delivered at a location recognized by the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board for higher professional training in aviation and space medicine.
• Teaching by internationally renowned scientists and clinicians from a combination of academic, commercial, and military organizations.
• An advanced course with a considerable experiential/practical component complementing the theoretical aspects of the course.
• The only course recognized by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine as preparation for the Diploma in Aviation Medicine exams with contributions by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine examiners.
• For those undertaking the MSc, the course provides a unique opportunity to undertake an aerospace medicine/physiology research project that is carried out in the laboratory or in approved aeromedical centers in the UK and elsewhere.

Course Essentials

The Aerospace Medicine course is a unique study pathway that provides physicians with comprehensive theoretical and practical instruction in advanced aviation physiology, psychology, pathology, clinical, and operational aviation medicine. The first semester of the course is taught at King’s College London, and the second semester is taught at the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine (CAM). Having the course partly based at CAM allows for valuable elements of the teaching to be enhanced through practical experiences not available at the University and also allows visits to a number of the military and civilian aerospace medicine-related establishments.

Course Aims

• A detailed working knowledge of the scientific basis of aerospace medicine
• The ability to understand and describe the medical and physiological effects of flight in health
• Develop the capacity to understand the interaction of the aerospace environments with the clinical status of the occupants of airborne craft as well as comprehend the hazards to flight safety that may arise from medical factors in air traffic controllers
• Develop the skills to investigate an aeromedical issue such as would allow them to make appropriate written or oral arguments regarding the aeromedical disposal of individuals in health and disease
• An ability to communicate their ideas effectively and confidently
• (For MSc only) have developed the skills associated with conducting a supervised project in aerospace medicine including its written and oral presentation

Base Campus

• Guy’s Campus: The Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, and the Institute of Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience are based at the riverside Guy's Campus, next to the Shard

Regulating Bodies

• King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Entry Requirements

• Medical degree (e.g., MBBS) or international equivalent, and a working knowledge of the aviation environment
• Ideally, candidates for the Diploma or MSc in Aerospace Medicine course should have held an appointment involving the practice of aviation medicine for not less than one year
• Applicants will also have to be subject to security clearance requirements in order to be enrolled on the course

Teaching & Structure

• Teaching methods: Lectures, seminars, and practical work
• Contact time: Approximately 500 contact hours during the course, primarily at King’s and the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine
• Assessment: Coursework, written/practical examinations, presentations, and reports

Required Modules

• Aerospace Medicine MSc Pathway: modules totaling 180 credits
  • Aerospace Physiology (40 credits)
  • Operational Aerospace Medicine (40 credits)
  • Clinical & Commercial Aerospace Medicine (40 credits)
  • Research project in Aerospace Medicine (60 credits)
• Aerospace Medicine PG Dip Pathway: modules totaling 120 credits
  • Aerospace Physiology (40 credits)
  • Operational Aerospace Medicine (40 credits)
  • Clinical & Commercial Aerospace Medicine (40 credits)

Careers

• Career opportunities in aviation medicine are varied
• Many undertaking specialist training have already been employed specifically for the role and are sponsored to undertake these courses
• Areas of possible careers include with airlines, aviation regulators, air traffic services, military aviation, and space agencies, as well as in academic or commercial research organizations

Fees & Funding

• Tuition Fees:
  • UK: Full-time MSc £27,100, PG Dip £19,900 per year (2025/26)
  • International: Full-time MSc £35,800, PG Dip £23,866 per year (2025/26)
• Deposit: Non-refundable deposit to secure your place, credited towards the total tuition fee payment
• Additional Costs: Travel costs, books, registration fees for exams, clothing for course-related events, library fees, and graduation costs

Funding

• Bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's
• Please visit the Fees and Funding section for more information

Application Closing Date Guidance

• Overseas (international) fee status: 25 July 2025 (23:59 UK time)
• Home fee status: 25 August 2025 (23:59 UK time)