Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Study in China - Undergraduate - List of Undergraduate Courses

English Medium Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Programs in Chinese Universities

Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the research, design, development, construction, testing, science and technology of aircraft and spacecraft. 

It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. 

Aeronautics deals with aircraft that operate in Earth's atmosphere, and astronautics deals with spacecraft that operate outside the Earth's atmosphere.

Below are the popular English-medium Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Degrees offered by China Universities:

1. Shenyang Aerospace University, Shenyang

Brief Introduction of SAU 

Founded in 1952, SAU is situated in the center of “Northern College Town” of Shenyang. The campus occupies a magnificent landscape of 1,200,000 square meters, with building areas of 600,000 square meters. The first airplane, designed and made by the joint effort of SAU students and teachers took off to the sky as early as 1958. The university currently enrolls 20,000 students and has a staff of 1600, of which 800 are academic teachers. SAU has a total of 113 professors and 271 associate professors. With a focus on aeronautical and astronautical disciplines, SAU’s scope is enlarged with a curriculum covering such areas as science, liberal arts and management, etc. The university offers 45 disciplines for undergraduate studies and 50 for master degrees. On campus, there are more than 20 aircrafts and a hundred of research labs. The engineering practice center is of national standard. SAU is proud of its unique helicopter maintenance centre in China. SAU will soon be authorized to issue license for fixed-wing aircraft maintenance.

Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering (Aircraft Manufacturing)

The main purpose of this program is to train senior engineers who are able to make research,manufacture, develop and manage the aeronautical engineering. Students will obtain both the basic theory of society, humanities and natural science as well as professional knowledge of aircraft manufacturing engineering.

Upon completion of their studies, students can apply the professional knowledge to analyze and solve problems in the process of aircraft manufacturing and production.

Graduates can also undertake the design, production, research and management applications in aerospace or other industrial sectors with three companies having collaboration with SAU to offer internship for students.

Course Structure

Study Duration - 4 years

Tuition Fee - RMB 18,000 per year

2. Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics , Nanjing

Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering

This program fosters senior engineering and technical talents suiting the world aviation industry development needs, which master aircraft engineering basic theory and knowledge, and can engage in aircraft design, manufacture, maintenance and management. Through studying this major students learn and grasp the following knowledge and ability:

• Comprehensive professional education of aircraft design and maintenance;
• Master the technologies and theory of related fields, including mechanics, materials science, electronics, measurement and control, market economy and other basic knowledge;
• Professional knowledge of broad aircraft design and maintenance and have comprehensive ability and engineering innovation capabilities.

Core courses

Calculus, Physics, Mathematical Analysis,  Engineering Mechanics, Aerodynamics, Engineering Thermodynamics, Structural Analysis; Computer Programming, Engineering Graphics, Electrical and Electronic, Mechanical Design, Control System Engineering, Engineering Materials; Flight Mechanics, Aviation Engine Theory, Aircraft Manufacture Studies, Aircraft Environmental Control System, Aircraft Maintenance, Aircraft Design, Aircraft Structural Design.

Study Duration - 4 years

Tuition Fee - RMB 21,800 per year

Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the teaching building

Visitors look at the aerocrafts at an exhibition featuring the achievement obtained by Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics

3. Beihang University, Beijing

Introduction

As aeronautics and astronautics is the symbols of a country’s advanced technology, School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering（SASE）is one of the best departments and with the feature of aeronautic and astronautic in Beihang University. 

With strong faculty, there are 58 professors(51 doctoral tutors), 48 vice professors, 70% of the staff are teachers, 83% of young teachers are with doctoral degree, more than 50 teachers have the experience of research on doctoral degree and post-doctoral degree. 

The school has 4 units as subordinate departments, which are: Aircraft Department, Research Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Research Institute of Solid Mechanics, Department of Human-Aircraft and Environment Engineering, involving 4 first class disciplines and 7 second class disciplines. 

Of all the first class disciplines, the Aeronautic and Astronautic Science and Technology ranks the first in the whole nation, while Mechanics ranks the second and Traffic Transportation ranks the third. 

The school has 8 doctor stations, 7 master stations and 3 post-doctor moving stations. Mechanics, Aeronautic and Astronautic Science and Technology, and Traffic Transportation Engineering are first class doctor stations. 

Fluid Mechanics, Solid Mechanics, Aircraft Design, Human-Aircraft and Environment Engineering, and Engineering Mechanics are national key disciplines. 

The school also has Beijing MechaniYu Cheng Tecnologycational Demonstrating Center, Aeronautic Innovation and Practice Base, Airplanes Display Room, Solid MechaniYu Cheng Tecnologycational Experimental Center, Flying Control and Simulation Lab, Environmental Simulation and Imitation Lab. 

Furthermore, the national famous aeronautic education and popular science base -- Beijing Aeronautic Museum, is also built in the school. Today, the school has developed into a national top-ranking aeronautic school, which is also an important base for cultivating aeronautic and astronautic talent people with high qualities, as well as a science research base for solving important and key technologies in the aeronautic and astronautic field. 

Bachelor Program of Flight Vehicle Design and Engineering

Core courses

Advanced Mathematics for Engineering, Introduction to Aeronautics and Astronautics, University Computer Foundation, Engineering Experience and Cognition, Engineering Graphics, Advanced Algebra, University Physics for Engineering, C Programming Language, Mechanical Technology Practice, Probability Statistics , Fundamental Physics Experiments, Circuit Analysis,Mechanics of Materials, Theoretical Mechanics, Theory to Machines and Mechanism, Aerodynamics, The Science of Engineering Materials, Electronic Technology Practice, Equations of Mathematical Physics, Mechanical Design, Helicopter General Design, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Aero-elastic Design, Practice of Mechanical Design A, Automatic Control Theory (B), Computational Method, Design Aircraft Structure Design, Helicopter Flight Dynamics, Experimental Fluid Mechanics, Fundamentals of Hypersonic Aerodynamics, Heat Transfer, Mechanics of Elasticity and Graduation Thesis.

Study Duration - 4 years

Tuition Fee - RMB 30,000 per year

Beihang University Campus

Beihang University Aviation Museum

4. Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xian

a. Aerospace Engineering:

This program is intended to cultivate high-level engineering technicians and researchers who have solid foundation for mathematics and mechanics. They must possess basic theory and application knowledge on flight vehicle engineering and be able to engage in general mechanical design and manufacture. Students should be capable of: systematic research in flight vehicle design (including space shuttles and carriers), framework design, airplane exterior design, airplane performance calculation and analysis, structure tension analysis, trouble-shooting and maintenance and software development.

The main courses include Material Mechanics, Mechanical Design, Elastic Mechanics, Structure Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics and Fundamental Aerodynamics, Aircraft Structure Mechanics, Flight Mechanics, Structure Vibration, Testing Techniques, Automatic Control Theory, Aircraft Comprehensive Design, Structure Design, Composite Material Analysis and Design, Civil Airplane Structure Maintenance, Civil Airplane Maintenance in-damage Testing.

Study Duration - 4 years

Tuition Fee - RMB 18,000 per year

b. Astronautics Engineering

Flight Vehicle Design and Engineering is a four-year program. Undergraduates will have specialized courses from this unique specialty after they have completed the General Education Courses, Basic Technical Courses and Specialized Courses.

Students shall develop balanced qualities among morals, intelligence and physical education and obtain basic qualification for being senior engineers in our college.

The graduates will be capable doing a broad range of research activities, such as flight vehicle conceptual design, structure design, structure dynamics analysis, flight mechanics and dynamics, aerodynamic engineering calculation of flight vehicle, spacecraft dynamics and control, system simulation and computer application, automatic control engineering, and doing research and development works in other related field.

The main courses include Missile Conceptual Design, Flight Vehicle Structural Mechanics, Structural Design, Space Vehicle Conceptual Design, Structural Dynamics, Aerodynamic, Engineering Calculation of Flight Vehicle, Flight Trajectory of Missiles, Analysis of Missile Dynamic Characteristic, Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics and Control, Elements of Satellite Positioning

Study Duration - 4 years

Tuition Fee - RMB 18,000 per year

Northwestern Polytechnical University, Main Campus

Students from Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, discussing their ideas and viewing aircraft models, which were offered by Airbus to the university

Chen Mo, an aircraft manufacturing engineering student at Northwestern Polytechnical University, tests his own aircraft