Aeronautical Engineering

Around 40,000 people work in aeronautical engineering for civil aviation in Hamburg and the surrounding region, making it the world’s third-largest site for this industry, whose most attractive employers are active here. HAW Hamburg is part of Hamburg Aviation, the aviation cluster for the metropolitan region of Hamburg.

One of the first Competence Centers at HAW Hamburg, founded in 2008, marks the outstanding significance of the aviation industry to our institution. The mission of the Competence Center Neues Fliegen (CCNF) – a centre of excellence focused around rethinking and reimagining flying via innovative engineering – is to consolidate, advance and diversify HAW Hamburg’s existing expertise in this field in the areas of teaching, research and continuing education and further raise HAW Hamburg’s profile within Hamburg Aviation.

This degree course is designed for graduates with a first degree in aeronautical, automotive or mechanical engineering or in a related discipline who are interested in acquiring an additional qualification for high-level roles in development, research or management in the aviation industry.

Potential employers after graduation include manufacturers of aircraft and aircraft engines, suppliers to these, and independent engineering firms, research institutions and public authorities.

You may also decide to further your academic career with doctoral studies.

Our three-semester Master’s degree course in Aeronautical Engineering offers two focal areas as follows:

• Aircraft design and lightweight construction
• Cabin design and cabin systems

Alongside these, the course delivers in-depth expertise in systems management, business administration and general engineering sciences.

The first two semesters are modular in structure. In the third semester, you will complete your Master's thesis, preferably in an industrial setting; another option is a university-based research project.

Essential:

• Successfully completed Bachelor's or Diplom (or equivalent) degree (of at least three and a half years' duration, worth at least 210 credit points)
• Diploma Supplement/Transcript of Records
• International applicants are required to demonstrate proficiency in the German language at level C1 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) or above via a recognised language test, which should be one of the following: Goethe Institute C1, TestDaF 4, telc C1 Hochschule, DSH2, Deutsches Sprachdiplom issued by the KMK (Kultusministerkonferenz), or Kleines or Großes Sprachdiplom issued by the Goethe Institute.
• Proof of English skills at level B1 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) as demonstrated by
  1. German higher education entrance qualification demonstrating three years of English instruction directly prior to graduation; the average grade for the final two years must be at least 4 (satisfactory) or a minimum of 5 points or
  2. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic test; min. 4.0 or
  3. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet-based test; min. 42 points or
  4. School-leaving certificate (higher education entrance qualification) from a school in an English-speaking country or
  5. Proof of at least two years of successful study at a university in an English-speaking country
  6. In individual cases, applicants whose qualifications are comparable to those listed in 1 to 5 may be considered.

An admissions committee considers all applications. Students who have completed or are completing the Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering, but who have yet to receive their certificate of examinations for the Bachelor’s degree (Bachelorzeugnis), should submit an overview of their grades. Successful applicants from this group will be provisionally enrolled; full enrolment is conditional upon presentation of their certificate of examinations for the Bachelor during their first semester on the Master’s course, alongside the fulfilment of the other requirements for full enrolment.

International applicants who do not hold a higher education entrance qualification from Germany or a degree from a German higher education institution are required to demonstrate proficiency in the German language at level C1 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) or above via a certificate of proficiency issued by one of the language testing institutions recognised by HAW Hamburg.

The admissions committee reserves the right to decline to admit graduates of other degree courses or from other institutions whose degrees contain core subjects that do not adequately match or reflect those of the Aeronautical Engineering degree at HAW Hamburg.

N.B.: Applicants whose Bachelor’s degrees are equivalent to 180 credit points are required to attain a further 30 credit points in order to enrol fully in this Master’s degree course. The department will provide information on the examinations and courses required. If this applies to you and your application is successful, you will be enrolled for an initial fixed period of one semester in order to attain the required credit points. Your application for full enrolment will be considered at the end of this semester. Your standard course duration may increase by no more than one semester due to meeting this requirement.