Course Description:
The MSc Air Transport Management is designed to equip you with the skills required to pursue a successful career in various sectors of the air transport industry including airlines, airport companies and authorities, civil aviation departments, air transport consultancies and aerospace companies.
The course is suitable for students with a degree in aeronautical engineering, economics, business studies and geography or those with demonstrable experience in the air transport industry.. We help students prepare their CV and for interviews for positions all over the world. In addition, we give students access to our exclusive Air Transport Alumni group on LinkedIn. This offers unrivalled networking and job opportunities.
Start Months:
July
School:
SATM
Theme:
Transport Systems
Entry Requirements:
A first or second class UK Honours degree (or equivalent) ideally in a related subject. Other recognised professional qualifications or several years relevant industrial experience may be accepted as equivalent; subject to approval by the Course Director. For further and specific information please visit the course page.
English Language:
If you are an international student you will need to provide evidence that you have achieved a satisfactory test result in an English qualification. The minimum standard expected from a number of accepted courses are as follows:
IELTS - 7.0 overall score, with a minimum of 6.0 in all elements of the test
Pearson PTE Academic - 68
Cambridge English Scale - 190
Cambridge English: Advanced - C
Cambridge English: Proficiency - C
In addition to these minimum scores you are also expected to achieve a balanced score across all elements of the test. We reserve the right to reject any test score if any one element of the test score is too low. We can only accept tests taken within two years of your registration date (with the exception of Cambridge English tests which have no expiry date). Students requiring a Tier 4 (General) visa must ensure they can meet the English language requirements set out by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and we recommend booking a IELTS for UKVI test.
Duration:
Part-time MSc - up to three years, Part-time PgDip - two years
Course Format:
Overview:
Designed to equip you with the skills to pursue a successful career in various sectors of the air transport industry including airlines, airport companies and authorities, civil aviation departments, air transport consultancies and aerospace companies.
This part-time flexible Executive course, available either at Cranfield or Singapore (via the Singapore Aviation Academy), covers a broad range of management strategic issues to enable you to advance your career in the air transport industry. Focus on subjects that match your individual interests and career aspirations, whilst you remain in employment.
Who is it for?:
Created to meet the demand for more flexible executive teaching in air transport management, this course is suitable for those who require a broad knowledge of air transport management strategic issues whilst remaining in full-time employment. It combines compulsory air transport core learning with an increased focus on leadership and personal development including managerial, interpersonal, financial and analytical skills. Accelerate your career development by focusing on subjects that match your individual interests and career aspirations.
We also deliver this course via the Singapore Aviation Academy. Important: to study in Singapore visit the Singapore Aviation Academy website and apply using their application process.
Why this course?:
The MSc Air Transport Management has been established since 1964. The course has an outstanding global reputation with over 1,500 graduates to date. We recognise the challenges faced by our executive students and have reduced the required number of visits to Cranfield through the introduction of several distance learning modules which are indicated in the modules overview. This enables students from all over the world to complete this qualification whilst balancing work/life commitments.
We are very well located for students from all over the world and offers a range of library and support facilities to support your studies. This MSc programme benefits from students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds which significantly enhances the learning experience for both staff and students.
Informed by Industry:
The course is directed by an industrial advisory committee comprising senior representatives from leading airlines and associated sectors. This group meets annually and ensures that the course content remains up-to-date and equips you with the skills and knowledge required by leading employers. Members of the committee also attend the group project presentations.
We regularly invite senior industry experts to present to our students. Previous speakers have included:
- Willie Walsh, CEO of International Airlines Groups
- Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport
- Brian Pearce, Chief Economist of the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- Professor Rigas Doganis.
Your teaching team:
You will be taught by the largest academic group in the world specialising in air transport management. This multidisciplinary group includes a unique blend of air transport economists, marketing specialists and aeronautical engineers with strong publication records and industry experience.
- Dr Robert Mayer
- Dr Keith Mason.
Course details:
The taught programme for the Air Transport Management masters starts in July and is comprised of ten modules (six compulsory and four optional). All the modules are completed over three one-week periods (two modules per week) so you are only expected to make three trips to Cranfield to complete the six compulsory modules in July, November and March. Some optional modules are available for distance learning.
Group project:
Students are divided into groups and tasked with setting up an airline in any country of the group's choice. Students can also choose any type of airline business model. The groups present and defend their business plans to a board of senior industry executives as well as to teaching staff. Each group must also submit a detailed report which will be assessed.
The group project is undertaken in the second year, and is held in July for two weeks. The aim is to provide a simulated industrial environment where knowledge and skills gained from the taught component can be applied to solving an air transport management problem.
Individual project:
The individual research project is undertaken during year three of your studies. It provides an opportunity to study a problem in detail, and sponsoring organisations may collaborate in the choice of a suitable subject. This allows you to demonstrate the application of your learning to real-life problems.
Previous individual research projects have included:
- Route selection strategies of the low cost carriers: the case of Ryanair and easyJet
- Sustainable business models for airlines in Africa
- Ancillary revenues in airlines and their implication for revenue management.
Assessment:
Taught Module 45%, Group project 15%, Individual research project 40%
Core modules:
- The Airline Business
- The Airport Business
- Leading Change
- Professional and Personal Development
- Air Transport Economics and Financial Management
- Research Methods
Optional
- Air Transport Marketing
- Strategies for Success
- Airline Fleet Planning
- Air Transport and the Environment
- Airport Operations
- Air Transport Engineering
- Air Law and Regulatory Policy
- Crisis Management and Business Continuity
- Aviation Marketing (distance learning)
- Air Transport in Emerging Markets (distance learning)
- The Business Travel Market (distance learning)
- Air Transport in Remoter Regions (distance learning)
Your career:
Successful completion of this course will gain you an internationally recognised qualification which benefits from the Cranfield reputation and can take you onto new levels of your career anywhere in the world. We provide access to our exclusive LinkedIn Cranfield University - Air Transport Group, which offers unrivalled networking and job opportunities.
This qualification facilitates accelerated career development for many of our graduates. One former graduate began his studies as an Operations Manager and was promoted three times during his study – he is now the Deputy CEO and credits the course for enabling his progression by allowing him to take a broader view of his organisation than his original role.
Other roles our former graduates have gone on to occupy include:
- Financial Controller at Rolls-Royce plc
- Head of Market Intelligence at Cargolux