Master’s in Military Fixed-Wing Aircraft Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in military fixed-wing aircraft engineering, structured in 12 modules covering military airworthiness, structural integrity, flight mechanics, systems, avionics, human factors, system safety, flight testing and fleet sustainment, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Analyse military fixed-wing aircraft within their legal and ethical context.
Apply the EMAR and MIL-HDBK-516 military airworthiness frameworks.
Manage the structural integrity of military fleets.
Design control laws and evaluate flying qualities.
Integrate military aircraft systems and avionics.
Apply system safety and certification principles.
Plan fleet sustainment and upgrades.
Who it's for
- Military airworthiness engineers working with EMAR or MIL-HDBK-516.
- Structural integrity engineers managing ASIP programmes and fleet life.
- Flight mechanics engineers focused on control laws and flying qualities.
- Aircraft systems engineers integrating power, fuel and crew systems.
- Flight test engineers involved in development and operational testing.
- Fleet sustainment engineers planning maintenance, upgrades and obsolescence.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter the defence aerospace industry.
What you'll work with
- EMAR 21 (European military airworthiness requirements)
- MIL-HDBK-516C (airworthiness certification criteria)
- MIL-STD-1530D (Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP))
- MIL-STD-882E (system safety)
- MIL-STD-704F (aircraft electric power characteristics)
- MIL-STD-1797A (flying qualities of piloted aircraft)
- MIL-STD-1553B (aircraft multiplex data bus)
- DEF STAN 00-970 (design and airworthiness requirements for service aircraft)
- MATLAB/Simulink
- MSC Nastran
- AFGROW
- Ansys Fluent
- IBM DOORS
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Types of military fixed-wing aircraft1.2Training, transport, patrol and surveillance1.3Air-to-air refuelling and support aircraft1.4European cooperation programmes1.5Acquisition cycle1.6International law and airspace1.7Ethics of defence aeronautical engineering1.8Export controls1.9European industrial base1.10Case study: analysis of a European transport programme
2.1Differences from civil airworthiness2.2EMAR and the European Defence Agency2.3EMAR 21, 145, M, 66 and 1472.4National airworthiness authorities2.5MIL-HDBK-516C2.6Mutual recognition2.7Military type certification2.8Use of civil credit2.9Safety management in military airworthiness2.10Practical exercise: comparison between EMAR 21 and Part 21
3.1ASIP programme according to MIL-STD-15303.2Military usage load spectra3.3Individual aircraft tracking3.4Fatigue and crack growth3.5Damage tolerance3.6Full-scale airframe fatigue testing3.7Corrosion in military fleets3.8Structural life extension3.9Non-destructive inspection3.10Lab: crack growth with Paris' law
4.1Extended manoeuvre envelope4.2High angles of attack4.3Flying qualities: MIL-STD-17974.4Fly-by-wire control laws4.5Envelope protection4.6Air-to-air refuelling: stability aspects4.7Flight simulation4.8Evaluation with pilots4.9Safety in envelope expansion4.10Practical exercise: design of a pitch control law
5.1High-pressure hydraulic systems5.2Electrical power generation: MIL-STD-7045.3Fuel and refuelling systems5.4Escape and crew survival systems5.5Oxygen systems5.6CBRN crew protection5.7Environmental control systems5.8Landing gear for unprepared runways5.9Systems integration5.10Case study: power budget according to MIL-STD-704
6.1Military avionics architectures6.2MIL-STD-1553B6.3Open architectures6.4Flight management and navigation6.5Communications and data links: overview6.6Surveillance and patrol sensors6.7High-level sensor fusion6.8Avionics cybersecurity6.9Software certification6.10Lab: simulation of a MIL-STD-1553 bus
7.1Military cockpit design7.2Acceleration loads and physiology7.3Spatial disorientation7.4Night vision goggles7.5Helmet-mounted displays7.6Workload7.7Pilot selection and training7.8Training simulators7.9Crew safety7.10Case study: NVIS compatibility assessment of a cockpit
8.1MIL-STD-882 applied to aircraft8.2System safety assessment8.3Hazard analysis8.4Software safety8.5Electromagnetic compatibility: MIL-STD-4648.6Lightning protection8.7Environmental testing8.8Safety cases8.9Residual risk management8.10Workshop: hazard analysis of a fuel system
9.1Organisation of military testing9.2Test centres9.3Instrumentation and telemetry9.4Developmental and operational testing9.5Envelope expansion9.6Systems testing9.7Risk management9.8Data analysis9.9Test reports9.10Practical exercise: test plan for an avionics system
10.1Military maintenance concepts10.2Fleet availability10.3Condition-based maintenance10.4Upgrade programmes10.5Obsolescence management10.6Integrated logistics support10.7Support contracts10.8Life-cycle cost10.9Lessons from in-service fleets10.10Case study: upgrade plan for a transport fleet
11.1Sustainable fuels in military aviation11.2Energy efficiency11.3Noise and communities11.4International humanitarian law11.5Legal review of new capabilities11.6Export controls11.7Transparency and accountability11.8Professional responsibility11.9Dialogue with society11.10Workshop: ethical debate on technology transfers
12.1Definition of the engineering problem12.2State-of-the-art review12.3Requirements and airworthiness framework12.4Technical analysis12.5Simulation or testing12.6Safety analysis12.7Legal and ethical analysis12.8Conclusions12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is MATLAB/Simulink, MSC Nastran, AFGROW, Ansys Fluent and IBM DOORS, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for structural integrity and crack growth analysis, flight control law design and aircraft system safety analysis. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: EMAR 21, MIL-HDBK-516C, MIL-STD-1530D, MIL-STD-882E, MIL-STD-704F, MIL-STD-1797A, MIL-STD-1553B, DEF STAN 00-970.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with MATLAB/Simulink, MSC Nastran, AFGROW, Ansys Fluent and IBM DOORS, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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