Safety and Human Factors in Aviation MSc

Demand for human factors and safety expertise continues to grow within aviation as well as other safety critical industries.

This course has been designed to provide industry with equipped graduates who can make a real and lasting improvement to performance and safety through the application of skills and knowledge learnt through a mix of lectures and practical exercises.

Who is it for?
This course attracts a wide variety of students from aviation professionals in civil and military domains to high-quality graduates in engineering and social science disciplines. The wide range of skills and knowledge represented by students on the course provides a learning environment unique to here.

Why this course?
Delivered through the specialist Safety and Accident Investigation Centre, operating for over 30 years to support global safety and investigation, this course is unique in that it synthesises the study of human factors with the study of safety and safety assessment, creating a powerful combination to really add-on value in applied aviation and safety critical contexts.

It is designed to provide industry with successful and well equipped graduates who can make a real and lasting improvement to performance and safety through the application of skills and knowledge learned on the course. Demand for human factors and safety expertise continues to be a growing area within aviation as well as other safety critical industries. Safety critical systems require high human performance in addition to engineering excellence to meet the safety and business requirements of the aviation industry. To meet these demands, the design of systems must match, support and augment the capabilities of the user.

You will have the opportunity to fly during a Student Experience Flight in our National Flying Laboratory Centre’s (NFLC) light aircraft. This flight experience will complement your MSc studies, focussing on the effects of control, spatial disorientation and the cognitive challenges associated with flight. During the flight you will have the opportunity to take control of the aircraft. Each experience is 2 to 3 hours in duration and includes a pre-flight safety briefing outlining the details of the manoeuvres to be flown, a flight of approximately 1 hour, and a post-flight debrief.

Accreditation
This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF).

Your career
There are strong employment prospects for graduates in safety-related management and operational positions. Course graduates generally find suitable employment in a range of safety and human factors related roles. Previous graduates of the course have been successful in gaining employment with:
- Airbus

- BAE Systems

- British Airways

- Qinetiq

- Virgin Atlantic

- NATS

- Honeywell

- Easyjet

- DHL

- Royal Navy

- Frazer-Nash

- MBDA