Program overview
In simple terms, this major is about ensuring that big machines like planes, rockets, and satellites make few or no mistakes, and if something goes wrong, they can still return safely. You might think 'quality' and 'reliability' sound like factory stuff, but in aerospace, they directly affect human lives and billions of dollars in investment. Core courses include reliability engineering, quality management, fault diagnosis and prediction, system safety analysis, experimental design, and more. You'll learn how to use math and statistics to estimate how long a component will last, how to design test plans to uncover potential problems, and how to find clues to failures from data. There's plenty of hands-on practice, like using software to simulate system failure processes or doing fatigue tests on materials in the lab. What kind of student fits this major? If you have a solid foundation in math and physics, are detail-oriented and organized, enjoy breaking down problems and finding patterns, and are curious about 'why things break,' this major will suit you well. Chinese universities have strong engineering backgrounds in this field, such as Beihang University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, and others. Many courses are directly partnered with companies like COMAC and CASC, giving you access to real projects.