Program overview
Aircraft Design is a major within Aerospace Science and Technology, focusing on turning a flying vehicle from concept into reality. You'll study aerodynamics (how planes fly), structural mechanics (making the airframe strong yet light), flight dynamics (stability and control), propulsion systems (engine principles), and flight control (autopilot, etc.). The curriculum includes plenty of experiments and projects, such as testing models in wind tunnels and optimizing wing shapes with computer simulations. Chinese universities have unique strengths in this field—institutions like Beihang University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Northwestern Polytechnical University have dedicated wind tunnel labs and joint programs with COMAC and AVIC. This major suits students passionate about aviation, who enjoy hands-on work and have a solid foundation in math and physics—if you loved folding paper airplanes or flying model aircraft as a kid, this program will feel like a perfect fit.