Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £9,535 per year
International/EU: £17,155 per year (£1,200 for placement year) -
How long will I study?
4/5 Years
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Where will I study?
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What are the entry requirements?
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What is the UCAS code?
A079
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When do I start?
September 2025
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Placement year available?
Yes
Course summary
- Study your foundation year, then progress to the full degree.
- Develop critical aviation industry skills in sustainability and pricing.
- Study marketing, digital skills, project and talent management.
- Collaborate with industry partners to work on live projects.
- Learn from industry experts and engage with aviation field trips.
- Build your professional network through our extensive links with airlines, airports and aviation agencies.
On this course you’ll learn about the technical aspects of the industry, from aviation law and regulation to safety and security management. You’ll study airlines and airports from both an operational and managerial perspective using specialist simulation software. Whether you plan to work air-side, land-side or directly with airlines, you’ll be fully prepared to hit the ground running.
Come to an open day
Visit us to learn more about our gold-rated teaching and why we were awarded the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
Sheffield Business School accreditation
Sheffield Business School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and has been awarded the Business School Impact System label by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD).
Top 10 in the UK
This course is ranked 10th in its subject area in the Guardian University Guide 2024.
Tourism subject group award
Our Tourism subject group is recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT), the membership organisation for tourism industry professionals and educators.
How you learn
Our teachers have held senior positions in airline and airport management – bringing a wealth of aviation case studies to support your learning. They’re actively involved in applied and impactful research, so you’ll get to understand the latest trends in the global aviation industry.
At every level of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with the industry. Thanks to our extensive network of external partners, you’ll enhance your learning through expert guest speakers and field trips.
You learn through
- lectures, seminars and workshops
- field trips and site visits
- talks and resources developed by our accrediting bodies
- live projects with external organisations
- independent study and group work
You’ll develop your knowledge of how the aviation industry interlinks with the environment, climate change, regulatory frameworks and the broader sustainability agenda. You’ll also develop your core business acumen in marketing, people management and finance to make sure you’re industry ready.
We believe you learn best when you engage with the industry first-hand to appreciate the complexities, challenges and rewards of working in the airline and airport management sector. In your final year you’ll apply the knowledge you’ve gained in a client-led consultancy project.
You will be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate level employment through
- access to specialist support services to help with your personal, academic and career development
- access to our Skills Centre with one to ones, webinars, and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments
Course leaders and tutors
Tilahun Mekonnen
Senior LecturerCurrently working as a Senior Lecturer in Business Economics and the International Business Development Manager for Sub Saharan African Countries
Applied learning
Work placements
You’ll have the opportunity to undertake a year-long work placement in between your second and third years. This gives you industry experience to prepare you for your future career – and allows you to graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV. For example, previous students have secured placements with Swissport and Jet2.
Live projects
In every year of your course, you’ll have the opportunity to work on live projects to build your skills and professional experience.
Recent students have worked on developing high quality and engaging training content across all five airlines within the TUI group – with a focus on digital training. Others have worked on a white paper development – focusing on Bosnia and Herzegovina national airport infrastructure development needs for KK Aviation Consultancy.
Field Trips
Field trips are an important part of your studies. They're the perfect opportunity to connect with your peers and tutors – as well as to put your theoretical knowledge into context and engage in in-depth discussions about your discipline. Some of the most popular field trips our Airline and Airport Management students have enjoyed have been to local and international airports.
Networking opportunities
You’ll frequently engage with aviation industry stakeholders throughout the course – and many modules include industry guest speakers. You’ll benefit from a close relationship with the industry through our industry and graduate networks – as well as association with the Institute of Travel and Tourism and the Tourism Management Institute.
Future careers
The UK aviation industry is the third largest globally and supports the development of many industries and trade in general. The course prepares you for a number of aviation roles including
- regulatory authorities
- safety management
- security management
- airline strategy, marketing and sales management
- airline operations management
- airfield design, safeguarding and regulatory compliance
- airport systems, planning and development
- airport operations management
- corporate social responsibility
- air cargo operations and logistics management
- airspace and air traffic management
- aviation management consultancy
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for
- British Airways
- Jet2
- TUI Group
- Birmingham International Airport
- Doncaster and Sheffield Airport
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
On this course, you work with specialist airline management simulation software.
We’ve invested over £100m in new facilities to help you study how and when you want. This means 24-hour libraries and study spaces designed by our students.
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 64
This must include at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications excluding general studies For example:
- CC at A Level
- MPP in BTEC Extended Diploma.
- Pass overall from a T level qualification with D or E from core
- A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels and EPQ.
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
- English Language at grade C or 4 or equivalent
- Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalent
ACCESS
- Access to HE Diploma, with at least 45 level 3 credits.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Going Global
People, Decisions And Behaviours
Preparing For Success
Sustainable Innovation
Year 2
Compulsory modules
Applied Academic Skills
Finance And Data Interpretation
Introduction To The Aviation Industry
Marketing And Consumer Behaviour For The Aviation Industry
Year 3
Compulsory modules
Airline Operations And Pricing Management
Personal And Professional Development
Research Skills
Elective modules
Airport Operations Management
Foreign Language (French, Spanish, Italian)
Study Abroad - Sheffield Business School
Year 4
Optional modules
Placement Year
Final year
Compulsory modules
Consultancy And Enterprise Challenge
Safety And Security Management In Aviation
Strategic Management For Airline And Airport Development
Elective modules
Foreign Language (French, Spanish, Italian)
Research Project
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students on full-time undergraduate degree courses in 2025/26 is £9,535 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year). These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years. We are currently reviewing our tuition fees for the foundation year stage of this course following the Government announcement of fee changes for some foundation year courses and will confirm fees as soon as possible.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,155 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Business School (PDF, 255.6KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
