According to Istanbul Technical University (ITU), one of the leading educational institutions of our country, Aeronautical Engineering: “to train engineers in the maintenance and repair of military and civilian aircraft and in the design and manufacture of new types of aircraft to be developed by the Turkish Aircraft Industry, and to carry out research and application studies related to aircraft and aviation”. This definition, which belongs to ITU, a state university, contains statements that reflect the needs of the period in which it was written, taking into account the national needs of our country. Defined slightly differently, aircraft engineering is an engineering department that covers the design, development and production processes as well as the maintenance, repair and operation of all types of manned and unmanned air and space vehicles, regardless of whether they are military or civilian.

Courses offered in the Department of Aeronautical Engineering:
In aircraft engineering, which has a very heavy numerical aspect and can be earned with high scores; In addition to basic courses such as physics, chemistry and mathematics, there are also department-specific courses such as aerodynamics, fluid mechanics, dynamics, propulsion systems, strength, aircraft design, aircraft design principles, flight stability and control and flight mechanics.

Job Areas where Graduates can work
Graduates of Aeronautical Engineering have job opportunities primarily in public or private institutions operating in the field of civil and military aviation. In parallel with the developments in Turkey in recent years, especially in the field of military aviation, the need for engineers in the design and production of different types of military aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and missile-rockets has started to increase. Among the first companies that come to mind in this field are Turkish Aerospace Industries – TAI, which designs and manufactures military-civilian aircraft, helicopters and UAVs; TAI Engine Industries (ing. Turkish Engine Industries – TEI), which has recently made a name for itself with domestic designs in aircraft engines; Baykar Makina, one of the leading companies in Turkey in the export of military UAVs; and Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş. – STM, which was once among the top 100 defense companies in the world. In addition to the above-mentioned companies, many other engineering, inspection and defense companies are also active in Turkey in the fields of military and civil aviation, both as independent and subcontractor companies.

However, job opportunities for graduates of the Department of Aeronautical Engineering are not limited to aviation. In addition to mechanical engineering, automotive and aerospace industries, there are always job opportunities for aircraft engineers in audit, engineering and software companies operating in different fields.

Opportunities Abroad
In our country, ITU Department of Aeronautical Engineering is accredited by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), an independent organization based in the USA, based on 2017 criteria. Again, ITU has agreements with Europe-based universities under the ERASMUS Program: RWTH Aachen (Germany), Delft University of Technology (Netherlands), The University of Glasgow (England – Scotland) and Politecnico di Torino (Italy).

The fact that many companies operating in the aviation and space industries are based in Europe and the USA makes it possible for graduates of Aeronautical Engineering who have developed themselves and speak foreign languages to find jobs in countries on both continents.

Universities with Aeronautical Engineering Programs in Turkey
State Universities:

● Erciyes University – Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics (4 Years)

● Eskisehir Osmangazi University – Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (4 Years – English)

● Gebze Technical University – Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics (4-Year – English)

● Istanbul Technical University ITU – Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics (4 Years)

Necmettin Erbakan University – Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics (4-Year)

Foundation Universities:

● Istanbul Gelisim University – Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (4-Year – Paid and Scholarship – Turkish and English)

● Turkish Aeronautical Association University – Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics (4-Year – Paid and Scholarship – English)

TRNC Universities:

● University of Kyrenia – Faculty of Aviation and Space Sciences (4-Year – Paid and Scholarship – English)