Master's: A different way of learning
Our specialist master’s courses are designed in close collaboration with industrial advisory panels. This ensures course content is always industry-relevant and our graduates impress employers with their business readiness.
Our teaching staff to student ratio of 1:6 is one of the best in the UK.
Many of our teaching staff come from industry and your master’s is informed by their experience of carrying out research on behalf of the University’s 1,500 industrial clients and partners across the globe.
Check your course web page for more information about opportunities such as:
- collaboration with industry partners and students on other courses,
- networking with industry-relevant guest speakers and internationally-recognised academic staff,
- accreditation from professional bodies,
- internships and international travel.
Air traffic management laboratory
Cranfield master’s course structure
This diagram illustrates a typical MSc course structure, though it is not indicative of all courses.
Please check your specific course page on our website for more detailed information including the weighting of each phase and the part-time variations.
Cranfield master’s course structure
This diagram illustrates the course structure of many of our full-time master’s courses, though it is not indicative of all courses.
Please check your specific course page on our website for more detailed information including the weighting of each phase and the part-time variations.
“One of the most memorable experiences at Cranfield was the group project we undertook in the second semester. Our team worked on a real-world problem provided by an industry partner, which required us to integrate our diverse skill sets and knowledge. The project was intense and demanding but culminated in a successful presentation to the company's executives. This experience reinforced the practical applications of our studies and fostered lasting friendships and professional connections.”
Faisal Alhosani,
Guidance and Controls Engineer, HALCON, (Management and Information Systems MSc 2023)
Group projects
We value the importance of giving you an opportunity to apply your learned skills into a real-world environment before you graduate.
Many of our courses offer the opportunity to have hands-on experience with a group project related to your MSc subject. Here is an example of one, with the viewpoint of the student and the academic.
Project title: Develop a business plan for a new start-up airline in Africa
In groups of 12, students on the Air Transport Management MSc, were tasked to work together over one month to apply core learning from their taught modules to develop a robust and resilient five-year business plan for a new startup airline based in an African country. Their objective was to develop a comprehensive global business report and deliver a summary presentation for this new airline to a mix of industry practitioners and academics, whose feedback is invaluable and enriches their learning experience and knowledge.
One group decided to base their startup airline, Air Anga, in Kenya and came up with a four-phase strategic plan for development domestically, then within Europe, then into Saudi Arabia and finally into Asia. Having allocated roles and remits early on, this group used their strategy as the base for all other areas of the project from fleet management to finance, HR to marketing. The students produced a comprehensive and resilient business plan and a strong professional presentation covering all aspects of running a startup airline, which has enabled them to focus on key learning and develop soft skills for transference into a professional setting. By setting out clear values, a mission and vision for their airline the students were able to work together across the areas of strategy and market analysis, geopolitics and compliance, fleet and operations, marketing, human resources, sustainability and corporate social responsibility and finance to deliver a well-rounded and resilient offering for prospective industrial investors.