Automotive Engineering

The course prepares you for a range of roles in the automotive industry, providing you with the right environment, facilities, skills and training to be successful in the industry. You’ll explore various aspects of automotive design, development, testing, manufacturing, electronics and performance analysis – emerging as a highly skilled graduate ready to solve current and future problems in the industry.

How you learn

This course is designed for you to gain experience as a professional engineer from day one, where you’ll develop technical and professional skills from the very start.

You’ll experience and engage in a variety of learning activities as you progress through the course. We’ve designed a balanced mix of activities to help challenge you to think creatively, build knowledge and understanding, while also developing your professional skills and employability. These include practical laboratories and computer simulations to enhance your learning – with lab experiments designed to reinforce your learning of theoretical concepts.

Course topics

This course provides an in-depth study of the underpinning principles and practices involved in automotive engineering. It covers various aspects of automotive design, development, testing, manufacturing and performance analysis.

The course combines theoretical knowledge with practical hands-on experience while core modules cover the key aspects of automotive engineering. These range from electric, hybrid and internal combustion propulsion to automotive powertrains and vehicle systems, performance, dynamics, aerodynamics and styling. You’ll also explore sustainable materials, manufacturing and production – plus numerical methods, modelling and simulation.

Applied learning

Work placements

You’ll have the opportunity to arrange a year-long work placement in between your second and third years. This gives you real-world experience to prepare you for your future career – and allows you to graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV.

Although optional (and competitive), a placement is actively encouraged to significantly improve your employability at the end of the degree. Previous students have undertaken placements at BorgWarner, Cummins and Forvia Faurecia.

Live projects

Throughout the course, you’ll gain practical experience working on live projects set by our industry partners. You’ll also have the opportunity to get involved in the SHU Racing Team – applying your skills and knowledge to build, test and design race cars. Here you’ll experience what it’s like to collaborate with engineers from different disciplines and solve complex automotive challenges.

Previous students have also worked on live projects with McLaren, Red Bull, Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).

Field trips

You’ll have the opportunity to visit leading automotive engineering companies such as Bentley Motors, Morgan and Toyota. Explore the full spectrum of the automotive sector, delving into the operations of both specialist companies and international manufacturers. Gain invaluable insights into the diverse facets of automotive engineering in real-world settings.

Networking opportunities

Throughout the course you’ll have numerous opportunities to engage with career management, career fairs and workshops, employer presentations, visits, and professional advisers. You’ll gain professional engagement and real-world learning from guest speakers, practising tutors, and work placements.