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This course offers you the opportunity to develop core skills demanded by automotive and transport design studios or global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
Year of entry
Location
Coventry University (Coventry)
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
1 year full-time
Course code
AHT043
Start date
September 2025
January 2026
May 2026
At Coventry University, we continuously review the courses we offer to ensure we reflect industry-relevant emerging best practice and technology. As a result, this course is undergoing continuous improvement assessment and will be launched with a renewed curriculum starting in September 2025. Module content and titles will be updated. Course title, learning outcomes and assessments may also change. We expect our new curriculum to be fully updated by January 2025. Please return to this page to see the final course details.
Working on studio-delivered briefs and ‘live’ industry projects2, you will be taught the underlying theory, 2D and the latest 3D techniques used to resolve automotive design challenges within the areas of exterior and interior design. We offer industry-standard facilities4, including an automotive clay modelling studio, laser cutting, rapid prototyping and 3D printing.
This master's programme provides you with the additional option to apply for a professional placement opportunity2 during your first semester with us. The professional placement opportunity is designed to further develop your skills and knowledge with the aim of maximising your employability prospects. Read more about this option in the 'Modules' section below.
Designed to teach you the skills, knowledge and expertise to produce innovative and visionary automotive designs, this course has been developed with significant input and continuing support from automotive design professionals.
Our current excellent industry links with leading automotive and transport companies and consultancies may provide opportunities for ‘live’ collaborative projects, industry visits and networking2.
Although I have five years of work experience, I have learned a lot of useful knowledge needed to be a good car designer; such as the matters needing attention when designing automobiles, how to analyse and investigate the automobile design and how to apply this knowledge to the future development of automobiles, and how to plan your career. We also have the chance to cooperate with OEMs like Jaguar Land Rover, JCB and Mazda.
Tianyu Zhang, MA Automotive and Transport Design student, September 2021
This course develops your understanding of the latest developments, drivers and practices of the automotive designer.
You will be taught to create innovative product design solutions in a range of styles and media, which factor in purpose, usability, materials, ecology, desirability, technological feasibility and professional constraints.
The professional experience opportunity2 enables you the opportunity to apply for optional professional experience in semester 1, which, upon successfully securing an opportunity, will extend the duration of your master’s to either 16, 20 or 24 months. The professional experience provides an opportunity for you to develop expertise and experience in your chosen field with the aim of enhancing your employability.
Please note that the optional professional experience modules incur an additional tuition fee, for which 1 semester of professional experience is £1,333.33, for 2 semesters of professional experience is £2666.67, and for 3 semesters of professional experience is £4,000.
Professional experience may also be subject to additional costs, visa requirements being met, subject to availability and/or competitive application. Professional experience opportunities are not guaranteed but you will benefit from the support of our Talent Team in trying to find and secure an opportunity. Find out more about the professional experience option.
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
The School of Art and Design often provides opportunities to engage in external or collaborative activities such as competition/Industry briefs and speakers beyond your course studies2. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to support your learning journey.
The number of full-time contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 10 contact hours per week in the first and second semesters. In your third semester, you will be supervised for your Final Major Project as you become a more independent learner. Teaching includes a combination of:
Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 20 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.
As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending on the module. Assessment methods include:
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.
Throughout the course, projects will be set with an international focus, with the aim of enhancing your global experience and broadening your mindset. The studio briefs select a broad range of international brands and the live projects, which are mostly from clients, include international contributions2.
You may also have opportunities to take part in Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects2 working collaboratively across international boundaries.
Student | Full-time | Part-time |
---|---|---|
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man | 2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £11,200 | £15,200 (with prof. experience) |
Not available |
EU | 2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £11,200 | £15,200 (with prof. experience) per year with EU Support Bursary** 2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £18,600 | £22,600 (with prof. experience) per year without EU Support Bursary** |
Not available |
International | 2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £18,600 | £22,600 (with prof. experience) |
Not available |
For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.
We offer a range of international scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.
Tuition fees3 cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.
The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:
The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.
Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.
We have a wealth of digital and traditional workshops4 and learning spaces that allow you to learn to make and manufacture.
Our Digital and Industrial workshops house 3D rapid prototyping, laser cutters, and milling machines which students studying Architecture to Graphic Design can access. We have clay modelling studios that allow you to realise your transport and product design solutions, as well as a large digital print bureau, ceramic, and small metal-working workshop.
Our Digital Design Workshop brings your ideas to life through different media. Here you’ll find a high-powered laser cutter, printers, scanners and industry-standard software used for technical drawing and environmental modelling.
In our clay studio, your ideas become realised by using technological software and clay. We focus on digital and physical 3D modelling, providing a deeper understanding of visualisation techniques and experimentation.
Our computer suites use industry software used in modelling, animation and analysis. This includes graphic, modelling and visualisation packages such as Alias, Maya, Adobe Creative Suite, Rhino, Vector works, Showcase, VRED and SRAMSIS and Jack ergonomics software.
Upon successful completion, you will have knowledge of:
Upon successful completion, you will be able to:
Career opportunities are considered vast and varied within automotive design, research, teaching and design management. You could start your own business or become a design consultant, modeller, illustrator, CAD professional, design manager or marketing professional.
Recent graduates have been recruited by some of the industry’s most well-known manufacturers, including Jaguar Land Rover, SAIC, Tata and Geely.