My placement at Boutsen Ginion Racing
Automotive Engineering student Oleg Karchevskyy shares her experiences of undertaking a placement year with a Belgian racing team currently competing in Touring Car Cup Europe and GT World Challenge series.
Overview
The automotive industry is going through some of the biggest changes since the introduction of the internal combustion engine. Automotive manufacturers and designers are using cutting-edge technology to solve the transport and sustainability issues of the future.
If you have a passion for cars, an enthusiasm for engineering and design, together with excellent maths and IT skills, then this professionally accredited course could help you make a real difference in this vital industry.
Focusing on how engineering is used in automotive applications, this course provides you with the opportunity to qualify first at Bachelor level, then if you choose to follow the MEng pathway, at master’s degree level. The MEng route could be ideal for those seeking leadership positions in the development of new technologies and design of future vehicles.
Successful graduates of Automotive Engineering should be able to apply their comprehensive understanding of vehicle engineering in a wide variety of roles in the automotive industry and beyond.
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
COVID-19
The University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2020/2021 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to Covid-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedTeaching Excellence
Taught by lecturers who are experts in their fieldCourse essentials
A degree which offers you more, at no extra costAccreditation and Professional Recognition
This course is accredited and recognised by the following bodies:
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
These degrees are accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) up to and including the 2025 intakes under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council. Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). An accredited degree will provide you with some or all of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for eventual registration as an Incorporated (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng). Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords.
Students completing an IMechE accredited degree are deemed to have met part or all of the academic requirements for registration as a Chartered or Incorporated Engineer, and are in a strong position to move on to achieve professional engineering status after a period of initial professional development in industry.
Pit Stop Challege
The Pit Stop Challenge is an activity-led assessment completed by first year undergraduate automotive and motorsport students as part of their Engineering Design module.
Our Facilities
Cruden F1 simulator
The simulator provides a realistic experience of working for a race team in a high pressured and realistic environment. The simulator includes the same software and calculations used by professional racing teams.
Metals Workshop
Participate in technical work in a hands-on way. The workshop includes lathes, milling machines, fabrication equipment for sheet metal work, CNC machines, work benches, welding lines and a fitting assembly area.
Wind Tunnel
Built and tested by the Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula One team, our open jet single return wind tunnel has be designed to accommodate 20% scale open-wheel racing car models with a maximum air velocity of 45 m/s.
What our students say
This course has given me a lot of opportunities due to the University’s connections with a wide range of well-known companies.
Course information
Automotive engineers are involved in every stage of the design, testing and development of vehicles and their components, from concept to production.
This course has been designed to equip engineers of the future with the skills and knowledge needed to fill a wide variety of roles in an ever-changing industry and beyond.
95%
of BEng students in work or doing further study within six months after finishing.
Discover Uni, 2020
Course specification
Download PDF
Modules
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.
3rd
Our mechanical engineering courses are ranked 3rd in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2020.
In more detail...
With current extensive links to well-known automotive companies like Jaguar Land Rover and Lotus, Coventry University has a long and prestigious automotive, transport and engineering heritage.
You will benefit from access to modern facilities, a reputation for teaching excellence in the engineering field and our current strong links with local industry, which aim to help ensure our course reflects current thinking, the latest technologies, design systems and testing processes.
Our suite of ‘Mechanical Engineering’ courses has been ranked 3rd in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2020.
You will be taught by current academics with wide ranging experience in the automotive fields. Current academics are actively involved in commercial and academic research, whose expertise could further-enrich your learning and enhance your understanding of the challenges facing engineers today.
You could work with staff on real-world problems from industry*, commerce and research groups, as you would in professional practice; this means that you could be provided the opportunity to develop professional skills at the same time as you learn the technical content of your degree.
*Please note that we are unable to guarantee any project, placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
- Opportunity to participate in field trips* which have previously included observing crash tests at the GM Milford site and a tour of the Ford F150 factory in Detroit, USA. * * Please note that we are unable to guarantee any field trip, placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
- On and off site access to commercial engineering software, such as 3D CAD, Finite Element Analysis, Computational Fluid Dynamics and Multibody Systems for design and simulation, as well as the opportunity for training in industry-standard Catia, HyperWorks, STAR-CCM+ and SIMPACK software.
- Study in our modern £50 million Engineering and Computing building. You will have access to extensive facilities in our High Performance Engineering Centre, which houses: a 20% scale model wind tunnel (designed and built by the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team), composites lab, four-post shaker rig for investigating vehicle suspension systems, AVL engine test cell, automotive workshop, fatigue and tensile testing (Instron) and a range of CNC machinery, laser cutters and 3d printers
- Free student membership of the IMechE
- Free student membership of WES, the Women’s Engineering Society which is an Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity society open to all regardless of gender identity.
Strong employer links with companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Prodrive, Lotus, MIRA, BMW, Unipart and Morgan
Our main study themes are:
- Design: The innovative resolution of design problems focused on commercially viable solutions.
- Analysis: You should learn to use industry standard software to model, analyse and validate vehicle behaviour, components and systems.
- Management: The application of principles and practices utilised to assure effective business operation.
- Sustainability: An ethical approach to work by protecting the best interests of life and the environment.
- Practical: Investigation and analysis using laboratory, workshop and computer-based techniques.
Studied full-time over three years for BEng and four years for MEng (with an optional additional sandwich year*), this course incorporates a wide range of learning and teaching methods as part of our innovative Activity-Led Learning philosophy. We aim to motivate you to learn through stimulating activity, such as projects, problem-solving, scenarios and case studies; whether in classroom, laboratory or work settings. This has previously been shown to engage students and create challenges, relevance, integration, professional awareness and variety to supporting you in learning and developing technical, personal and professional skills.
The full range of teaching methods include: lectures with associated practice, laboratory, workshop exercises and tutorials; problem-based learning in groups with tutor or industrial mentor support; group learning; formative modelling exercises; and independent research of library resources, the internet and engineering companies.
Between the second and third years of study, you have an opportunity to spend a year on placement or studying abroad*.Support in finding opportunities may be provided by our Talent Team.
* Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
We motivate you to learn through stimulating activity, such as a project, problem, scenario, case study or enquiry in a classroom, laboratory or work setting.
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will could vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods include formal examinations, coursework, tests, essays, practical or project work, group work, presentations and posters.
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.
Upon successful completion, you will be able to:
- Apply and demonstrate knowledge of science, processes, materials, design and management to solve problems of increasing complexity.
- Search for and evaluate information sources to identify information essential to solving engineering problems.
- Model, analyse and evaluate innovative automotive engineering systems using appropriate engineering science and mathematical analysis techniques to increase performance and efficiency.
- Synthesise solutions to innovative engineering design problems, selecting appropriate instrumentation for the functional design of innovative engineering products and systems and to support development and test work.
- Use test equipment and machines for experimental work to support product development.
- Use commercial software in the solution of engineering problems and communicate graphically the design of a component or system through sketches, CAD etc.
- Assess the business case for a project, analysing the benefits, uncertainties and risks, including an analysis of stakeholder needs, expectations and their associated impact on the project.
- Critically analyse the engineering results from a problem associated with stress analysis, aerodynamics, dynamics, noise and vibrations.
- Plan and implement a strategy, using selected computer tools, for the modelling, simulation and analysis of typical vehicle performance tests ensuring an efficient and effective contribution to the vehicle design process.
- Understand the requirements of a project, develop work plans, and ensure all the deliverables are met at set deadlines and the project is kept on track from start to finish.
Actual teaching contact hours will vary depending on the level of study and the requirements of a particular semester.
In a typical week your contact hours will be divided amongst [personal tutorials and small group teaching]; medium group teaching (e.g. [seminars, tutorial sessions, lab sessions and workshops]); and large group teaching (lectures). The number of contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 14-16 contact hours per week in in all years.
In addition, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study each week, approximately 16-20 hours per week depending on the demands of individual modules.
The University is committed to providing a global educational experience. We aim to invite international guest speakers (subject to availability). A previous example includes a leading automotive engineering professor at Heilbronn University who gave students a presentation on the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) research and the motion platform driving simulator they have built at Heilbronn.
We also provide opportunities to participate in a number of field trips*, which in the past has included: test work at the GM proving ground; a tour of the Ford F150 factory in Detroit, USA; a tour of Hirata, a Japanese Tier 1 automotive supplier for Ford, Chrysler and GM; participation on a certificated training course with Altair on Inspire; and visits to Mahle Powertrain, the University of Michigan and Chrysler Building.
*Please note that we are unable to guarantee any trip, event, placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Global ready
Did you know we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, HESA?
In 2018/19, we were able to provide a total of 5,469 experiences abroad that lasted at least five days.
Much of this travel is made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which enables students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as strengthening and developing their broader personal and professional skills.
Explore our international experiences1st for
international experiences
Sending more students overseas than any other UK uni 2016/17
5,469
Student experiences
The number of student trips abroad for at least 5 days in 2018/19
12,000
and counting
The number of students we’ve helped travel internationally since 2016
12
global programmes
As well as trips, we offer other opportunities like language courses
What our students say
This course has given me a lot of opportunities due to the University’s connections with a wide range of well-known companies.
Entry Requirements
What our students say
This course has given me a lot of opportunities due to the University’s connections with a wide range of well-known companies.
Tuition Fees
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
For more information, please visit our Finance pages.
Course essentials at no extra cost
We're committed to communicating study costs clearly to make sure you're not faced with having to make any unexpected payments.
This is why our ‘Flying Start’ package provides you with a few course essentials. Your full-time fee for an undergraduate degree will cover the following:
UK field trips
Any mandatory site visits and trips within the United Kingdom.Key material
This can include core textbooks, software and equipment.Laser prints
1,000 A4 sides of black and white laser printing credits per year.Optional year
Pay no tuition fees for optional work placements or study abroad trips.This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to) travel, accommodation, activities and visas. This course may incur additional costs associated with any equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire. The following are additional costs not included in the fees:
- Any optional overseas field trips or visits
EU student fees
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.
For tuition fee loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
For maintenance loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
What our students say
This course has given me a lot of opportunities due to the University’s connections with a wide range of well-known companies.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
Fully accredited by the IMechE for 2020-21 entry, this course is as such recognised in industry, providing credibility of the technical standard of our successful graduates among employers.
Industry-related projects completed during your studies should give you a feel of what the demands and expectations will be in the workplace, as well as supporting you to practice and apply your skills to real engineering projects.
You should also gain practical, hands-on experience in preparing, running and analysing results from experimental testing and numerical analysis*. Past students have experienced projects with: Honda, in new product introduction; Aston Martin, in special vehicle projects data acquisition; NP Aerospace, working on the new range of military vehicles; Eaton Trucks, in gearbox design; McLaren Automotive, in software test and evaluation; BMW, in vehicle trim and materials; and Cummins Engines, on engine development and build.
Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and aim to give you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The university’s Talent Team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.
*Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
95%
of BEng students in work or doing further study within six months after finishing.
Discover Uni, 2020
Where our graduates work
Recent graduates have found graduate roles in companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Technologies and Mahle Powertrain.
£27K
Our graduates earn an average salary of £27,000 six months after the course (DLHE 2016/17)
What our students say
This course has given me a lot of opportunities due to the University’s connections with a wide range of well-known companies.
Disclaimer
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2020/21 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
