Automotive and Transport Design BA (Hons)
Study level: Undergraduate
This course offers you the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge that will enable you to create innovative and visionary concept designs for all forms of transport.
Year of entry
Location
Coventry University (Coventry)
Study mode
Full-time
Sandwich
Duration
3 years full-time
4 years sandwich
Course code
WHG3
Start date
September 2023
January 2024
Course overview
Shaped by its stakeholders: students, staff and industry collaborators, the course is closely aligned to the automotive and transport industry. Constant updates ensure its graduates are future focused and ready to contribute meaningfully to their chosen industry.
- Our aims are to link your passions and skillsets with your career aims, to enable and equip you with the attributes necessary to surpass your own expectations.
- Within our industry the opportunities for specialising are increasing rapidly, therefore employability plays an important part in defining our course content and practices.
- Our teaching and learning, influenced by industry practices, as well as research, are very much collaborative.

Joint Top Modern University for Career Prospects
Guardian University Guide 2021 and 2022
5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities
QS Stars University Ratings
Top 5 UK Student City (Coventry)
QS Best Student Cities Index 2023Why you should study this course
- This course aims to develop your understanding of the latest developments, drivers, and practices of the automotive, transport and mobility designer beyond merely illustration and styling.
- You can learn 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. Design realisation is supported by generous making spaces and technology so that you can create physical, or digital, models of your designs.
- The learning environment is international with students typically coming from many parts of the world working together on global design solutions. We offer exciting international opportunities and project work collaborations2.
- The opportunity to extend your degree with our study abroad scheme2. Previous students have had the opportunity to experience and learn in China, India, the USA, and Colombia.
- We have a very large alumni who take a great interest in active students and who offer opportunities in the form of teaching, collaborative industry projects, internships, and graduate employment2.
Collaborations
- Nanjing University of Science of Technology, (NJUST), China
The course helped me learn a variety of skills, from manual to digital, as well as soft skills (such as working with and organising a team). Over the two years that I have been enrolled, I have developed both as a person and a professional and feel like I am being well prepared to work in the industry upon my graduation. Being a student ambassador for FAH, I also get the opportunity to interact with a greater variety of lecturers from different backgrounds and experiences, which is always beneficial for getting various perspectives.

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What you'll study
This course has a common first year.
The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.
If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).
Common first year courses
- Automotive and Transport Design (BA Hons)
- Graphic Design (BA Hons)
- Product Design (BA Hons)
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.
How you'll learn
The School of Art and Design’s teaching and learning mirrors the needs of the creative industries with the aim of ensuring that our graduates are equipped with the skills and attributes to become Industry specialists, leaders, and innovators to drive social responsibility and design global change.
The Creative Industries’ ability to be entrepreneurial, innovative and embrace change underpins our Art and Design courses. Our studio and workshop culture ensures you are socially responsible in our creative community and develop critical thinking in research and ‘make’ processes. Our global initiatives will give you skills to become collaborative communicators and make you culturally competent in the ever-changing world of art or design.
As the creative arena is an ever-evolving space, being curious and adaptable learners is key to our school’s graduate. You will learn how to recognise your strengths and learning needs, how to self-reflect and grow, and you will identify your personal development and drive your projects for ambitious career aspirations.
Methods of study include:
- workshops, demonstrations, seminars, and lectures
- seminar, critiques and tutorials, feedback, and peer to peer sessions
- studio practice and bookable workshop access
Teaching contact hours
You will typically have 15 to 18 hours per week in your first year, 12 to 15 hours in your second year, and 9 to 12 hours in your final year. The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online activities.
Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study each week of approximately 15 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.
We understand that everyone learns differently, so we’ll look to manage your learning journey to match your strengths and aspirations. Your learning experience on each of our courses will consist of structured teaching sessions, which can include:
- On campus lectures, seminars and workshops
- Group work
- Self-directed learning
- Work placement opportunities2.
If you would like more information, you can request information about teaching hours.
Part of university life is undertaking self-directed learning. During a typical week you will have time that allows you to work independently to apply the skills and knowledge you have learnt in taught or facilitated sessions to your projects or assignment briefs. This self-directed learning allows you to use your research skills, consolidate your knowledge or undertake collaborative group work.
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.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2023/2024 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.
Assessment
Your learning journey will be wide-ranging, developing your work to have integrity, resilience and be authentic in its production and delivery. The learning that you will undertake includes sessions that are led by staff, group projects, guided learning and directed skill sessions.
You will be assessed using a variety of methods which could vary depending upon the module. In the School of Art and Design we design our assessment methods to replicate the creative industries’ ways of working. This ensures that you have the chance to learn skills for future career opportunities.
Assessment methods include:
- Group work
- Presentations
- Reports
- Projects
- Practical Coursework
- Digital Coursework
- Individual Assignments
- Live presentations
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.
International experience opportunities
There may be opportunities to engage in international collaborative projects with students on similar courses globally.
We run Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects with participating institutions, that are very popular with the participating students2. They offer great opportunities for gaining insights into international approaches to design and to network.
You may also obtain international professional experience if you decide to undertake an optional placement year2.
It is great to see new students start the course with tremendous raw passion and watch their journey of discovery as they progress through the course. They work hard at developing their skillsets, their knowledge of design and the automotive and transport design industry. It is then very gratifying to see them graduate and find work in their chosen field of expertise.
The icing on the cake is when they return as professionals offering opportunities to students following in their footsteps.

Entry requirements
Haven't met the entry requirements or don’t have the right qualifications? You may still be able to progress onto a degree you’d love by studying a foundation course.
View our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.
Typical offer for 2023/24 entry.
Fees and funding
2023/24 tuition fees.
Student | Full-time | Part-time |
---|---|---|
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man | £9,250 per year | Not available |
EU | £9,250 per year with EU support bursary** £19,850 per year without EU support bursary** |
Not available |
International | £19,850 per year | Not available |
If you choose to do a work placement2, you should consider travel and living costs to cover this. There is also a tuition fee3 of £1,250 that will cover your academic support throughout your placement year.
For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.
We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.
Tuition fees 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. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.
The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:
- Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
- Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad)
*Irish student 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.
**EU support bursary
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.
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How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.
If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.
Facilities
We have generous studio and making spaces4. Our studio environment allows you to experience working practices that are typical in industry, and our workshops are equipped so that you can use a large variety of different materials and processes to make physical models.
For digital work we have PC labs equipped with high performance machines that can handle digital modelmaking, visualisation and animation. We make sure we have the latest industry compatible software packages.
- Immersive studios provide VR and mixed-reality technologies.
- Workshops: state of the art robotic milling, rapid prototyping, desktop CNC milling, 3D printing, digital scanners, large block material workshops, large scale painting facilities, hack spaces and manual workshops.
- Specialist design studios: with presentation, VR, pin-up spaces, small group break out areas, Wi-Fi throughout, a dedicated print bureau for 2D outputs up to A0 size, and art supplies shops.
- Clay studios: automotive clay is a valuable method to build scale models and evaluate forms. This iterative process is still an effective means to evolve complex automotive surfaces and shapes.
Careers and opportunities
Employability is a major strength of the course. The curriculum embeds industry interactions (such as short work experience, client projects, industry-aligned/inspired briefs) to offer the best preparation possible to help students to obtain graduate employment and achieve their career aspirations2.
Students graduating from this course have traditionally enjoyed good employment in a range of design specific roles and this course allows students to change direction during their studies. This is important to a rapidly changing automotive and transport design environment, and the roles and transferable skills inherent in the professions and associated enterprises (e.g., start-up businesses, consultancy, and research). This further improves student chances of focused graduate employment.
The course has been designed to respond in an agile way to feedback and interaction with our contacts and industrial collaborators.
Career opportunities in automotive and transport design are vast and varied. You could start your own business, become a design consultant, modeller, illustrator, CAD professional, design manager or marketing professional. Graduates have found opportunities in automotive exterior and interior design, lighting systems design, clay and ‘hard’ modelling, digital modelling and surfacing, 3D visualisation and animation, colour and materials design, user interface design, lifestyle products and design research.
Career-focused activities are embedded in the curriculum and delivered in close partnership with the Talent Team. The Talent Team work closely with the course to offer CV and portfolio guidance, professional practice internship support, employability support and graduate support, and a comprehensive range of workshops2.
Where our graduates work
- Jaguar Land Rover Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
- Changan Automobile
- Winch Yachts EAV ARC Vehicles Arrival Drive Design
- Bellwether Industries
- TCY Design
- AVANT Design
- Overfinch
- Codemasters Software Company
Further study
You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study.
When I got into the ATD course I had a very clear vision of what I’d like to achieve and become. But the course gave me a wider perspective of professional world and it opened doors to many other fields. Due to university connections with industry, in my third year I got a placement in Toyota Lexus at French Riviera and in my final year I was offered an internship as a Colour and Materials Designer at Jaguar Land Rover. Tutors were extremely supportive throughout the four years. I am very grateful to them for guiding me and mentoring.

How to apply
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UK students
Full-time students applying to start in September 2023 can apply for this course through UCAS from 6 September 2022. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.
Part-time students should apply directly to the university.
If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.
Chat with our admissions team
Complete our contact form
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International students
International codes:
AHU088Full-time students applying to start in September 2023 should apply directly to the university.
How to applyFor further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.
You can also download our International guide which contains lots of useful information about our courses, accommodation and tips for travel.
Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.
Chat with our admissions team
Complete our contact form
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Disclaimers
Coventry University together with Coventry University London Campus, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the “University”) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.
1Accreditations
The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.
2UK and international opportunities
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or International opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.
3Tuition fees
The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University 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.
For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.
4Facilities
Due 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.
Student Contract
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 2023/24 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.
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