The published course and module descriptions were accurate when first published and remain the basis of the course, but the University has had to modify some course and module content in response to government restrictions and social distancing requirements. In the event of changes made to the government advice and social distancing rules by national or local government, the University may need to make further alterations to the published course content. Detailed information on the changes will be sent to every student on confirmation in August to ensure you have all the information before you come to Oxford Brookes.
Racing Engine Systems
MSc
Key facts
Start dates
September 2021 / September 2022
Location
Course length
Full time: 12 months
Part time: 24 months
Accreditation(s)
This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer. This course is also accredited by The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
Overview
Our MSc in Racing Engine Systems is the only programme of its kind in the world. We have developed the course with the needs and requirements of race engine manufacturers in mind.
Our course will prepare you for advanced design roles with major engine manufacturers and their supply chain. You'll study strong theory-based modules. And gain a comprehensive understanding of how winning engines are created.
Many of the world's most advanced high-performance engines are designed in the UK motorsport valley, close to our location. Our unrivalled access to motorsport industry informs and directs development and delivery of the programme.
Our teaching is centred around our state-of-the-art laboratories in a purpose-designed engineering building.
Our course will help you to become a highly-skilled graduate. Many of our graduates find work with high-performance engine manufacturers, such as:
- Ferrari
- Mercedes HPP
- F1 teams
- Riccardo
- Xtrac
- Prodrive
- Hewland.

How to apply
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
You should normally hold a first degree, equivalent to at least a British lower second-class bachelor's degree, in mechanical, automotive or motorsport engineering or a related discipline. Applicants with relevant professional experience will also be considered.
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
If your first language is not English you will require a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 6.0 in all components.
OR
An equivalent English language qualification acceptable to the University.
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.
Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.
If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Application process
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year your fees will increase each year.
Financial support and scholarships
The School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics awards a limited number of scholarships and bursaries for its taught postgraduate programmes, which are awarded on a competitive basis to UK, EU and international postgraduates each year. Please visit this page for more information.
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course, if any, are detailed below.
Learning and assessment
The course is structured around three time periods:
- Semester 1 runs from September to December
- Semester 2 from January to May
- the summer period completes the year until the beginning of September.
To qualify for a master's degree you must pass 180 module credits, including the dissertaion.

Study modules
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from that shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Learning and teaching
Teaching methods include:
- lectures and seminars to provide a sound theoretical base
- practical work to demonstrate important aspects of theory or systems operation.
We also invite visiting speakers from business and motorsport industry to provide valuable insights to your learning.
Research
The emphasis in our research groups is producing high-quality research for the real world. Our industry focused research includes an award-winning project with Yasa Motors and BMWi development.
Staff have close links with industry through research projects and consultancies. You can find out more on our department research pages.
The results of the most recent REF (2014) exercise showed that 96% of research in the department is internationally recognised, and 57% was judged to be of world leading quality or internationally excellent. More specifically, 50% of the impact case studies returned were judged to be internationally excellent, and 72% of the research outputs were judged to be internationally excellent or world leading.
After you graduate
Career prospects
Our graduates enjoy the very best employment opportunities, with hundreds of engineering students having gone onto successful careers in their chosen industry. Many of our students go on to work with leading motorsport companies, including directly into F1 teams and suppliers.
Students are also able to make full use of the University careers support system.
Student profiles
Programme Changes: On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website.
For more information, please visit our Changes to programmes page.