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Automotive Engineering with Electric Vehicles

BEng (Hons) or MEng

UCAS code: H330 BEng,H341 MEng

Start dates: September 2023 / September 2024

Full time: BEng: 3 years, or 4 years sandwich; MEng: 4 years, or 5 years sandwich

Part time: BEng: up to 8 years; MEng: up to 9 years

Location: Wheatley

Department(s): School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Overview

At Oxford Brookes you won’t just learn practical mechanical skills. You’ll develop your design engineering expertise and think about what the vehicles of the future will look like.

Our automotive engineering degree combines theory with hands-on experience, and prepares you for a career in engineering. Looking at the future of the automotive industry, we’ll help you safeguard your own future within it.

You’ll have full access to our automotive labs. These double as your research and learning spaces where you will discover how to design and work with electric vehicles. Facilities include our four post rig, High Voltage Energy Storage Lab and driving simulator.

There are 2 routes you can take on this course: BEng and MEng qualifications that you can easily transfer between right up to your third year. Both lead to professional accreditation and will support your future job prospects.

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Why Oxford Brookes University?

  • Be part of a community

    Join the UK’s most successful Formula Student team, Oxford Brookes Racing, and design, build and race vehicles with students who share your passion.

  • Paid work placement

    Gain industry experience that will boost your future job prospects, and earn as you learn on an accredited Monitored Professional Development Scheme (MPDS) through the IMechE.

  • Learn from the best

    You will be taught by current and former industry professionals with active research and/or consulting experience in the automotive industry.

  • Flexibility

    You can change between engineering courses at the end of year 1 if you decide that another course is a better fit and again at the end of your second year, if you choose Motorsport Engineering.

  • A focus on careers

    Hear from prospective employers, of which many are Oxford Brookes alumni; in our Industrial Lecture Series and get a sense of your potential career options.

  • Free language courses

    Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

  • Study Abroad

    You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most exchanges take place in the second year. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.

  • Accreditation(s)

    The BEng is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer and partly meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer. The MEng is accredited by IET for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Both pathways are also accredited by The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

    • Engineering Council
    • Institution of Engineering and Technology
    • Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Course Details

Course Structure

In year 1 your 'Integrated Curriculum' means you work in collaboration with other engineering students to draw, assemble and test your own Stirling Engine and then market your product in a global online marketplace.

You will develop your analytical skills even further in year 2, studying modules including Engineering Thermo-Fluids and Mathematics and Modelling. More group design tasks will sharpen your team working skills, and you will learn how to use engineering analysis software.

You can go on a paid work placement before year 3, and apply everything you learn here to your third year projects and show off your new knowledge on your CV. Students have previously taken placements at companies including Aston Martin, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover.

Students observing

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods include: 

  • seminars
  • lectures
  • practical work in the laboratory
  • work in a computer lab
  • workshops. 

Information technology is very important in modern engineering practice. In several modules almost all of the teaching is based around computers.

Assessment

All modules use a mix of examination and coursework for assessment.

Coursework assessment methods vary, but can include the following:

  • oral examinations
  • group presentations
  • design or laboratory reports
  • technical reviews
  • poster presentations.

Study modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Engineering Mathematics and Modelling I (double) (30 credits)

Introduction to Thermo Fluids (15 credits)

Design and Practice I (double) (30 credits)

Introduction to Materials (15 credits)

Introduction to Stress Analysis (15 credits)

Introduction to Statics and Dynamics (15 credits)

Year 2

Compulsory modules

Engineering Thermo-Fluids (15 credits)

Design and Practice II (double) (15 credits)

Materials Engineering (15 credits)

Stress Analysis and Dynamics (double) (30 credits)

Engineering Mathematics and Modelling II (15 credits)

Optional modules

Independent Study in Mechanical/Automotive/Motorsport Engineering (15 credits)

Control Technology (15 credits)

Professional Placement

Year 3 (optional placement year)

Optional modules

Optional work placement year

We have placement opportunities with local, national and international Engineering companies. These are advertised through our placement office and support and guidance in applying for placements is provided. You will be encouraged to undertake a work placement for one year between the second and final years of your course. Placements are highly valued by prospective employers, as they recognise the benefits of obtaining industrial experience. The placement helps with consolidating their understanding of mechanical engineering in general and having the opportunity to apply their knowledge in an industrial environment. Past industrial placements have been undertaken at: Rolls Royce; BMW; Nissan Vauxhall; Ford; Mercedes AMG HPP; Nitron Racing Systems; AP Racing Ltd; X-Trac Ltd. We have an excellent record of students gaining full-time employment on graduation with their industrial placement-year company.

Year 4 (or year 3 if no placement)

Compulsory modules

Advanced Dynamics and NVH (15 credits)

Engineering Project (30 credits)

Management, Ethics, Energy and Sustainability (30 credits)

Automotive Engines (15 credits)

Vehicle Crash Design (15 credits)

Vehicle Dynamics (15 credits)

Year 5 (MEng)

Compulsory modules

Group Design Project (40 credits)

Advanced Vehicle Aerodynamics (20 credits)

Engineering Business Management (20 credits)

Advanced Powertrain Engineering (20 credits)

Electric Vehicles (20 credits)

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.

Careers

This course is your chance to join the IMechE Monitored Professional Development Scheme. Both the BEng and MEng routes lead to professional recognition. The course is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering Technology (IET).

Completing the BEng meets the academic requirements for becoming an Incorporated Engineer, and partly meets the academic requirements for becoming a Chartered Engineer. Completing the MEng fully meets the academic requirements for Chartered Engineer status.

Our graduates go on to have highly successful careers in the automotive industry. They work for companies including Mercedes HPP supporting development of Mercedes Formula E team and Williams Advanced engineering, supporting Jaguar Formula E team.

Additionally, you can study automotive engineering or other engineering subjects at postgraduate level. The BEng degree allows you to progress to a specialist engineering field at master’s level. The MEng route can take you to PhD studies.

Our Staff

Miguel Fernandes Ferreira

Read more about Miguel

Entry requirements

Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.

Standard offer

UCAS Tariff Points: 112 - 120

A Level: BBB - BBC or equivalent

IB Points: 30 - 31

BTEC: DDM - DMM

Contextual offer

UCAS Tariff Points:

A Level:

IB Points:

BTEC:

Further offer details

A levels: tariff points must include A level Grade B in Maths and Grade B in Physics, Chemistry, Electronics, Engineering or suitable science.  

BEng contextual offer points must include C in Maths and C in Physics, Chemistry, Electronics, Engineering or another science.  MEng contextual offer points must include B in Maths and C in Physics, Chemistry, Electronics, Engineering or suitable science

IB Diploma: tariff points to include minimum grade 5 in Higher Level Maths and Physics

BEng contextual offer points must include 4 in HL Maths and Physics.  MEng contextual offer points must include 5 in HL Maths and 4 in HL Physics

BTEC: tariff points must include BTEC Extended Diploma in an engineering subject, plus a distinction in the Further Mathematics module.

BEng and MEng contextual offer points must include distinction in Further Maths.

We welcome applications from candidates with equivalent alternative qualifications, and from mature students

International qualifications and equivalences

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
Home (UK) full time
£9,250

Home (UK) part time
£1,155 per single module

Home (UK) sandwich (placement)
£1,500

International full time
£15,500

International sandwich (placement)
£1,500

Home (UK) full time
£9,250

Home (UK) part time
£1,155 per single module

Home (UK) sandwich (placement)
£1,500

International full time
£16,100

International sandwich (placement)
£1,500

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

Tuition fees

2022 / 23
Home (UK) full time
£9,250

Home (UK) part time
£1,155 per single module

Home (UK) sandwich (placement)
£1,500

International full time
£15,500

International sandwich (placement)
£1,500

2023 / 24
Home (UK) full time
£9,250

Home (UK) part time
£1,155 per single module

Home (UK) sandwich (placement)
£1,500

International full time
£16,100

International sandwich (placement)
£1,500

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 483088

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Please note tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.

Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.

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 are detailed below.

Information from Discover Uni

Full-time study

Part-time study

Full-time study

Part-time study

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.