BEng (Hons) Automotive Performance Engineering (Motorsport)

Offering real-life experience of the motorsport industry, access to up-to-the minute, purpose-built workshops and laboratories, and passionate, experienced lecturers, our IMechE-accredited Automotive Performance Engineering (Motorsport) degree is for you if a career at the cutting-edge of automotive and motorsport engineering is your aim.

Automotive Performance Engineering (Motorsport)

Key information

Award:

BEng (Hons)

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

3 years

Location:

University of Bolton

UCAS points:

104

UCAS code:

779L

Start date:

23/09/2024

Course Details

The competitive nature of the motorsport industry drives engineers to innovate and develop novel ideas that power progress in the automotive industry. This exciting course aims to give you the theoretical, practical and hands-on knowledge and experience needed to overtake your competition in the field of motorsports engineering.

This multi-disciplinary course brings together engineering principles and theories with design know-how, manufacturing skill and real-life racing experience with our partner teams. Our aim is to equip you with automotive performance engineering and motorsport-specific knowledge. We offer understanding in areas such as data analysis, performance optimisation, aerodynamics, safety considerations, whole vehicle and part design, and manufacturing. We also want to help you develop industry-focused commercial awareness and parallel business and management skills.

Seminars delivered by motorsport and automotive performance engineering professionals, and the chance to work alongside them on live projects, help get your career on the starting grid. Examples of practical activities include using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate the aerodynamics of sports cars, testing parts using our impact and tensile test equipment, and working on actual motorsport projects.

If you don't have the appropriate qualifications to start this course, a four-year version that includes a foundation year is available.

Highlights
  • This degree is fully accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE) as meeting the academic requirements leading to Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.
  • We want to help you learn what it takes to run a race and championship-winning team on every level, from engineering cars to dealing with the challenges of a race meeting.
  • Our workshops and laboratories are designed so that you can develop your ideas from initial thought through to production and testing, mimicking the research and development process used in industry.
  • We offer exciting opportunities for you to work with motorsport and automotive industry experts so you can gain impressive experience that is highly valued by employers.
  • Based in the brand new, purpose built National Centre for Motorsport Engineering (NCME).
Key Features
  • The University of Bolton has a distinguished history in engineering.
  • The course focuses on helping you develop in-demand motorsport-specific and transferable skills that are designed to meet the needs of the motorsport and other high performance engineering-related industries.
  • We offer individual tutor support and a favourable staff:student ratio.
  • Our course aims to help you learn from top industry professionals, such as international racing teams and supercar manufacturers.
  • Hypothesis and experiment are key elements in your learning, and our laboratory facilities are designed and equipped so that you can gain experience in applying and testing engineering and scientific principles.
  • By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Professional recognition

Our BEng (Hons) Automotive Performance Engineering (Motorsport) degree is fully accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE) as meeting the academic requirements leading to Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. Please see the Engineering Council UK website for further details.


  • 104 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
  • Your Level 3 subjects must include a mathematics-based subject and a physics-based subject; for instance, A-level Mathematics and Physics or BTEC Extended Diploma in Engineering.
  • You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English, Mathematics and Science.
  • You’ll be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
  • If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.


This course focuses on developing the knowledge, skill, and experience necessary to design, develop and deliver advanced engineering solutions at the highest levels of the motorsport or automotive industries. In addition to technical knowledge, this programme offers you the opportunity to develop a range of key employability skills. These include using specialist knowledge creatively and innovatively to solve problems, producing and interpreting technical solutions, and explaining design ideas. You'll also learn to communicate effectively (via speech and writing) and possess good teamwork, project and time management, and strong decision-making skills.

What can I do with this qualification?

The UK competes on the world stage in motorsport and automotive engineering, and an exciting range of career opportunities are available. Careers in motorsport and automotive engineering are diverse, and employers range from race teams to manufacturers and suppliers. Fundamental engineering knowledge and related transferable skills are sought after by the global engineering industry, including aerospace, marine and rail companies.

Alternative career options

Graduates can also use the qualification to enter a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Some possibilities include:

  • Research and development
  • Design engineering
  • Test and development engineering
  • Manufacturing engineering
  • Operations management
  • Materials science
  • Project management
  • Quality management
  • Consultancy
  • Technical sales

Course fees
Home Fees Year of study Total
Entry year2024/252025/262026/272027/28
2024£9,250£9,250£9,250-£27,750
International Year of study Total
Entry year2024/252025/262026/272027/28
2024£15,950£15,950£15,950-£47,850

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-2025 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

For 2024-2025 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2024-2025 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.


For details of how to apply for this course, please choose your status from the options below:

If you wish to apply for multiple institutions or multiple courses at Bolton for September entry, then apply through UCAS

You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.

The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.

You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:

  • Institution Code Name: BOLTN

  • Institution Code Number: B44

UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com

If you wish to apply for a single course offered by the University of Bolton for any intake, you can apply directly

If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply directly to the University using our online application form shown below.

A direct application to Bolton provides the following features:

  • Free of charge to apply

  • Secure, simple and streamlined

  • Contact us directly for any admissions queries

  • Regular updates on your application directly from the University

  • Invites to offer holder events and taster sessions where you can meet your future tutors and get a flavour of university life

NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.

For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.

If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.

Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.

If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.

Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:

  • Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates

  • Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies

  • Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role

  • Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately

  • Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or UGadmissions@bolton.ac.uk

Thank you for your interest

In order to determine your suitability for this course as an international student and also to confirm you meet any initial eligibility criteria, we need you to answer a few short questions.

Continue

University of Bolton Group Partners

Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton

For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.

If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply free of charge to the University. By selecting the appropriate link from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.

When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.

NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.

For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.

If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.

Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.

If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.

Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:

  • Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates

  • Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies

  • Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role

  • Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately

  • Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or UGadmissions@bolton.ac.uk

We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!


We use a variety of teaching, learning and assessment methods to help you to achieve your potential. Formal timetabled sessions, such as lectures, seminars and tutorials, offer you knowledge of the concepts and principles essential in engineering. You are then expected to build on these in your own time through extra reading, revision and reflection on what you have learned.

Open-ended projects and design, make and test activities give you the chance to apply the principles you’ve learned, bringing the concepts and practical applications together in your mind. Opportunities to work with racing team staff on real-life projects and at race meetings also help you hone your new skills and develop your ability to apply your engineering knowledge and creativity.

Regular assessments, including written exams, coursework and practical exams, and feedback from these, will help you to identify areas for improvement.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

  • Thermofluids
  • Vehicle Engineering Applications
  • Materials
  • Engineering Science
  • Graphical Communications and Computer Modelling
  • Engineering Mathematics
  • Vehicle Performance
  • Vehicle Dynamics and Data Engineering
  • Team Project
  • Design for Manufacturing
  • Engineering Science II
  • Engineering Mathematics II
  • Advanced Engineering Analysis
  • Advanced Vehicle Systems
  • Individual Project
  • Racecar Design Project
  • Engineering Management
Assessment methods
LevelAssesment method
Level oneCoursework 75%, Practical exams 8%, Written exams 17%
Level twoCoursework 70%, Practical exams 15%, Written exams 15%
Level threeCoursework 67%, Practical exams 25%, Written exams 8%
Learning activities
LevelLearning activity
Level oneGuided independent study 67%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 33%
Level twoGuided independent study 70%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 30%
Level threeGuided independent study 70%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 30%

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.

The academic staff detailed above teach across a range of courses in this subject area and may not teach on this course specifically.

Programme Contacts

Stuart Donohoe
Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer

S.Donohoe@bolton.ac.uk

+44 (0)1204 903251

Enquiry Team
University of Bolton

enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

+44 (0)1204 903903

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We have the answers to your questions, find all the advice and support in one place.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

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