Help drive the development of a new generation of sustainable and electric vehicles in the unique surroundings of our National Centre for Motorsport Engineering. You'll be working with an expert team who'll guide you on your path to becoming a highly skilled, multi-disciplined engineer.

Key information

Award:

BEng (Hons)

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

4 years

Location:

University of Bolton

UCAS code:

H388

Start date:

To be confirmed

Course Details

Become part of a select group of future engineers working at state-of-the-art facilities as you gain the knowledge and experience needed to enter this exciting, fast-moving, and essential industry.

Creating, assessing, and supporting the development of more sustainable, environmentally friendly vehicles requires engineers to work across both mechanical and electric systems. Until now, only a postgraduate education could provide this combination of automotive expertise. The University of Bolton's new BEng (Hons) in Sustainable and Electric Vehicle Engineering with industrial placement year is the first undergraduate degree that delivers the multi-disciplinary approach required by the automotive industry.

You'll get up close and personal with advanced manufacturing technologies at an unrivalled £13 million development housing the latest equipment and technology: including a wind tunnel, cutting-edge workshops, and manufacturing areas. You'll be guided by industry experts and passionate tutors as you work towards creating a new generation of vehicles with a social, economic and environmental impact. You'll also have opportunities to work on live projects, supporting your learning experience.

This is a career-focused programme appropriate for those working towards professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). With a clear focus on the skills and knowledge the industry needs, our dedicated and knowledgeable team will build your understanding of the key areas necessary to stand out to employers.

The University will offer lots of support to help you find a placement with a relevant company in preparation for your year in industry (the industrial placement takes place between the second and final years of your course). Through our relationships with employers, we'll share placement adverts as they become available, and you can also seek your own placement. Our placement team will help with applications and interview skills. Your placement does not have to be in the Bolton area – it could be elsewhere in the UK. Completing a year in industry will give you invaluable skills and experience that will help you in your final year of study with us and boost your CV to help you find an enhanced career afterwards. If you're unsuccessful in securing a placement, you'll be able to transfer directly to the final year of study and complete your degree in three years.

Highlights

You'll study and learn at the National Centre for Motorsport Engineering (NCME) at the University of Bolton; our purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility.
You'll have access to industry-standard computer-aided design and analysis software, as well as to our fully equipped vehicle workshops and our composite, machining, fabrication and additive manufacturing facilities.
We have strong links with the industry through our industry partnerships and our Industry Advisory Board, ensuring that our programme is always driven by employers' current and future needs.
Our academic and technical staff have decades of industrial experience in the automotive, motorsport, aerospace, and electronics industries.
Completing a placement year in the industry will give you experience and skills that are highly relevant for your future career and should significantly enhance your employability.
Our programme is designed to fully meet the academic requirements for professional registration to Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and to partially meet the requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng). CEng status can be met by an accredited period of further study at the master's level. We will be seeking accreditation from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and/or the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Key Features

By studying alongside students and professionals from other engineering specialisms, you can benefit from a wider range of knowledge and experience that supports cross-disciplinary thinking.
Our course aims to help you learn from top industry professionals, such as international racing teams and supercar manufacturers.
This course is based at the University of Bolton's National Centre for Motorsport Engineering in the Northwest of England.
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.
Course materials are available online in our virtual learning environment (VLE), allowing you to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
Our teaching and learning approach is always student-centred, so we'll work with you individually, providing tailored help and support throughout your studies.
By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Nearby Manchester is one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, and the Northwest of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline, and heritage.

Professional recognition

The University of Bolton's BEng (Hons) Sustainable and Electric Vehicle Engineering with industrial placement programme uses the Engineering Council UK-SPEC learning outcomes. It is designed to partially meet the academic requirements for professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). Please see the Engineering Council UK website for further details of UK-SPEC.

We will be seeking accreditation of the BEng (Hons) Sustainable and Electric Vehicle Engineering with industrial placement programme for partial Chartered Engineer (CEng) status and full status for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and/or the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Your Level 3 subjects must include mathematics, physics or engineering; for instance, A-level Mathematics or Physics, BTEC Extended Diploma in Engineering, or one of the Engineering and Manufacturing T Level routes (the T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing; the T Level in Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control; or the T Level in Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing.)
You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent) including English, Mathematics and Science.
We'll be happy to consider your application if you have non-traditional entry qualifications and relevant experience or a suitable portfolio of work that we deem a reasonable substitute for the qualifications we typically accept for this course. If you have an HND/C in an appropriate engineering discipline, then we'll consider you for entry to level HE5 of this programme, depending on the subject area of qualification and the level of maths and science that you have achieved. You may be asked to undertake additional assessment(s) to determine your suitability for the course.
You may 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.

The UK government has set a deadline of 2030 for removing petrol and diesel-fuelled vehicles from sale. In embracing this change, the automobile industry has ambitious plans to meet and exceed this target. More than ever, people are concerned about the environmental impact of vehicles and are looking for more sustainable forms of transport. This all means that the career prospects for suitably qualified engineering professionals are excellent. The University of Bolton's BEng (Hons) in Sustainable and Electric Vehicle Engineering offers you the multi-disciplinary skills and knowledge needed to secure your future in this rapidly evolving industry.

As a graduate of this course, you'll be able to apply engineering principles and technologies drawn from across the fields of electrical, electronic, mechanical and automobile engineering to the development and manufacture of sustainable and electric vehicles. You'll be ready to enter automotive industry roles requiring specialist knowledge of electric vehicles or associated technologies. In addition to developing your technical expertise and experience, this programme will give you greater confidence in your transferable and personal skills. You'll gain a broad skill set, including excellent communication abilities, spatial and three-dimensional conceptual awareness, commercial awareness, attention to detail, the ability to work under pressure, and excellent problem-solving capabilities.

What can I do with this qualification?

As a graduate of this course, you'll be fully prepared to enter the sustainable and electric vehicle industry in the area you choose. That could be research and development, design, integration, testing and development or manufacturing. Careers in sustainable and electric vehicle engineering are diverse, and employers range from manufacturers to supply chain businesses and even racing teams. The global engineering industry, including automotive, aerospace, marine and rail companies, seeks professionals with the fundamental engineering knowledge and related transferable skills offered by this degree.

For those aiming to achieve Chartered Engineer (CEng) status, this programme is designed to partially meet the academic requirements for professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

You may also progress to a master's or doctoral degree specialising in automobile engineering or engineering management. Studying for an accredited postgraduate degree will support your progression toward CEng status.

Alternative career options

Graduates can use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers, bearing in mind that relevant experience and/or further study may be required. Some of these roles 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

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.

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:

We use the most appropriate teaching, learning and assessment methods to help you achieve your potential. Formally timetabled sessions, such as lectures, seminars, and tutorials, offer you knowledge of the concepts and principles essential in engineering. You'll be expected to build on these in your own time through extra reading, revision and reflection on what you've learned.

Open-ended projects and "design, make, and test" activities allow you to apply the principles you have learned, bringing the concepts and practical applications together in your mind. Opportunities to work with employers on real-life projects also help you hone your new skills and develop the ability to apply your engineering knowledge and creativity.

While you're away from the University on your industrial placement, our academic team will contact you during the year to check that everything is going well.

Regular assessments, including written exams, coursework and practical exams, and feedback from these, will help you to identify areas for improvement. You'll also be required to develop and maintain an electronic personal development plan, which will form the basis of your professional development plan – needed when you apply for membership with associated professional bodies.

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.

Engineering Analysis 1
Computer Aided Engineering 1
Manufacturing 1
Vehicle Anatomy
Engineering Analysis 2
Computer Aided Engineering 2
Manufacturing 2
Group Project
Industrial Placement
Future Propulsion
Engineering Analysis 3
Advanced Project
Major Project

Assessment methods

Level	Assesment method
Level one	Coursework 87%, Written exams 13%
Level two	Coursework 74%, Practical exams 13%, Written exams 13%
Level three	Coursework 33%, Practical exams 45%, Written exams 22%

Learning activities

Level	Learning activity
Level one	Scheduled learning and teaching activities 100%
Level two	Guided independent study 25%, Placement/study abroad 100%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 75%
Level three	Guided independent study 66%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 34%

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.