Automotive Engineering BEng(Hons) (with integrated foundation year)

Course in brief

Brighton has some of the longest-running and most successful engineering foundation courses in the UK.

This course, which includes an integrated foundation year, is ideal if you don't have scientific A-levels or alternative qualifications, are changing career, or missed out on the grades required for direct entry. You will complete the foundation year before progressing to the full degree course.

The course provides you with a broad and thorough grounding in mechanical engineering, with the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge in automotive engineering.

The University of Brighton has an international reputation for automotive engine research and our staff have long-standing industrial links with companies at the forefront of engine technology innovation.

This course is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) as partially meeting the educational requirements for chartered engineer status. To fully satisfy the educational needs for chartered status, you will need to also complete a relevant accredited masters programme.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

UCAS code H331

Full-time 4 years
With placement year 5 years

Accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)

Clearing 2017

Places are available on this course for UK, other EU and international students.

Read our Clearing guide

Applying for 2018: read our guide

Entry requirements

UCAS tariff
72 UCAS tariff points with maths and physics at A or AS–level otherwise 96 points. General Studies excluded.

BTEC
MMP/DM.

International Baccalaureate
24 points, specified subjects; certificates considered.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least five subjects including maths and a physical science. Mature students without these qualifications but with relevant industrial experience may be considered. EU students must have IELTS 5.0 plus UK AS-level equivalent qualifications including maths and physics.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.0 overall, with 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in the other elements.

International equivalencies

International equivalencies by country

Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language institute

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For academic preparation courses.

Course in detail

Course structure

During your foundation year lectures, laboratory classes, tutorials and seminars provide a varied learning environment.

In Year 1 of the full degree course, you will benefit from a broad introduction to mechanical engineering. You will also will apply topics including mathematics, conceptual design, manufacturing and automotive systems to a design project.

You will subsequently study subjects directly related to automotive engineering and, in your final year, have the opportunity to specialise in the areas of the course that interest you the most.

Students who achieve the required standard in the second year may choose to progress to the third year of the MEng programme.

Second year students put learning into practice with the Robot Wars project.

Foundation year

The foundation year runs in two parallel streams – a home stream and an EU stream. The home stream is for UK home students but may also include those from outside the UK who require no English language support. The second stream is for EU students who need to improve their English language skills in addition to their academic qualifications.

International students who require a foundation program and English language support should contact the University of Brighton's International College

On successful completion of the foundation year, students will transfer to the Automotive Engineering BEng(Hons) course.

Home stream

Core Mathematics
Core Science
Engineering Mathematics
Engineering Science
Mechanics and Geometry

EU stream

English for General Academic Purposes
Core Mathematics
Geometry
Core Science
Communication Skills
Design Studies
Engineering Mathematics
Engineering Science
Engineering Mechanics

Year 1

In year one of the full degree course, you will apply topics including mathematics, conceptual design, manufacturing and automotive systems to a design project.

Project-based work brings students together to work in small groups and develops not only your engineering ability but also your team working, communication and graphics skills.

Modules

Design and Applications Project (EA1)
Aircraft and Automotive Systems
Computer-aided Engineering and Design
Materials and Manufacture
Mathematics
Engineering Concepts

Year 2

In Year 2, you will build on the knowledge and skills you have developed in Year 1.

Modules

Fluid Dynamics
Thermodynamics
Materials
Manufacturing Engineering
Computer-aided Engineering
Dynamics
Automotive Instrumentation and Testing
Mathematics and Control
Engineering Design, Innovation and Management

Placement year

You have the option to spend a year in industry or study abroad for a year.

The placement year will significantly enhance your CV and boost your employability. You will be able to use your newly acquired skills in the workplace on real projects and situations – and you might use this experience to inform your final year project/dissertation. Work experience enables you to build contacts in the industry before you finish studying. Some of our graduates even come back to the university with a job offer for after they graduate.

Spending a year abroad will broaden your horizons, enabling you to examine aeronautical engineering from a different viewpoint and to experience a different university culture. You may improve your foreign language skills, and widen your studies by exploring different subjects.

Rolls Royce automotive production line in factory

Final year

In your final year you will be given more flexibility and asked to pick two out of three option modules.

You will also embark on a major individual project which is often supported by industry.

Modules

Advanced Fluid Mechanics and Applicatins in Auomotive Engineering
Control Systems for Automotive Applications
Automotive Powertrain and Sensor Technology
Vehicle Design and Management Project
Project

Options

Sandwich Placement

Careers and employability

This degree is very popular in industry and consequently our graduates have a good employment record.

In a world where experience is increasingly sought after by employers, the placement year puts you at a significant advantage when approaching the job market.

The University of Brighton has an international reputation for automotive engine research and our staff have long standing industrial links with companies at the forefront of engine technology innovation.

After satisfactory completion of their undergraduate study, some graduates choose to go on to further study or research at MSc or PhD level.

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 13,920 GBP

If you choose to take the professional placement (sandwich) year offered on this course you will pay a reduced fee during this year. Our fee for the professional placement year is £1,000 for home students and £2,000 for international students. This fee may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2017–18. Tuition fees are payable for each year that you study with us.

Where UK/EU students are subject to regulated fees, the annual fee increase cannot exceed the UK government’s maximum regulated tuition fee limit set for the relevant year. For all other students, ie those not subject to regulated fees, tuition fees are subject to a maximum annual increase of the higher of 5% or RPI.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Brighton

Forward-thinking and welcoming, the city of Brighton & Hove is a community of creative and diverse people who share values like sustainability and inclusivity – just like its university.

Miles of pebble beaches, hundreds of bars, restaurants and clubs, a packed calendar of culture, music and sport and great independent and high street shopping attract visitors from all over the world. By the end of your course you’ll still be finding new things to enjoy about the city.

The Brighton Festival, England’s largest arts festival, takes place every May – as does the Great Escape Europe’s leading industry showcase for new music, 300 bands perform over three days at venues across the city. Major events celebrate Pride, digital culture, cinema, photography, food and the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate show is a highlight, turning the university into the largest exhibition space in the south east as we celebrate the outstanding creativity of our students.

As a student here you’ll have a unique opportunity to experience what the city has to offer. Volunteering and placement opportunities enable you to play your part in the events, organisations and communities that make Brighton such a compelling place to be.

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Just two miles north of Brighton city centre and the seafront, Moulsecoomb is the largest of our five campuses with more than 8,000 students. A wide variety of subjects are taught here, from engineering and product design to business and law.

Students benefit from many professional-standard facilities, including a flight simulator, design and digital media suites, and specialist research laboratories. The campus library, Aldrich, offers long opening hours and a diverse collection of books and journals for students from all subject areas.

Sports enthusiasts will enjoy our basketball and badminton courts, fitness suite and climbing wall. The campus is also a few minutes walk from the South Downs National Park, providing a great place to relax during the summer months.

Accommodation

Brighton

Our Brighton halls of residence are located across the city in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

Grand Parade is in central Brighton and has one hall of residence, Phoenix Brewery, within walking distance.
Moulsecoomb is two miles from the city centre and also has one hall of residence, Moulsecoomb Place, on campus.
Varley Park offers the biggest choice of student accommodation with ten halls of residence.
Falmer campus has two halls of residence: Great Wilkins and Paddock Field.
Varley Park and Falmer are around four miles from Brighton centre; there are good public transport services nearby.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords.

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our Brighton accommodation webpages and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accommodation@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 644100.

Paddock Field

Moulsecoomb Place

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Moulsecoomb campus map

Unistats

Unistats and key information sets

Unistats is an organisation that collects specific data about university courses in the UK which enables you to compare information that is important in your decision-making when choosing a university. All universities publish Unistats data on their online course pages.

Wherever we can we have provided extra information here to help put the data into context so that it is as useful as possible when you are making decisions.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the official university document for each course. They are updated each year, and give a very detailed breakdown of what your course might look like.

Programme specification

Find out more

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