Automotive Engineering including Foundation Year
Prepare yourself for a career in the automotive industry. Gain relevant expertise and get hands-on with state-of-the-art facilities at USW.
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Key Course Details
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UCAS Code
H333
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Start Date
September
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Location
Pontypridd
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Campus Code
A
Fees
Home students
£9,535*
International students
£16,200*
- Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
If you don’t have the right qualifications to start our BEng Automotive Engineering degree, you could opt to start with a foundation course. You’ll study introductory modules relevant to the degree course whilst successful completion of the foundation year will allow you to progress onto the BEng (Hons) Automotive Engineering.
DESIGNED FOR
Automotive engineers have a love for all things vehicles, problem solving and getting hands-on. This course is perfect for those looking to begin a career in the industry, with our campus providing state-of-the-art facilities for practical learners to hone their skills.
Career Paths
- Automotive Engineer
- Graduate Engineer
- Electronic engineer
- Design engineer
Skills taught
- Problem solving
- Management
- Communication
- Employability
- Digital Skills
Course Highlights
Module Overview
The course provides the students with the knowledge and skills required in the modern automotive industry, with a focus on autonomous and electric vehicle technology. It covers both the mechanical and electronic aspect of cars.
The Foundation Year will give you a good understanding of our engineering courses and provide you with a good numerical background to support you throughout the remainder of the degree. Following your initial foundation year, you will progress onto the modules studied as part of your award.
Foundations of Mathematics This module provides students with confidence in applying basic numeracy, algebra and mathematical methods, with examples of applications in mathematics relevant to their specialist discipline.
Further Foundation Maths for Engineers This module provides students with confidence in applying basic calculus and statistical methods with examples of applications of calculus or statistics in mathematics relevant to Engineering.
Foundation Engineering Principles This module allows students to acquaint themselves to basic concepts and further application of 3 different concepts within the subjects of: 1. Mechanical/Aeronautical Engineering 2.Civil Engineering 3.Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Engineering Project
This module enables students to gain an appreciation of how their skills may be applied to projects within their own direct subject discipline.
Essential Engineering Skills This module enables students to gain an appreciation of how their skills may be applied to the engineering discipline. Students will be given opportunity to meet Industry-leading experts.
Introduction to Programming and Electrical Science
This module allows students to understand and apply the fundamentals of electrical science. And to understand and program devices.
In the first year you will sit modules that are all common between electrical and mechanical engineering students. This is to ensure all underlying pre-required knowledge for modern automotive engineering is covered.
Mathematics for Engineers The aim of this module is to introduce students to various mathematical techniques used in engineering.
Engineering Computing Applications Introduction to engineering through programming and computer aided design
Engineering Mechanics 1 Introduction to engineering principles in the areas of static and dynamic.
Electrical Principles Provide students with the knowledge and intellectual skills necessary to model and analyse electrical and electronic systems using circuit theory.
Engineering Applications This module allows students to gain experience in the use of various measurement equipment and materials selection.
Programming for Electronics Engineering Students learn how to program using C/C++ language, and get introduced to embedded systems.
In the second year you will study elements of management, business and professional practice. You will further your skills in electronics and mechanics through theory and practical work with a stronger emphasis on the automotive industry. Your new skills will be tested through a group project.
Automotive Design Develop and learn design theory and problem solving skills relevant to automotive engineering. Learn engineering design using a CAD package.
Automotive Science This module introduces students to engineering principles in the areas of engineering mechanics, thermofluids and vehicle dynamics.
Power, Machines and Control Learn operating principles of electrical machines and basic components of power systems, using appropriate models and mathematical methods.
Configuration and Programming of Embedded Systems Learn how to configure and develop embedded systems and to meet real-time constraints by utilising the on-chip off-chip peripherals using the C programming language.
Group Project and Management for Engineers
Electronics for Automotive Systems This module allows students to develop understanding of the underlying principles and technologies used in analogue and digital circuits and how these technologies are used in the automotive industry.
In the third year you are applying more of your theoretical knowledge on practicals and case studies. Your new skills will be further tested through an individual research and design projects.
BEng Individual Project (Core): Designed for students to conduct detailed research/projects relevant to their subject. Enhances knowledge, promotes independent work, and encourages lifelong learning.
Vehicle Dynamics
Provides students with the knowledge and analytical understanding of automotive vehicle dynamics. And with a knowledge of the operating principles of vehicle dynamics control
Power Electronics and Drives
Module covers operating principles of power electronic devices and power electronic converters. Students also learn how to analyse motor drive schemes and apply control techniques.
Hybrid / Electric Vehicle Technology
This module provides comprehensive and immersive experiences, knowledge about hybrid and electric vehicle engineering concepts, theory, and applications relevant to HEV, PHEV and BEV for the passenger car industry.
Sensors and Smart Vehicle Technology
Student learns about different automotive sensors and their off-board wired communications systems technologies within a connected and/or autonomous system, their working principles, advantages, disadvantages and limitations.
Supervised Work Experience (SWE)
Course Highlights
How you’ll learn
Typical contact hours for a 20 credit module are 48 hours lectures per module (two hours a week) plus 24 hours of labs (one hour a week). Students are typically expected to spend about 72 hours independent study per 20 credit module per year.
There is a range of assessment methods. The first two years of this engineering degree combine exams and assessments based on laboratory work, but in later years there are exams for technical options and coursework or reports for management and project work.
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Teaching staff
The staff that deliver the modules have a breadth of expertise in their subject areas.
Some have developed this expertise through high quality research. The research areas are international in their scope whilst also having a relevance locally, often working with international companies that operate locally.
Others have developed their expertise through successful careers in industry and are now using that knowledge to teach and prepare the students for their own careers.
This blend of backgrounds represented in the academic staff give a breadth to the student experience and develops them technically and professionally.
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Placements
Our students are encouraged to spend a year working in industry. This year will give you firsthand experience of working in the sector.
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Facilities
Our engineering facilities are excellent. They include: composite making facilities, additive manufacturing facilities, laser scanner, aluminium casting facility, a wind tunnel, material testing facilities, non-destructive facilities as well as laboratories with equipment for supplementing teaching in mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, fluid-dynamics and control.
We also have a well-equipped Formula Student build area. Our electronics labs feature industry-standard facilities help you make the transition from the classroom into an employment setting.
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Innovation Hub at USW
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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
UCAS points: 48 (or above)
Typical qualification requirements:
- A Levels: DD
- BETC: BTEC Extended Diploma Pass Pass Pass or BTEC Diploma Pass Pass
- Access to HE: Pass Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points.
- T Level: Pass (D or E)
Additional requirements include:
GCSE: grade C or above, in Mathematics and English is required.
We can also consider combinations of qualifications and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable. We can sometimes consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or advanced entry to year two or three of a course where this is possible.
To find out which qualifications have tariff points, please refer to the UCAS tariff calculator.
If you need more help or information or would like to speak to our friendly admissions team, please contact us.
International applications welcomed:
We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.
English language requirements
International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.
Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.
If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.
If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.
Contextual offers
We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.
USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.
We're here to help
Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.
Fees and Funding
£9,535
per year*£16,200
per year*Additional Costs
Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of stationery, printing, or equipment during your foundation year. For costs after you progress to year 1 of your degree programme, please see the list below.
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Investing in your future
We are investing in the future of STEM at USW with an exciting new Computing, Engineering and Technology building at our Pontypridd Campus.
University Quality Assurance
At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.
If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.
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How to apply
All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time.)
Advanced entry
If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.
International admissions
International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.