About this course
- Entry year: 2012/13
- Course code: H334
- Applications: UCAS
- Level: Postgraduate
- Department: Engineering, Design and Mathematics
- Campus: Frenchay
- Duration: Four years full-time, five years sandwich.
- Delivery: Full-time, sandwich.
- Study Abroad: Yes
- Programme leader: Neil Larsen
- Key fact: Past students at UWE have been placed with such motorsport companies as Williams F1, Cosworth, G-Force, Xtrac and AP Racing.
Introduction
The UK motorsport sector employs 50,000 people, with in excess of 30,000 engaged in full-time engineering roles. There are about 4,000 businesses of various sizes involved in motorsport, and this sector accounts for around 28 per cent of those employed by UK engineering companies. Many major players in international motorsport are UK based, including several F1 teams, F1 Engine Suppliers and World Rally Championship teams. This, of course, is only the tip of the iceberg. The UK also plays host to many other types and levels of motorsport, (at both National and Club level), including various 'Tintop' series, Rallycross, SuperMoto, Scrambling, Sportscars and GT championships, and many of these vehicles, along with various specialist components, are designed and manufactured in this country. This includes companies such as TVR, Ginetta, Caterham, Van Diemen, Lola, AP Racing, Alcon and Helix Autosport, to name but a few.
According to Dick Scammell, a former MD of Cosworth Racing, more broadly based engineers may be more useful to the industry than tightly focused specialists. Curiosity, perseverance and problem solving skills are very important characteristics required by engineers in this sector. It is this type of engineer that this course aims to produce.
The level of technology used in motorsport at all levels is continually increasing. In order to maintain a competitive level of performance, a significant standard of expertise is required in order to maximise the potential of this technology. This course is aimed at providing graduates equipped with the traditional disciplines of a mechanical engineer, but with a particular emphasis on technologies and problems pertinent to the world of motorsport. It focuses on the engineering strategies that influence the design of a good racing vehicle, in particular its safety and maintainability, as well as its performance.
As a graduate of this degree, you will be able to contribute immediately in a company that designs and manufactures vehicles or components for use in motorsport, while also being a competent general engineer. Areas that you might be employed in could include designing and carrying out testing programmes for current or proposed components, analysing specific problems and proposing solutions to them, analysing failed or damaged items, or evaluating the suitability of different materials or designs in order to meet the needs of a given situation.
plan+make degree show June 2011
Have a look at our students' work which was on display at the plan+make degree show 2011. Students from across the Department of Engineering Design and Mathematics exhibited along with students from across the Faculty. The event, held in June each year, enables our students to showcase their final year projects to both family and friends as well as employers from the region.
Martin Pritchard, MEng Motorsport Engineering, exhibited at the show. Hear what he has to say!
Structure
Content
The first year of the course is common with MEng/BEng(Hons) Mechanical Engineering and our aerospace degrees. You will be provided with a grounding in mathematics, design, manufacturing and mechanical engineering. There will also be specialist motorsport projects and workshops. In the remaining years, there is still some commonality between the courses, but with added specialist material, for example relating to engine systems and control, materials and structures, and safety. In both the second and third years, there is a significant management element.
The final year project allows you to investigate an engineering problem that is of particular interest to you, while developing engineering, project management and report writing skills. The project forms a quarter of the final year of study and may relate to any part of the course syllabus, although it is expected to involve a motorsport application.
You can view a programme structure diagram for the Motorsport Engineering programme.
The programme structures change from year to year, so you might find some variation between that shown here and the final version of your course.
Teaching and learning
As well as a concentrated programme of lectures and tutorials, you will undertake experimental laboratory work, engineering fabrication, drawing and design, computing and application based mini-projects.
For example, you will investigate the design of a fuel tank and the behaviour of a suspension system on a Formula Ford racing chassis on our Structures Laboratory. You will also work on a Renault Clio racing car body and a replica of the front end of a Lotus 7.
You can find out more about our mechanical engineering programmes and facilities here.
Assessment
All material is normally assessed by either assignments or examinations. In some modules formal presentations form part of the assessment.
Special Features
Placements
We encourage all students on our degree courses to do a placement year in an industrial, commercial or public sector organisation, doing work of value to the company. There are many companies who provide placements to university students. In the past, students have been placed with such motorsport companies as Williams F1, Cosworth, G-Force, Triumph, Xtrac and AP Racing. The Department's Placements Team has close links with the business community and advertises work placements every year. We will show you how to prepare your CV correctly, advise you on how to write letters of application and help you learn successful interview techniques.
Study facilities
You can use a wide range of experimental facilities including stress analysis, testing and materials selection, dynamics and vibration, thermofluids, energy conservation and control, aerodynamics (high speed and low speed wind tunnels), electronics and computing, manufacture, advanced manufacture and robotics.
Programmable fuelling and ignition systems will be investigated using our dedicated motorcycle rolling road.
Additionally the Department hosts its own servers to provide Windows, Linux and Unix based operating systems. There are over 500 available workstations in our teaching laboratories, as well as a large open-access laboratory, providing PC and Unix based machines.The Department has its own IT Helpdesk, staffed by students from within the Faculty, and available for both students and staff to use. There are also 24 hour computer labs on campus available for student use.
Careers/further study
Meet Our Partners
Our degrees can lead to a very wide variety of career choices. To ensure that our degrees make you as employable as possible, the UWE Bristol Department of Engineering Design and Mathematics works closely with seven major partner employers.
Partner Employers
Entry
Advice on typical offers
In addition to the 'typical offer' given here, please read the general information about
entry requirements.
Typical offers
- GCSE: Maths and English Language at grade C or above required.
- Tariff points: 300
- Specific subjects: A level Maths grade C; IB Maths (Higher) grade 5; Advanced Diploma Additional Specialised Learning in Maths; BTEC unit Further Maths for Technicians; or equivalent.
Also one of the following Chemistry; Computing / Computer Science; Design and Technology; Electronics; Engineering; Information and Communications Technology; Music Technology; Physics.
- Relevant subjects: Physics, Engineering, Computing, ICT, Science.
- EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: BTEC Nationals accepted: Aerospace Engineering; Communications Technology; Electrical / Electronic Engineering; Engineering; Manufacturing Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Operations & Maintenance Engineering; Polymer Processing and Materials Technology; Telecommunications.
- Access: Achievement of the Access to HE Diploma; achievement of level 3 credits in Maths (to include algebra and calculus) plus at least one other Science or Technology subject; achievement of level 2 credits in Maths, English Language and Science. The Maths Unit at Level 3 must cover the core content for AS Maths.
- Baccalaureate IB: Accepted (see the UCAS website for the UCAS tariff points that you can gain from the IB to put towards our points requirements)
How to apply
Please see the general information about
applications.
For further information
Page last updated 14 December 2011