Motorsport and Automotive Engineering

Build the cars. Engineer the performance. Compete for real.

From your first term on this BEng (Hons) Motorsport and Automotive Engineering degree, you're part of University of Wolverhampton Racing (UWR), our student-led motorsport team — designing, testing and racing real vehicles, not just studying theory from the sidelines.

The course takes you through five stages: learn the engineering fundamentals of solid mechanics, thermodynamics and analysis alongside industry-standard CAD, CFD and FEA software; build that knowledge into real components — chassis, powertrain and aerodynamic surfaces; join UWR and put your engineering into a competing race vehicle; take on live industry and enterprise projects benchmarked against real-world performance targets; and graduate with a portfolio of parts and projects you designed and built yourself.

Year 1 covers statics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, kinematics, electronics and materials science, alongside hands-on CAD, CFD and FEA work from your very first modules, applied to a real industry-linked group project.

Year 2 goes deeper: you'll use FEA and CFD to solve structural and fluid problems across automotive, motorsport and aerospace contexts, study the principles behind engine performance and fuel economy, work hands-on with instrumentation and control systems, and deliver a substantial, industry-partnered project tackling vehicle performance, alternative propulsion or sustainable motorsport engineering.

In Year 3, you'll apply CFD and FEA at an advanced level to vehicle aerodynamics, lead a sustained Group Vehicle Design and Enterprise project mirroring professional design studio practice, and deliver your own Individual Innovation Project from concept to solution. You'll present your work at Innovations Unleashed, our annual showcase alongside industry leaders.

Throughout, this maps onto real UWR work — designing and building a race vehicle, running vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics projects, and tackling genuine race-engineering scenarios.

What makes it distinctive: CFD used to simulate race-winning aerodynamics, FEA used to design components that survive real track conditions, and workshops — including metal 3D-printing and composite manufacturing — where your designs leave the screen and go on the car. Assessment is split 40% fundamentals and 60% specialisation, so your final classification reflects genuine motorsport and automotive expertise, not just exam technique.

Graduates go on to roles including race engineer, vehicle dynamics engineer, automotive and component design engineer, powertrain development engineer, and test and development engineer, across motorsport and the wider automotive industry. You'll build your CV through industry-connected enterprise projects, join an alumni network already working in the motorsport sector, and benefit from placement opportunities built into the course to give you real workplace exposure before you graduate.

Based at our Springfield site, you'll have access to industry-standard CAD, CFD and FEA software suites, a dedicated vehicle workshop and race car build environment, engine and drivetrain testing facilities, and metal 3D-printing and composite manufacturing labs — all part of a genuinely accessible route into engineering, with support for mature students and non-traditional applicants via The Gateway.