Program Overview

Automotive Engineering (Top-Up) BEng (Hons)

Overview

This course allows you to top-up your existing qualification to a full honours degree in one year, and will equip you with the skills you need to be an accomplished Automotive Engineer.

You will cover topics such as vehicle dynamics, electrical systems, design and materials along with skills and knowledge required by professional engineers.

Why us?

• Our Mechanical Engineering courses are 8th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
• Strong track record of graduates gaining employment in the automotive and associated sectors
• You will be supported by staff with a wealth of academic and industrial experience

Course structure

Teaching methods on this course includes lectures, seminars, group work and practical laboratory work. You will also complete virtual work via engineering specific software. We encourage you to develop independent study skills. You will also have opportunities to present ideas to other students and develop concepts within groups.

As well as assessments that count towards your degree, there are also on-going assessments for feedback and consolidating your learning. Assessment methods include exams, multiple-choice tests and projects.

This course can be studied full-time and part-time. If you study full-time, you will be on campus two to three days a week. If you study across two years, part-time, you will be on campus one day per week.

Course modules

Final year (national level 6):

• Automotive Dynamics and Control (20 credits)
  • Consider aspects of dynamic performance such as vehicle ride, handling, and stability. Gain an overview of developments in emission control and consider conventional internal combustion engine management systems versus the emerging electric and hybrid technologies. Acquire the ability to model vehicle system components using manual and computer-based techniques, as well as the ability to design, construct, critically analyse, and test vehicle control systems.
• Professional Engineering Management Techniques (20 credits)
  • Explore some of the soft skills outlined in the UK-SPEC which are pre-requisites to chartered status. Develop your communication and interpersonal skills alongside the design and development of processes and systems. Discover more about project management, and some of the techniques associated with it.
• Mechanical Design and Material Selection (20 credits)
  • Enhance your understanding of the materials needed in a wider engineering context and the interdependency of design, manufacture, economics, and environmental considerations. Undertake a design exercise based upon a real engineering problem and select the appropriate materials from which specified components or assemblies would be made. Synthesise solutions to engineering problems using the knowledge and techniques you’ve gained throughout your studies.
• Project (40 credits)
  • Undertake a unique engineering project that builds on one or more of the topics you've studied throughout your course. Conduct research and resolve an engineering problem in an area of practice that is interesting to you. Enhance your time-management and research skills.
• Manufacturing System Design (20 credits)
  • Discover a range of tools that can be applied within a manufacturing context to analyse existing performance and aid the development of models and systems which achieve an enhanced level of productivity. Develop your knowledge of modern measurement and control tools.

Facilities

You will be based at the David Goldman Technology Centre. Our specialist labs include:

• Product Development Lab
• Electronics Lab
• Automation Lab
• Project Lab
• Material Characterisation Lab
• Formulation Lab
• Thermofluids Lab
• Mechanical Engineering Lab

You will have access to a range of industry leading technologies at the Industry Centre, the home of the Institute of Automotive and Manufacturing Advanced Practice as well as access to industrial standard software to help prepare you for a future career in a digital context.

Entry requirements

We don’t currently display entry requirements for Ireland. Please contact the Student Admin team on or .

The typical entry requirement is successful completion of one of the following:

There are a range of qualifications that would satisfy the entry requirements and we will consider each application individually.

If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.

Fees and finance

The annual, full-time fee for this course is:

• £9,535 if you are from the UK/Europe
• £16,500 if you are an international student

*Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2025/26 will be £9,535. You will pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.

Tuition fees for part-time students are £7,145 per 90 credits. Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.

Career ready

Students qualifying from this course are highly sought after in the local and global industrial companies ranging across many sectors.

Graduate success

Sunderland has a good reputation with employers. Our recent graduates have gone on to work for companies such as McLaren Automotive, General Motors, Jaguar, Perkins Engines and Parametrics Technology. Other graduates conduct research within major automotive manufacturers such as Ford, Vauxhall and Nissan.