Program Overview

Motorsports Engineering Program

The Motorsports Engineering program at Purdue University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in the field of motorsports engineering. The program is based on a curriculum that includes a wide range of courses in engineering, mathematics, and science.

Curriculum Requirements

The curriculum requirements for the Motorsports Engineering program are based on the student's catalog term. The program includes a total of 128 credits, with 16 credits in the freshman year, 16 credits in the sophomore year, 15 credits in the junior year, and 17 credits in the senior year.

• Freshman year:
  • CHM 11510: General Chemistry I (3 credits)
  • CHM 11520: General Chemistry I - Lab (1 credit)
  • ENGR 13100: Trans Ideas to Innovation I (2 credits)
  • MA 16500: Anlytc Geomtry & Calc I (4 credits)
  • CTL:IMA 1602: Calculus - Long I (3 credits)
  • Communication-1: Written Communication Elective (3 credits)
  • GE-1: General Education Elective I (3 credits)
• Sophomore year:
  • ENGR 13200: Trans Ideas to Innovation II (2 credits)
  • MA 16600: Analytc Geom & Calc II (4 credits)
  • PHYS 17200: Modern Mechanics (4 credits)
  • Communication-2: Oral Communication Elective (3 credits)
  • ENGR/Selective: Engineering Selective (3 credits)
• Junior year:
  • MA 26100: Multivariate Calculus (4 credits)
  • ME 27000: Basic Mechanics I (3 credits)
  • MSPE 29701: Computer Modeling For MSTE (2 credits)
  • MSPE 29000: Motorsports Engineering Seminar (1 credit)
  • MSPE 29800: Mtrsprts Prog & Model (2 credits)
  • GE-2: General Education Elective 2 (3 credits)
• Senior year:
  • ECE 20001: Electrical Engineering Fundamentals I (3 credits)
  • ECE 20007: Electrical Engineering Fundamentals I Lab (1 credit)
  • MA 26200: Lin Alg Diff Equats (4 credits)
  • ME 20000: Thermodynamics I (3 credits)
  • ME 26400: Intro to Mfg for Mech Design (3 credits)
  • ME 27400: Basic Mechanics II (3 credits)

Course Descriptions

• CHM 11510: General Chemistry I - This course covers the foundational general chemistry topics, including thermochemistry, nuclear chemistry, quantum theory, and atomic structure.
• ENGR 13100: Trans Ideas to Innovation I - This course introduces students to the engineering professions using multidisciplinary, societally relevant content.
• MA 16500: Anlytc Geomtry & Calc I - This course covers the introduction to differential and integral calculus of one variable, with applications.
• MSPE 29701: Computer Modeling For MSTE - This course details methods for designing and modeling motorsports components using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software.
• MSPE 29000: Motorsports Engineering Seminar - This course provides an overview of the motorsports industry, including types of vehicles, types of competition, careers available, and historical perspective.

General Education Electives

• GE-1: General Education Elective I (3 credits)
• GE-2: General Education Elective 2 (3 credits)
• GE-3: General Education Elective 3 (3 credits)
• GE-4: General Education Elective 4 (3 credits)

Selective Electives

• ENGR/Selective: Engineering Selective (3 credits)
• ME/MSPE Elec-1: ME/MSPE Selective (3 credits)
• ME/MSPE Elec-2: ME/MSPE Selective (3 credits)

Motorsports Engineering Courses

• MSPE 33000: Systems Eng for Motorsports (3 credits)
• MSPE 35000: CAD-CAM (3 credits)
• MSPE 47200: Vehicle Dynamics (3 credits)
• MSPE 48200: Motorsports Aerodynamics (3 credits)
• MSPE 41400: Motorsports Design II (3 credits)
• MSPE 43100: Race Engineering (3 credits)

Practicum Courses

• MSPE 31700: Motorsports Practicum I (1 credit)
• MSPE 41700: Motorsports Practicum II (1 credit)

Research Areas

The Motorsports Engineering program at Purdue University covers a wide range of research areas, including:

• Vehicle dynamics and performance
• Aerodynamics and aerodynamic testing
• Engine performance and development
• Chassis and suspension design
• Data acquisition and analysis
• Racing strategy and optimization