Motorsport Engineering with Foundation Year
BEng (Hons)

Prepare to make your mark in the highly competitive global motorsport industry. Offering exciting practical experience and strong employer links, our BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering with Foundation Year gives you a smooth route to success.

• Motorsport Engineering has been ranked in the Top 20 in the Guardian University Guide 2019
• Choose a foundation year if you are not quite ready to join our three-year honours degree directly and want to boost your skills and confidence
• Take your first steps towards becoming a Chartered Engineer – this degree is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) on behalf of the Engineering Council so it partially meets the academic requirement for you to register as a CEng
• Hone your skills in our state-of-the-art workshop complete with a rolling road and digital diagnostic and set-up equipment
• Study a wide range of vehicles and systems, from racing motorcycles to dragsters
• Take part in challenging live projects such as Formula Student, IMechE Railway Challenge, IMechE Drone and Shell Eco-marathon
• Gain inspiring industry insights at exhibitions and race meetings
• Enhance your employability – we are ranked 15th highest among all UK universities and 12th for English institutions, with 96% of graduates in work or further study within six months of completing their degree: (HESA 2016).

Set yourself apart as an innovative and resourceful motorsport engineer – ready to work with top teams or high-profile manufacturers.

A foundation year to boost your progress

Taking a foundation year first is an ideal choice if you have the potential and ambition to study this BEng programme but lack the formal entry requirements or feel you are not quite ready to embark on a full honours degree right now.

It is also a smart move if you have changed your mind about your career direction since you chose your A-levels or BTECs and need to improve your skills in a different subject area.

The foundation year will cover general concepts in areas such as engineering science, structural analysis and dynamics. It will also cover scholarship skills for technologists to assist your progress at honours degree level.

In-depth knowledge

You will gain a comprehensive understanding of topics such as advanced power train engineering, motorsport chassis design and computational fluid dynamics.

We also expect you to take an active role in project work, whether designing supercharger applications or building your own telemetry equipment. We have a great range of vehicles and systems for you to study, from racing motorcycles to dragsters.

In tune with the industry

We boast strong links across the industry, so you will keep up to date with what's new and next in the world of motorsport. The course features regular guest lectures from companies such as Red Bull Racing, Bloodhound and Jaguar Land Rover through the IMechE Automobile East Midlands Division. Companies sometimes set interesting projects for our students too.  

Real-world experience

We give you the opportunity to take part in a range of events where you can gain hands-on experience, including scrutineering and marshalling training, exhibitions and race meetings.

Exciting projects like Formula Student - the world’s biggest student motorsport competition – could also become a highlight of your studies. Team Derby Motorsport entered this competition for the first time in 2015 and won the Formula Student Rookie Team Award. This success resulted in a £3,000 grant for the team from the IMechE.

Real world learning

There are opportunities for you to go on an optional work placement as part of the BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering.

The course also includes field trips to local race circuits for testing and visits to a number of exhibitions where you can strengthen your professional networks. You will also attend guest lectures as part of the annual IMechE series.

How you are assessed

Assessment is through a mixture of coursework assignments, examinations and formal presentations.

September 2018 typical entry requirements

Our entry requirements for this course should be read together with the University's general entry requirements, which details subjects we accept, alternative qualifications and what we're looking for at Derby.

September 2019 typical entry requirements

Alternative entry qualifications:

• BTEC - MPP
• Pass Access to HE Diploma 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 and 15 at Level 2.

We usually consider an A-level in General Studies as a supplementary qualification. A good application/performance will be taken into account if you do not meet the criteria/offer conditions.

Our entry requirements for this course should be read together with the University's general entry requirements, which details subjects we accept, alternative qualifications and what we're looking for at Derby.

2018/19 Fees

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Our focus is on ensuring you are work-ready and this course will give you the all the confidence and skills you need to progress directly into the international motorsport arena.

Graduates have secured employment with companies like Cosworth, Zytec, JLR, Pirelli and EPM Composites. They have also raced all over the world and worked with international race teams in F1, GP2, FIA-GT and with a variety of national teams. 

Contact details

† Additional information about your studies

Download programme specification

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Please note: Our courses are refreshed and updated on a regular basis. If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

You might also like

• Motorsport Engineering MEng
• Motorsport Engineering FdEng
• Motorsport Engineering BEng (Hons)