Motorsport Engineering with Foundation Year

Prepare to make your mark in the highly competitive global motorsport industry. Offering vital technical and digital skills alongside practical experience, our BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering puts you on the road to success.

• Set yourself apart as an innovative and resourceful motorsport engineer - ready to work with top teams or high-profile manufacturers
• Not sure on the type of engineering you want to study? Spend the first year covering all aspects of engineering and gain the multi-disciplinary skills and knowledge that employers are looking for
• In year two, you have the option to switch your degree to either BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering or continue studying on BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering
• Our BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering is professionally accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on behalf of the Engineering Council to Partial Chartered Engineer (Partial CEng) level – this means that with further learning after completing this programme (e.g. an accredited MSc programme) you could fully satisfy the academic requirements for becoming a Chartered Engineer
• Hone your skills in our state-of-the-art facilities, including a dedicated workshop space and our computer labs
• Study a wide range of vehicles and systems
• Take part in challenging extra-curricular activities such as Formula Student and Radical SR1 Cup Championship
• Gain inspiring industry insights at exhibitions and race meetings

Practical and technical skills

Our teaching facilities benefit from a vast range of vehicles and systems for you to study. Our computer labs host technical software widely used in the motorsport industry for design, modelling and simulation. You'll gain a comprehensive understanding of topics such as advanced power train engineering, motorsport chassis design and computational fluid dynamics.

Real-world experience

We give you the opportunity to take part in a range of events where you apply theory to real life scenarios and events.

In your second year, lectures, tutorials and assessments are designed around our Radical SR1 race car (Radical SR1 Cup is a race programme that offers different levels of competition), giving you the chance to enhance your race car engineering knowledge through practical and simulation work.

There is also the opportunity to get involved in track testing and, on some occasions, participate in races. Previously students have supported races at Donington Park, Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Snetterton.

You can also be part of Formula Student - the world’s biggest student motorsport competition – and this could also become a highlight of your studies. Team Derby Motorsport entered this competition for the first time in 2015 and have since taken part in Class 1 and Class 2 competitions.

Watch the video below of Team Derby Motorsport at the first round of the 2022 Radical SR1 Cup Championship at Donington Park:

Meeting the needs of the industry and you

Employers are increasingly seeking engineers with a broader knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering to meet their environmental, consumer and business needs. As a university based in an advanced engineering city, it is vital that we offer degrees that match the multi-disciplinary requirements that employers are looking for.

We have strong industry connections with a range of organisations and teams who input into the development and experience of modules, including:

• EXCELR8 Motorsport (Team in BTCC and MINI CHALLENGE)
• MINI CHALLENGE (Championship)
• Toyota
• Radical

Industry insight

Together, the teaching team have a range of experience working in the motorsport industry as well as researching current areas of growth. Our research teams work closely with local motorsport engineering companies and our Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Engineering to support and encourage innovation.

• Dr Jianfei Xie: Jianfei teaches and has expertise in computational fluid dynamics. His interests include aerodynamics and the structures of aeroplanes in the aeronautical engineering area
• Professor Zhiyin Yang: Zhiyin is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University. He conducts world-leading research and has published over 100 scientific papers. His teaching covers Thermofluids and advanced computational fluid dynamics
• Dr Shahed Motaman: Shahed’s teaching covers CFD modelling, manufacturing and design and SolidWorks. His research covers a variety of areas including heat transfer simulations and multiphase flow

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

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.

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. 

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

*This is the fee for the Foundation Year. Subsequent UK fees are £9,535 per year. Subsequent International fees are £17,500 per year.

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

Additional costs and optional extras

Additional information about your studies

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.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

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.