Automotive engineering is a branch of vehicle engineering. It incorporates mechanical, electrical, electronic, software, and safety engineering elements as applied to the design, manufacture, and operation of motorcycles, automobiles, and trucks and their respective engineering subsystems.
Programs are available as a standalone automotive program or as a concentration in mechanical engineering. Automotive engineering is available at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels and diploma and certificate courses in UK top universities.
Graduates of the program find careers in the automotive sector as manufacturing engineers, design engineers, research engineers, test engineers, and so on. The average salary after a graduate degree in automobile engineering in the UK is £37,000 annually.
The top automotive engineering universities in the UK are listed below. The list is provided by rank as the "Best Universities for Automotive Engineering in the United Kingdom".
Rank |
University |
44 |
Loughborough University |
50 |
University of Sheffield |
69 |
University of Birmingham |
87 |
University of Leeds |
93 |
Brunel University London |
106 |
University of Bath |
109 |
University of Southampton |
117 |
University of Warwick |
232 |
University of Huddersfield |
260 |
University of Surrey |
|
Top Automotive Engineering University in the UK: Bachelor of Automotive Engineering
An undergraduate program in automotive engineering is offered as a Bachelor of Engineering in Automotive Engineering or a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering major.
The program includes coursework in structural mechanics, thermofluid mechanics, advanced engineering mathematics, computer-aided engineering (CAE), automotive electronics and control systems, integrated engineering systems design, project management, and product development.
Most courses are completed in 4 years. The tuition fee for the program ranges from £14,000 to £28,000 per year.
University |
Program |
Course duration |
Loughborough University |
Bachelor of Engineering: Automotive Engineering (Hons) |
4 years |
University of Sheffield |
Bachelor of Engineering: Automotive Engineering (Hons) |
3 - 4 Years |
University of Birmingham |
Bachelor of Engineering: Mechanical Engineering (Automotive) |
4 years |
University of Leeds |
Bachelor of Engineering: Automotive Engineering (Hons) |
4 years |
Brunel University London |
Bachelor of Engineering: Automotive Engineering (Hons) |
4 years |
University of Bath |
Bachelor of Mechanical with Automotive Engineering (Hons) |
4 years |
University of Southampton |
Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering / Automotive Engineering |
4 years |
University of Warwick |
Bachelor of Engineering: Automotive Engineering (Hons) |
4 years |
University of Huddersfield |
Bachelor in Automotive and Motorsport Engineering (Hons) |
4 years |
University of Surrey |
Bachelor of Engineering: Automotive Engineering (Hons) |
4 years |
Academic Requirement:
- First-year international applicants must have completed a higher education certificate
- Students must have completed courses in Math, Physics, English, and Chemistry
English Language Requirement:
- A minimum TOEFL score of 75 to 80 overall
- An IELTS score of 6.0 to 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each band
- A PTE score of 55 to 62 overall.
Top Automotive Engineering University in the UK: Bachelor of Automotive Engineering (Tuition fee)
University |
Tuition fee |
Loughborough University |
£25,700 |
University of Sheffield |
£14,415 |
University of Birmingham |
£25,860 |
Brunel University London |
£20,450 |
University of Bath |
£24,500 |
University of Southampton |
£23,720 |
University of Warwick |
£28,410 |
University of Huddersfield |
£16,000 |
Top Automotive Engineering University in the UK: Master of Automotive Engineering
A master's degree in automotive engineering generally takes 1 year to complete in the UK. The tuition fee for the program ranges from £16,000 to £29,000 per year.
This course is intended for mechanical engineers and graduates of related fields who want to work in automotive engineering and system design.
Students from abroad are interested in studying automotive engineering in the UK. Since this nation's economy heavily depends on the car engineering industry. As a result, many job and career opportunities are available after earning a degree.
University |
Program |
Course Duration |
Loughborough University |
Master of Science in Automotive Engineering |
1 year |
Cranfield University |
Master of Science in Automotive Engineering |
1 year |
University of Birmingham |
Master of Science in Automotive Engineering |
1 year |
University of Leeds |
Master of Science in Automotive Engineering |
1 year |
Brunel University London |
Master of Science in Automotive Engineering Technology |
1 year |
University of Bath |
Master of Science in Automotive Engineering with Electric Propulsion |
1 year |
University of Warwick |
Master of Science in Sustainable Automotive Electrification (SAE) |
1 year |
University of Huddersfield |
Master of Science in Automotive Engineering |
1 year |
Academic Requirement:
A bachelor of engineering or similar degree from a recognized university in engineering, mathematics or applied science and demonstrable motivation for a career in the automotive sector is needed. A minimum GPA of 2.7 to 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required.
English Language Requirement:
- An IELTS score of 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each band.
- A TOEFL score of 90 with at least 18 to 23 in each section.
- A PTE score of 62 overall with 55 in all skill components.
Top Automotive Engineering University in the UK: Master of Automotive Engineering (Tuition fee)
University |
Tuition fee |
Loughborough University |
£26,500 |
Cranfield University |
£22,150 |
University of Birmingham |
£16,300 |
University of Leeds |
£25,750 |
Brunel University London |
£20,450 |
University of Bath |
£26,700 |
University of Warwick |
£29,950 |
University of Huddersfield |
£17,000 |
Top Automotive Engineering University in the UK: PhD in Automotive Engineering
The universities listed below offer the doctoral program in the field of automotive engineering. The course duration for a doctoral program is generally 3 to 4 years. The tuition fee for a doctoral program ranges from £23,000 to £26,000 per year.
However, PhD students are well funded through numerous funding opportunities.
University |
Program |
Course duration |
Loughborough University |
PhD in Automotive Engineering |
3 years |
University of Bath |
PhD in Automotive Engineering |
4 years |
University of Warwick |
PhD in Transport Electrification |
3 to 4 years |
University of Surrey |
Automotive Engineering PhD |
4 years |
Academic Requirement:
- A Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, engineering, physical or natural science or a related discipline from an accredited institution
- A Master of Science degree in a related field with a score of 80% or a GPA of 3.8.
In addition to academic qualifications, some universities require full-time experience in the related field.
English Language Requirement:
- An IELTS score of 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each band.
- A TOEFL score of 100 to 110 with at least 22 in each section.
- A PTE score of 65 overall, with 59 in all skill components.
Top Automotive Engineering University in the UK: PhD of Automotive Engineering (Tuition fee)
University |
Tuition fees per annum |
Loughborough University |
£24,100 |
University of Bath |
£25,400 |
University of Warwick |
£26,470 |
University of Surrey |
£23,400 |
|
Top Automotive Engineering University in the UK: Scholarships
Various scholarships are available for international students in the UK. The funding may be departmental, general, or country-specific scholarships. There are also several external scholarships available.
The table below lists some of the university-funded scholarships available at various universities.
University |
Scholarships |
Amount |
Loughborough University |
Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering Bursary and Scholarship |
Up to 20% of tuition fees |
Cranfield University |
Santander Scholarship |
£4,000 |
Chevening Scholarships |
Tuition fees, travel and a monthly stipend |
|
Brunel University London |
Brunel Graduate Discount |
15% of tuition fees |
University of Bath |
Global Leaders Scholarship |
£5,000 |
Alumni discount on postgraduate tuition fees |
10% of tuition fees |
|
University of Southampton |
Chevening Scholarships |
Tuition fees |
University of Huddersfield |
Merit-based scholarship programme for international students |
Up to £4,000 |
Top Automotive Engineering University in the UK: Scope
The scope of the automotive industry has been increasing steadily in the last few decades. The demand for new products, modifying existing products, and resolving problems in the automotive sector have created a massive surge in automotive jobs.
Supervising of research facilities, serving as chief engineers, and managing the development of engines and vehicles are among the tasks given to recent graduates in automotive engineering. After automobile engineering, various job options are available in the United Kingdom.
Companies that have recruited graduates of this course include:
- Jaguar Land Rover
- Lotus
- Millbrook Proving Ground
- McLaren
- Ricardo.
- JLR, Honda
- Bentley
- Lotus
- TATA technology
- Geely
- Unipart
- Aston Martin Lagonda
Job |
Range |
Average |
Design Engineer |
£22k - £43k |
£30,860 |
Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer |
£21k - £35k |
£27,150 |
Mechanical Engineer |
£24k - £45k |
£32,997 |
Applications Engineer |
£23k - £40k |
£30,101 |
Senior Mechanical Design Engineer |
£32k - £49k |
£38,840 |
Management Consultant |
£23k - £47k |
£32,670 |
Research Engineer |
£31k - £52k |
£41,090 |
Project Manager, Engineering |
£38k - £66k |
£48,810 |
Product Development Engineer, Automotive |
£30k - £54k |
£41,543 |