Automotive Engineering with Foundation Year

Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.

Course summary

• Understand key technologies such as electric and autonomous vehicles.

• Explore the economic, environmental and social implications of automotive production.

• Engage in professional and sustainable practices right from the beginning.

• Experience live projects, simulations, aerodynamics and diverse disciplines.

• Prepare for the full degree with an extra foundation year at the start.

The course prepares you for a range of roles in the automotive industry, providing you with the right environment, facilities, skills and training to be successful in the industry. You’ll explore various aspects of automotive design, development, testing, manufacturing, electronics and performance analysis – emerging as a highly skilled graduate ready to solve current and future problems in the industry.

This foundation year course is for those who don't meet the entry requirements for our BEng (Hons) Automotive Engineering course, or would like extra preparation before starting degree-level study.

How you learn
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

This course is designed for you to gain experience as a professional engineer from day one, where you’ll develop technical and professional skills from the very start.

You’ll experience and engage in a variety of learning activities as you progress through the course. We’ve designed a balanced mix of activities to help challenge you to think creatively, build knowledge and understanding, while also developing your professional skills and employability. These include practical laboratories and computer simulations to enhance your learning – with lab experiments designed to reinforce your learning of theoretical concepts.

You learn through:

• Diverse lectures emphasising peer collaboration.

• Tutorials to practise and apply your knowledge ahead of assessments.

• Hands-on lab experience including computational modelling and simulation.

• Q&A and discussions for self-assessment and understanding.

• Support sessions for receiving feedback and preparing for assessments.

• Teamwork activities for collaboration in an innovative environment.

• Multidisciplinary project-based learning to apply knowledge, creativity, design, critical analysis and professional skills to real-world projects.

Course topics
This course provides an in-depth study of the underpinning principles and practices involved in automotive engineering. It covers various aspects of automotive design, development, testing, manufacturing and performance analysis.

The course combines theoretical knowledge with practical hands-on experience while core modules cover the key aspects of automotive engineering. These range from electric, hybrid and internal combustion propulsion to automotive powertrains and vehicle systems, performance, dynamics, aerodynamics and styling. You’ll also explore sustainable materials, manufacturing and production – plus numerical methods, modelling and simulation.

Course-level support
You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate level employment through a number of key areas.

These include:

• Access to our Skills Centre with one-on-ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments.

• Access to our student support triangle comprising an academic adviser, an employability adviser and a student support adviser who will help with your personal, academic and career development.

• A dedicated Maths and Stats Support drop-in session that runs twice a week.

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.

Important notice: The structure for this course is currently being reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment are all likely to change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Once the changes have been confirmed, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course.

Year 1
Compulsory modules
Engineering and Mathematics in Practice
Foundation Mathematics, Mechanics And Electronics 1
Foundation Mathematics, Mechanics And Electronics 2
Fundamentals Of Materials And Manufacturing

Year 2
Compulsory modules
Automotive Engineering Fundamentals
Materials, Manufacturing And Design For Transportation
Maths And Engineering Science For Transportation
Sustainable Engineering And Interdisciplinary Practice

Year 3
Compulsory modules
Applied Automotive Engineering
Numerical Methods And Applications
Systems Modelling And Simulation
Vehicle Technology, Systems And Performance

Year 4
Optional modules
Placement Year

Final year
Compulsory modules
Advanced Automotive Engineering
Project: Implementation
Project: Management And Scoping
Vehicle Design And Production

Coursework
Exams
Practicals