Motorsports Engineering Degree

[stormshadow]

I was wondering about a college curriculum Im remember reading about somewhere. Im from the states but looking to get into motorsports engineering since I have graduated from college here in the states. I remember reading about a college (in the UK I think) that offered a motorsports degree, and also put the students into racing cars and allowed them to drive and race as part of the curriculum. I have done a ton of research on the net looking for this specific school and cannot find it. Can anyone help me?

[rico]

Get to the Autosport show. Dozens of unis were advertising their courses with representatives to talk to.

www.autosport-international.com

[Frik]

YHM

[Frik]

rico said:

Get to the Autosport show. Dozens of unis were advertising their courses with representatives to talk to. www.autosport-international.com

Might be a bit difficult organising a flight though rico

[thetruemackie]

They certainly do Automotive Engineering + Motorsport at The University of Hertfordshire.
I went to the open day a while back it I was quite impressed.
They compete actively in formula student (200kg 600cc bike engined single seaters, designed and built from scratch by the students).
http://perseus.herts.ac.uk/

HTH

[fid]

Although it's called motorsport engineering, the main focus is still on the maths and science which is relevant to all mechanical engineering degrees. If you're wanting to do it for the 'fun' parts, you might be better off sticking to the US and maybe building your own little racer or something along those lines.

[stormshadow]

rico - would love to, dont think my current schedule will allow me to make it though

Frik -YHM?

mackie - thanks Ill look into it. I did Formula SAE (US equivalent of Formula student)

fid - I have my undergrad degree in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on Automotive Design and Motorsports, and Im accredited here in the US. I did the FSAE stuff while getting my degree. I have already built 3 different racers FSAE and a couple of street modified racers). Only problem is, I cant seem to get a second look from most serious racing companies because of lack of "in-field" time (ie I havent worked with a racing company before), so I was hoping more education and utilizing some of the people I know in racing over here for some serious jobs instead of just helping out. Just needed some other opinions and info.

Thanks all.

>> Edited by stormshadow on Saturday 15th January 06:26

[caduceus]

This could be what you're looking for:
www.brookes.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/automotive

[D_Mike]

They do a course at Oxford Brookes that a lot of F1 teams like I think... Lots of other universities do them too.

A lot of people on these courses are at www.bukc.co.uk

[love machine]

If you are going to undertake such a thing, I would get your maths and "knowledge" up to speed.

I did a degree in chemistry and some aspects of physical chemistry are pretty nasty concept and mathswise. Easy compared to the multifactorial interactions in an engine. You can't just pull a bit out and deal with it in isolation. Very difficult to get your head around, which is why there are so few people like David Vizard.

I enjoy a challenge. Understanding (properly) engines is the biggest one I have had yet. Suspensions are easier though!

[D_Mike]

Aha a chemist...

I'm a synthetic inorganic chemist so luckily I don't have to know too much maths. At the moment I'm trying to get my head round the quantum mechanical basis of NMR, particularly for all those clever polarisation transfer experiments like DEPT and of course NOESY and COSY too. Its doing my head in.

Kinetics isn't too bad, its stuff like "wavefunction of a particle on the surface of a sphere" and all the symetry stuff that did my head in.

anyway, I sruvived my chemistry degree with just a B in GCSE maths

way off topic now.

Well done for doing chemistry though love machine it's clearly the only degree to do.

[love machine]

I'm a Copper I man myself

[AJLintern]

caduceus said:

This could be what you're looking for: www.brookes.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/automotive

Prospectus said:

...some sponsorships are available with the following companies: TWR, Reynard Motorsport, Prodrive and Benetton F1...

They may have done when I was there several years ago, but maybe it's time they updated their prospectus somewhat

>> Edited by AJLintern on Saturday 15th January 11:55

[Lois]

I know UCLan at Preston do it www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/ug/beng_mse.htm

[minimax]

D_Mike said:

They do a course at Oxford Brookes that a lot of F1 teams like I think... Lots of other universities do them too. A lot of people on these courses are at www.bukc.co.uk

a friend of mine does the course at brookes.....one of his lecturers is designing ferrari F1 engines and is a big name in worldwide motorsport - I can't remember his name though!

[busta]

go to <a href>www.ucas.ac.uk</href> and do a course search.

It is the database for all UK universities and they are also the bods who you need to apply through.

Brunel, Coventry, Bristol and Hertfordshire are the main motorsport/automotive uni's.

I would have done motorsport engineering if i could have coped with the maths. Vehicle design at Coventry is a great course, geared towards the design and manufacture of small scale production sports cars if thats your thing. It was my second choice, should have been my first!

Bernie

[D_Mike]

love machine said:

I'm a Copper I man myself

the mid and early transition metals are where its at, you're almost into the P block there and thats perilously close to being organic.

[alextgreen]

Brunel offer a motorsports engineering degree but it's theory based. Although we do have a good motor club (soon to be renamed motorsports club with better facilities )

[stormshadow]

Thanks to everyone for all their help. Ill be sure to check UCAS. My entire focus for my ME degree was on the Student SAE contest so I have had plenty of material science and structures classes as well as more motorsport specific classes. It just seemed to me that not many schools in the states offered a motorsport specific focus and that a UK college might have better connections for working for a GP or Le Mans or F1 team. Any thoughts on this?

[Lois]

It might be worth dropping All Terrain an email. He's doing motorsport enginering atm and has just had his uni team win formula ford!