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Studying motorsport engineering degree guide 

Simply put, motorsport engineers design, build and test motor racing cars and bikes. Read our guide to learn about studying motorsport engineering at uni.

Eleanor Foulds
by Eleanor Foulds

If you’re passionate about motorsports and how racing vehicles work, look and perform then a motorsport engineering degree might be the perfect course for you to do at uni. You’ll learn about different engineering principles that are directly linked to motorsport, use state-of-the-art teaching facilities and develop important technical and digital skills that are needed for a job in motorsport engineering. Most degrees include exciting practical experiences and you could even end up doing a placement at a company like Mercedes or Red Bull Racing.

Find motorsport engineering courses.

What do you need to get onto a motorsport engineering degree?


The ranges of entry requirements for a motorsport engineering degree are as follows:

  • UCAS points: 104–120
  • A-levels: BBB–BCC
  • Scottish Highers: AABB–BBBB
  • BTEC Nationals: DDM–DMM
  • International Baccalaureate: 31–26

You’ll often need to have an A-level (or equivalent) in maths, as well as a science, like physics, chemistry, electronics or engineering etc.

Find out how to apply to uni through UCAS.

Learn how to write a winning personal statement.

What motorsport engineering degrees can you study?


Motorsport engineering degrees you can study include:

  • BEng Motorsport Engineering
  • BEng Automotive & Motorsport Engineering
  • BEng Motorsport Technology
  • BSc Motorsport Technology
  • MEng Motorsport Engineering

Learn about the different types of undergraduate courses.

What topics does a motorsport engineering degree cover?


Common modules for motorsport engineering include:

  • Engineering design and management
  • Dynamics
  • Race car anatomy
  • Thermo-fluids
  • Engineering science
  • Vehicle design
  • Engineering design
  • Vehicle systems
  • Engineering mathematics
  • Propulsion
  • Vehicle dynamics
  • Structural mechanics and materials

What do you learn studying a motorsport engineering degree?


Studying a motorsport engineering degree will help you gain industry-specific skills like:

  • Design and drawing techniques
  • Engineering principles specific to motorsport
  • Motorsport construction principles and techniques

More general, transferable skills you’ll pick up include:

  • Problem-solving
  • Decision making
  • Innovation
  • Team working
  • Communication
  • Research
  • Attention-to-detail
  • Data management and analysis
  • Report-writing
  • Analysing trends
  • Time management
  • Data handling
  • Observation and analysis

What professional accreditations can you get with a motorsport engineering degree?


Motorsport engineering courses will often be accredited by organisations like the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) or the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

What can you do with a motorsport engineering degree?


It’s common for graduates who’ve studied motorsport engineering to go on to work for companies that are involved in different motorsports, including Formula 1, IndyCar, Nascar and Moto GP etc. Roles can include:

Graduates can also use their motorsport engineering degree to do other jobs in roles like:

Check out our careers guides here.

Where to study motorsport engineering?


Check the latest ranking of unis offering mechanical engineering and other engineering courses.

How long is a motorsport engineering degree?


A motorsport engineering degree usually takes three years to study. However, many unis will give the option of a sandwich year (a placement in industry), which will increase the course to four years. You could also do an MEng course that includes a master’s year. These courses take four or five years to study, depending on whether or not you decide to do a placement year.

How will you be assessed?


Motorsport engineering courses usually involve assessment through:

  • Exams
  • Coursework
  • Presentations
  • Formal reports
  • Interviews
  • Portfolios
  • Dissertation

What are the postgraduate opportunities?


After doing a motorsport engineering degree, your options for further study could include: 

  • MSc Motorsport Engineering
  • MSc Advanced Motorsport Engineering
  • MSc Automotive and Motorsport Engineering
  • MSc Advanced Motorsport Mechatronics

What alternatives are there to a motorsport engineering degree?


Not sure if a motorsport engineering degree is right for you? Check out these related subjects:

Find motorsport engineering courses.