Automotive Engineering (with placement year) BEng (Hons)
Loughborough University
Student rating
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( 4.5) View reviews

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Different course options
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Qualification

Bachelor of Engineering (with Honours) - BEng (Hon)

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Location

Main Site

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Study mode

Sandwich

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Start date

SEP-25

time
Duration

4 Years

Course info

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Qualification

Bachelor of Engineering (with Honours) - BEng (Hon)

Location

Main Site

Study mode

Sandwich

Start date

SEP-25

Duration

4 Years

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Subjects

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Mechanical Engineering
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Exam type

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A level
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Scottish Advanced Higher
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Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
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Extended Project
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International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
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Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
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Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
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Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
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T Level
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Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
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Location

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England
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Scotland
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Wales
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Northern Ireland
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EU
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Course info

In the past five years, automotive technologies have undergone remarkable changes. Electrification and connectivity are now at the centre of the future of the industry. Manufacturers are adapting their engineering practices to meet these evolving demands. They face substantial pressure to streamline development timelines and cut costs by embracing digital engineering processes. The Automotive Engineering programme at Loughborough is designed to equip you with specialised knowledge in areas ...Read more

In the past five years, automotive technologies have undergone remarkable changes. Electrification and connectivity are now at the centre of the future of the industry. Manufacturers are adapting their engineering practices to meet these evolving demands. They face substantial pressure to streamline development timelines and cut costs by embracing digital engineering processes. The Automotive Engineering programme at Loughborough is designed to equip you with specialised knowledge in areas directly aligned with the dynamic automotive industry and the future of ground transportation.Our Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering (one of only two in the UK) has been teaching Automotive Engineering and working with major UK industries for over fifty years. This course is based on our heritage of working alongside industry. From the outset, we make use of automotive-specific examples in teaching engineering fundamentals. This is an approach that differs from many other automotive engineering courses in the UK. Our ongoing exchange of knowledge with industry ensures that our taught courses are immediately relevant to the problems faced by industry today.This course covers topics related to new powertrain architectures and specialist modules including Battery Technology and Machine Intelligence. The course also covers more foundational topics such as Aerodynamics, Materials, Structures and Experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics. These provide you with a comprehensive knowledge of the underlying and unchanging physics of automotive systems essential to modern automotive engineering.As an automotive engineer, you will make extensive use of your theoretical and analytical skills. It is also important for you to be able to appreciate the more practical aspects of engineering. Practical activities are integral to our course. For example, you will spend a week at HORIBA MIRA proving ground where you will learn how to collect and analyse vehicle handling, off-road dynamics, noise measurement, braking performance and wet weather driving data. This and many other ‘hands-on’ activities will enable you to put the theory you have learned into practice.Teamwork and management skills are critical to you as you develop your career and move to more senior positions. During the course you will have many opportunities to develop these skills, including working as part of a team to design a vehicle of the future. In your final year you will manage your own original research project to solve a real-world engineering problem. As these courses are taught within the Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, our teaching staff are engaged in exciting research into air and ground transport which helps keep our course up-to-date. We bring together outstanding facilities, superb teaching, and strong links with industry to make sure you are completely ready for your future career.


What's the difference between MEng and BEng?

The first two years of the BEng and MEng Automotive Engineering degree share the same format and structure, with a high level of fundamental engineering and automotive specific subjects from day one and examples tuned to your interest.The MEng courses differ from the BEng by offering the opportunity to study topics in more detail with the option to study a modern language. You can choose whether to take a placement year. The MEng course takes four years to complete, or five years with a placement year, while the BEng takes three years, or four years with a placement. The placement is normally taken after the second year, but MEng students can opt to take it after the third year.It is possible to transfer from a BEng to an MEng up to the end of the second year, providing that the transfer progression criteria

Key stats

WUSCA ranking:
WUSCA student ranking
These are the 2024 rankings, based on ratings given by past and current students.
14/101
CUG Subject Ranking
CUG Subject Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2025
13th
CUG Ranking
CUG Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2025
6th
Mechanical Engineering
Drop-out rate
Drop-out rate
The percentage of students who didn't finish the course.
Calculated by 100% - (% of students continuing course + % of students completed course)
100 - 100 = 0% Drop-out rate Source: UNISTATS, 2019
0%
Employment rate
Employment rate
The percentage of students in full-time work 6 months after finishing their course.
Source: UNISTATS, 2019
85%
Average salary
Average salary
Source: UNISTATS, 2019
Mechanical Engineering graduate salary at this uni
£28,000
UK Mechanical Engineering graduate salary
£26,000
What students say
Y
Yu-Cheng
15 Nov 24

best: the sporty environment worst: the location..Read more

N
Nandagopal
12 Nov 24

The best aspect is the university support in every aspect, feels good to have someone talk. If I could get a part time at Uni, it would be the..Read more

Modules

Modules (Year 1)
Modules (Year 2)
Modules (Year 3)
Module Options
IDP Connect

Entry requirements

Exam type

A level

A level:

AAB Grades / Points required

Scottish Advanced Higher:

AB Grades / Points required

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal:

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

Extended Project:

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme:

35 Grades / Points required

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017):

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016):

D Grades / Points required

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016):

DDD Grades / Points required

T Level:

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015):

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

AAB including Maths and Physics

AB including Maths and Physics, plus Highers at AB grades

We consider applicants offering Pre-U Principal Subjects or a combination of the Pre-U and A levels, provided a minimum of three subjects overall are taken. We recognise the benefit of the Global Perspectives and Research (GPR) course in developing independent study and research skills. While we would consider this as evidence of motivation to study a specific subject in more depth, we do not generally include it as part of our offer conditions. However, it may be used to further consider an application upon receipt of final examination results.

We recognise the benefit of the Extended Project in developing independent research and critical thinking skills. We would consider this as evidence of motivation to study a specific subject in more depth, and while we do not generally include it as part of our offer conditions, it may be used to further consider an application upon receipt of final examination results. www.lboro.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry-requirements/

35 (6,6,5 HL) including Maths and Physics at HL

This qualification is accepted in combination with other qualifications. For details please contact Loughborough University

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate Grade Distinction, plus A Level Maths and Physics Grades AB in any orderPreferred subjects: Engineering or Mechanical

A Level Maths Grade B plus BTEC National Extended Diploma in Engineering or Mechanical Engineering DDD.

For 2025 entry, the following T Levels are currently being considered on a case by case basis. More information can be found on our website at https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry-requirements/

Applicants taking the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma will be asked to achieve the A level requirements for their course as part of their qualification. The Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted alongside two A levels providing individual course entry and subject requirements are met. www.lboro.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry-requirements/

Popular A-level subjects

Mechanical Engineering

Top 5 A-levels taken by students who study this subject at uni.

Mathematics
96%
Physics
94%
Further Mathematics
30%
Chemistry
30%
Geography
8%
HESA

Tuition fees

Students living in

England

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from England

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Scotland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Wales

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Northern Ireland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£28,600 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from EU

This is the fee you pay if you live within the European Union. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within the European Union. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£28,600 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from International

This is the fee you pay if you are an International student. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£28600 Per year

UCAS/IDP Connect

Latest reviews

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Y
Yu-Cheng
15 Nov 24
Automotive Engineering (with placement year) BEng (Hons)
best: the sporty environment worst: the location...
Read more
N
Nandagopal
12 Nov 24
The best aspect is the university support in every aspect, feels good to have someone talk. If I could get a part time at Uni, it would be the...
Read more
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Uni info

Loughborough University
Loughborough University , Loughborough

Loughborough’s research has impact, solving real-life challenges and being awarded seven Queen’s Anniversary Prizes along the way....

Student rating
( 4.5) View reviews
CUG ranking
6th

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Loughborough University
Ashby Road Loughborough Leicestershire LE11 3TU United Kingdom
Nearest train station: Loughborough  1.1 miles away
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