Curious about studying Automotive & Transport Design - BA (Hons)at University of Staffordshire? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Stoke-on-Trent Campus
Full Time
Sep 2026
3 Year
Immerse yourself into the world of Automotive & Transport Design on our exciting and industry focused course. You’ll learn a wide-ranging set of design and communication skills, learning from our team of expert academics and professionals in our dynamic design studio, making use of our cutting-edge digital and technical facilities.You’ll design everything from cars, yachts and trains, right through to futuristic concepts for games and film. With access to sector-leading facilities you can visualise your designs using Unreal Engine, Alias, Blender and VRED in our VR labs, Virtual Production Suites and SmartZone.You’ll work with industry giants in the automotive and transportation sector, including Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover and JCB. You’ll apply your skills to collaborative projects with world-renowned brands, building a portfolio of innovative and exciting work that explores the future of the way we travel, designing vehicles for land, sea and air.On the course, you’ll get the opportunity to collaborate with other creative students, including those studying subjects like Games Design, Architecture and Product Design, replicating life in industry where multi-disciplinary teams are common place.Our course is taught by academics with real-world experience, who will be at your side throughout your journey to provide you with the knowledge, skills and support you need to take the first step to a successful career in Transport Design. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to make connections in industry, including at competitions like the Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition, which our students have won three years running.You’ll get the chance to visit leading Design Studios, Manufacturers and Exhibitions both in the UK and internationally on our vibrant Educational Visits, to places like New York, Geneva, Frankfurt and London.On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BA (Hons) Automotive & Transport Design
This module introduces you to CAD (computer-aided design) and digital visualisation, showing how digital tools are used to create and develop design ideas. Youll learn different 3D modelling techniques, including NURBS, polygon and subdivision modelling, to create high-quality vehicle concepts. The module helps you develop smooth surfaces, good proportions, and clear design ideas through rendering, animation, and presentation, while also preparing models for 3D printing. Youll also learn how car brands use design to show their identity and how their style changes over time.
Bring your ideas to life through hands-on making and experimentation. In this module, youll move from concept to prototype as you explore a wide range of workshop practices used across the creative industries. Youll work with materials such as wood, ceramics, metal, automotive clay, and resins, alongside digital processes including 3D printing and laser cutting. By testing, refining, and evolving your ideas through prototyping, youll gain the confidence and practical skills needed to turn creative concepts into realised designs.
This introductory contextual module enables you to explore diverse cultural identities and examine how they influence creative expression. You will choose a topic related to your discipline and undertake guided research that informs the development of a creative artefact or technical output using materials and processes of your choice. Through investigating and celebrating cultural identities, you will develop a stronger understanding of the relationship between culture and creative practice, supporting your transition into higher-level study.
How can creative practice respond responsibly to the challenges facing society today? This module introduces you to key social issues and explores how culture and creative work can reflect, question, and respond to them. You may investigate topics such as sustainability and climate change, inequality, representation, migration, or social justice. Working in a small group, you will create a sustainable and ethical creative project informed by research and contextual understanding. Through reflection, you will develop teamwork, communication, and critical thinking skills that support your growth as a socially aware creative practitioner.
This module builds on your existing design skills and takes your car design work further. Youll explore how proportion, form, and visual language shape the look and feel of cars on an exciting industry aligned brief. Through sketching, research, clay modelling, and digital workflows, youll develop ideas from early concepts through to refined forms. Working with greater independence, youll learn to communicate and justify your design decisions clearly. This module supports your overall course by strengthening the creative, technical, and professional skills needed for future roles in automotive design.
How do creative teams tackle real-world problems together?In this module, youll collaborate in interdisciplinary teams to explore themed, problem-based projects that respond to contemporary social and cultural challenges. Youll develop collaborative, reflective and creative thinking skills through teamwork, co-design and professional-style project processes. By engaging with diverse perspectives and working across creative disciplines, youll gain insight into your own strengths and contributions, supporting your development as a confident, adaptable creative practitioner within your overall qualification and future career.
In this module, youll explore how creative sketching, CAD, game engines and VR support the design process. Youll engage with game and film content for inspiration, before creating your own exciting vehicle concept for a virtual world. Through practical work, youll build your creative and technical skills, learning about narrative and storytelling to visualise and present exciting concept vehicles through video content. Youll learn about the responsible use of AI in design and broaden your understanding of careers for Automotive and Transport Designers.
Is there an area of cultural production that you are passionate about, and you want to find out more? This module gives you that opportunity to conduct a significant critical investigation to explore an aspect of creative practice and culture more deeply than you have before. Whether you produce a written report, an audio essay, or an interactive digital publication, the process that you follow in this module will enable you to further enhance your critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills, and ultimately help you to gain a better understanding of your specialist field.
In this self-directed module, youll develop a major project that reflects your specialist skills, creative ambitions, and professional direction. Through independent research, concept development, and creative outputs, youll work through the full cycle of creative practice, from proposal to resolved outcome. Youll consider audience, context, and industry relevance while refining your work to a professional standard, preparing you for future creative practice or progression within the Creative Industries.
In this module, you explore career pathways, enterprise opportunities, and the expectations of the creative and cultural sectors. Youll learn how to communicate your ideas professionally, develop your portfolio, and build skills in networking, planning, and self-promotion. Through investigating different professional contexts, youll identify where your strengths and personal style fit within the wider landscape of employment, freelance work, or postgraduate progression. By the end, youll feel more confident, independent, and ready to take informed next steps towards your chosen creative career.
CCC Grades/points required
Not currently available, please Contact University for up to date information.
4.2
