Automotive Engineering (Off-Highway)

The course

Automotive Engineering is a dynamic and expanding branch of engineering challenged to develop efficient, safe and environmentally sustainable vehicles that meet the needs of a growing and more mobile global population. 

Our course addresses the breadth of vehicle technologies and application with an additional focus on the off-highway vehicle sector which ranges from sports utility vehicles, to construction equipment, to defence vehicles, each of which produces further challenges to the automotive engineer. 

Students will learn about on-road vehicle systems and technologies plus specialist modules will ready our engineers for the additional challenges of the off-highway sector. You will develop your knowledge and engineering skills through contextualised modules and using specialist facilities such as our Soil Hall, Off-road Track, Applied Engineering Workshop and laboratories. There is a wide range of on and off-highway vehicles available for students to use as part of project work and there are also opportunities to get involved with cutting-edge research in autonomous and connected vehicles with Harper Adams Hands Free Farm. 

You wont have to wait to put your learning into practice – you will be a member of a team of engineers from day one engaged with real-world scenarios and projects. Assessment typically includes live industry projects, creating and exhibiting new products, creative portfolios, and applying specialist engineering tools and techniques.  

Supported by an integrated placement year in industry, you will be primed for your future career using personal, technical and professional skills employers have identified with us as critical to your graduate employability in roles such as researching, designing and testing the next generation of vehicles and vehicle systems. 

New programme for 2023

This is one of a series of Harper Adams undergraduate courses undergoing a curriculum refresh to ensure they provide the best content and experience for students and deliver excellent graduates into industry.

Definitive course information will be shared as soon as it is available. The route is currently subject to validation and subject to accreditation. Use the register interest button to sign up and receive full course information as soon as it is available. 

Harper Adams University 2022 engineering courses are accredited by the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, on behalf of the Engineering Council. The new programmes for 2023 will be subject to re-accreditation (see below).

Duration

4 years (full-time) including a one-year work placement. A three year programme is available for applicants with at least two years, full-time relevant work experience. Please contact Admissions for further information on this option.

Teaching and learning

Your first year will focus on core engineering theory, including design skills, engineering mechanics, maths, and materials. Alongside these generic engineering topics, you will also start to learn the fundamental basis for your area of specialism - whether that be automotive or agricultural engineering.

This theoretical content is complemented by a range of free practical skills training in areas such as welding, milling, turning and off highway vehicle operation. This mixture of theoretical and practical skills and knowledge is designed to give you the foundation for your development into a professional engineer.

In the second year you will begin to apply this learning to solving real-life engineering problems. Here you will take part in a design-and-build project that you will also test and evaluate – just as you would as a working engineer.

The industrial work placement undertaken by all students is a central element of your development as a professional engineer. We will help you to find a placement within an organization that closely matches your interests and aspirations. The placement year gives you an opportunity to act in a professional capacity inside a real functioning company. You will spend this year using and developing the skills from the first two years of your course within the context of a commercial organisation.

Your development into an industry ready professional engineer will be further enhanced after placement, where you will complete individual industry/research projects as well as group projects. These will involve delivering solutions to real problems for external clients, to whom you will present your findings, and who will help to mark your projects. 

* During the Covid-19 Pandemic the University is delivering blended learning. Government guidance is being constantly reviewed to establish the learning events which can be delivered face to face. Please refer to our frequently asked questions for further details.

If you need a visa for undergraduate or postgraduate study, you must show evidence that your English Language skills are at B2 level on the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference).

This can be demonstrated by obtaining any of the following qualifications for direct entry on to undergraduate, postgraduate or research qualifications:

Career opportunities in the Automotive sector are outstanding. Our graduates are highly sought-after for their technical knowledge and skills but also their soft skills, essential in a modern engineering environment. BEng students will typically go on to work in design, development and in-service product support roles, delivering solutions or managing engineering teams. Past students have gained employment in multinational manufacturers including Jaguar Land Rover, JCB, Caterpillar and BAE Systems, engineering support services such as HORIBA MIRA and Prodrive, but also small highly specialist companies such as Supacat, Niftylift and Rail-Ability.