MSc in Motorsport Engineering

Our MSc in Motorsport Engineering provides a unique preparation for work in the motorsport industry.

Our location in the heart of the UK motorsport valley, close to most of the Formula 1 teams and their supply chain, gives us unrivalled access to motorsport companies.

Our close links with the industry inform the development and delivery of our courses. You will be taught by lecturers with expertise in the field of motorsport engineering. This includes winning F1 race car designers and world-leading sustainable vehicle engineering researchers.

You can undertake industry-based projects, often in conjunction with our high-standing research. These are based around state-of-the-art automotive test equipment in a purpose-designed engineering building.

You can join Oxford Brookes Racing, our acclaimed Formula Student team. While on the team you can use your theoretical knowledge and understand race culture.

Many of our graduates work with leading motorsport companies, including:

• F1 teams
• Formula E
• major suppliers to the motorsport industry.

Study modules

Compulsory modules

• Crash Impact Modelling (20 credits)
  This module will give you an understanding of materials, components and their structural behaviour when subjected to medium to high impact events. This includes the design, testing and modelling of motorsport components and vehicles with regard to crashworthiness.
• Advanced Vehicle Aerodynamics (20 credits)
  This module focuses on the problem of how to design vehicle shapes and aerodynamic packages that enhance race vehicle performance.
• Laptime Simulation and Race Engineering (20 credits)
  This module looks at advanced race vehicle performance subjects, including lap time simulation, data acquisition, instrumentation and telemetry. You will learn to assess the performance of racing cars, develop strategies to race engineer them and determine their ultimate performance using leading professional lap time simulation software.
• Engineering Business Management (20 credits)
  This module provides you with an understanding of motorsport sponsorship, management skills and the knowledge relevant to the motorsport engineering industry.
• Advanced Vehicle Dynamics (20 credits)
  This module will give you a thorough understanding of the relevant theoretical and practical considerations associated with optimising motorsport vehicle performance. You will learn to apply advanced vehicle dynamic analysis techniques such as the derivative method, learn how to optimise suspension using advanced software methods and then verify your solution on our four-post rig.
• Electric Vehicles (20 credits)
  This module develops a comprehensive understanding of electric vehicles with a focus on advanced vehicle propulsion technology. It covers the analysis, modelling, simulation and control of various electric vehicle architectures with a focus on the powertrain and associated electronics.

Final project

• Msc Dissertation (60 credits)
  The Dissertation is an individual project on a topic from motorsport engineering, offering an opportunity to specialise in a particular area of motorsport. In addition to developing a high level of expertise in a particular area of motorsport, including the use of industry-standard software and/or experimental work, the module will also provide you with research skills, planning techniques, project management. Whilst a wide range of industry-sponsored projects are available (e.g. Dallara, VUHL, Base Performance, McLaren, AVL), students are also able to undertake their own projects in the UK and abroad, to work in close co-operation with a research, industrial or commercial organisation.

The department’s employability record is consistently above 90%, which is significantly above the sector average.

Graduates enjoy the very best employment opportunities, with hundreds of engineering students have gone on to successful careers in the motorsport industry.

Many of our students go on to work with leading motorsport companies, including directly into F1 teams and their suppliers. Our notable alumni include William Morris, founder of Morris cars (Lord Nuffield) and Adrian Reynard, motorsport driver and entrepreneur.

Honorary graduates include:

• Sir John Surtees
• Adrian Newey
• Dr Pat Symonds.