Motorsport Engineering with Foundation Year

Prepare to make your mark in the highly competitive global motorsport industry. Offering vital technical and digital skills alongside practical experience, our BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering puts you on the road to success.

• Set yourself apart as an innovative and resourceful motorsport engineer - ready to work with top teams or high-profile manufacturers
• Not sure on the type of engineering you want to study? Spend the first year covering all aspects of engineering and gain the multi-disciplinary skills and knowledge that employers are looking for
• In year two, you have the option to switch your degree to either BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering or continue studying on BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering
• Our BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering is professionally accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on behalf of the Engineering Council to Partial Chartered Engineer (Partial CEng) level – this means that with further learning after completing this programme (e.g. an accredited MSc programme) you could fully satisfy the academic requirements for becoming a Chartered Engineer
• Hone your skills in our state-of-the-art facilities, including a dedicated workshop space and our computer labs
• Study a wide range of vehicles and systems
• Take part in challenging extra-curricular activities such as Formula Student and Radical SR1 Cup Championship
• Gain inspiring industry insights at exhibitions and race meetings

Foundation Year - helping you to achieve more

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.

Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.

Practical and technical skills

Our teaching facilities benefit from a vast range of vehicles and systems for you to study. Our computer labs host technical software widely used in the motorsport industry for design, modelling and simulation. You'll gain a comprehensive understanding of topics such as advanced power train engineering, motorsport chassis design and computational fluid dynamics.

Facilities include:

• Motorsport Workshop: The workshop is equipped with several different race vehicles, engines and gearboxes where you'll gain hands-on experience. The facility is set up to deliver learning across advanced power train engineering, motorsport chassis design and computational fluid dynamics
• Computer Labs: Computers in these labs host industry-standard software where you'll work on the simulation aspect of vehicle dynamics, computational fluid dynamics and power train
• Mechanical workshop: Equipped with both traditional lathes and milling machines alongside more modern CNC equipment, you'll use this area to gain hands-on experience machining car parts
• Wind Tunnel and Thermodynamics: This practical space contains a wind tunnel and test engine. You'll test the aerodynamics of objects, studying the flow of air or gases around an object in motion
• Makerspace: This creative space can be used to work on any project and turn your ideas into a prototype. All students have access to this space, and it's a fantastic way of sharing knowledge and skills with one another. Equipment available includes 3D printers, CNC machines and a laser cutter

Real-world experience

We give you the opportunity to take part in a range of events where you can gain hands-on experience.

In your second year, lectures, tutorials and assessments are designed around our Radical SR1 race car, giving you the chance to enhance your race car engineering knowledge through practical and simulation work. There's also the opportunity to get involved in track testing and, on some occasions, participate in races.

Formula Student - the world’s biggest student motorsport competition – could also become a highlight of your studies. Team Derby Motorsport entered this competition for the first time in 2015 and won the Formula Student Rookie Team Award. This success resulted in a £3,000 grant for the team from the IMechE. The team will be taking part in the concept class in 2022.

Watch the video below of Team Derby Motorsport at the first round of the 2022 Radical SR1 Cup Championship at Donington Park.

Meeting the needs of the industry and you

Engineering is such a broad discipline, and you may not fully know which area of engineering is the right choice to study when beginning your studies.

Employers are increasingly seeking engineers with a broader knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering to meet their environmental, consumer and business needs. As a University based in an advanced engineering city, it’s vital that we offer degrees with a strong focus on sustainability, electrification and automation.

With this in mind, we have developed our degrees to match the multi-disciplinary requirements that employers are shouting for. All engineering students will take the same core modules in the first year to gain an essential foundation in all aspects of engineering, giving you the chance to settle into your studies, and allowing you time to decide which area suits you best. At the end of your first year, you’ll have the opportunity to switch to either our BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering or BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering degree should you realise your passion falls within this area, or you can continue on BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering.

Industry insight

Together, the teaching team have a range of experience working in the motorsport industry as well as researching current areas of growth. Our research teams work closely with local motorsport engineering companies and our Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Engineering to support and encourage innovation.

• Dr Jianfei Xie: Jianfei teaches and has expertise in computational fluid dynamics. His interests include aerodynamics and the structures of aeroplanes in the aeronautical engineering area
• Professor Zhiyin Yang: Zhiyin is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University. He conducts world-leading research and has published over 100 scientific papers. His teaching covers Thermofluids and advanced computational fluid dynamics
• Dr Shahed Motaman: Shahed’s teaching covers CFD modelling, manufacturing and design and SolidWorks. His research covers a variety of areas including heat transfer simulations and multiphase flow

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Real world learning

There are opportunities for you to go on an optional work placement as part of the BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering.

The course also includes field trips to local race circuits for testing and visits to a number of exhibitions where you can strengthen your professional networks. You will also attend guest lectures as part of the annual IMechE series.

How you are assessed

Assessment is through a mixture of coursework assignments, examinations and formal presentations.

2025 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)

2025/26

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

Our focus is on ensuring you are work-ready and this course will give you the all the confidence and skills you need to progress directly into the international motorsport arena.

Graduates have secured employment with companies like Cosworth, Zytec, JLR, Pirelli and EPM Composites. They have also raced all over the world and worked with international race teams in F1, GP2, FIA-GT and with a variety of national teams. 

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Other courses you might like

• Motorsport Engineering MEng
• Motorsport Engineering BEng (Hons)