This course will equip you with the skills you need to be an accomplished Automotive Engineer. In your first year you'll develop an excellent foundation in engineering, and then from the second year you will specialise in vehicle systems. Automotive Engineering is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) as partially fulfilling the educational requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. Accreditation is an assurance that our courses meet the standards set by the Engineering Council. This is the highest level attainable for any undergraduate course. As well as increased employment potential, graduates from an accredited degree are typically able to fast-track the process of achieving CEng status. Few places have a better claim to a specialism in automotive engineering than the University of Sunderland. As a centre of excellence in Automotive Engineering, we host the Institute for Automotive and Manufacturing Advanced Practice (AMAP). This has allowed us to forge great links with many local industrial companies including the Nissan plan and its supply chain, among others. Automotive Engineering is part of an excellent Engineering Department at the University of Sunderland. According to the National Student Survey 2014, we are ranked: #3 in the UK for Academic Support #5 in the UK for Assessment and Feedback Top 10 in the UK for Teaching Top 10 in the UK for Learning Resources We encourage our students to apply to undertake a year-long placement between the second and final years, although it is not compulsory. In the past, our students have secured paid placements with companies such as Nissan, Jaguar, Vauxhall, Caterham Cars and Tata Steel. 90% of our Automotive Engineering graduates are in a professional or managerial job six months after graduating (source: Unistats 2015). This shows that there is considerable demand among employers for people with the right mix of skills and experience. Destinations of our recent graduates include Ferrari, Triumph, McLaren Automotive, General Motors, Jaguar, Perkins Engines and Parametrics Technology, with graduate pay averaging around £28,000 a year.

Sunderland has a good reputation with employers. Among our engineering and technology graduates who are in employment within six months of graduating, the large majority (85%) are in graduate level jobs. Our recent graduates have gone on to work for companies such as McLaren Automotive, General Motors, Jaguar, Perkins Engines and Parametrics Technology. Other graduates conduct research within major automotive manufacturers such as Ford, Vauxhall and Nissan. Placements: To further enhance employability we encourage you to undertake a 48-week placement between your second and final year. It effectively becomes a third year of a four year course. Placements are paid, with an average salary of £14,000-£18,000 a year depending on your location. Placements are an excellent opportunity to put your learning into practice and understand the context for your new knowledge. The contacts made during placements can also be valuable for future job offers. Examples of companies that have offered placements to Sunderland students include: Jaguar Vauxhall Nissan Caterham Cars Cummins Engines Tata Steel.