What to Automotive Engineers Do?

Automotive engineering is a specialised branch of mechanical engineering which focuses on the design, manufacture and testing of both commercial and high performance race vehicles. It is the biggest sector of engineering in South Australia (and Victoria) and offers many career prospects both nationaly and internationaly.

Our automotive engineering students will develop a strong fundamental understanding of mechanicaal engineering, as well as specialised knowledge in automotive design, materials, manufacturing, safety and quality managemnent systems. Towards this aim, the first two years of automotive engineering are identical to those in the degree of Mechanical Engineering. However, the courses become far more specialised and directly pertinent to automotive engineering in the 3rd and 4th year. These courses will include: Advanced Computer Aided Engineering, Automotive Combustion Technology, Automotive power train and vehicle dynamics, Manufacturing Engineering, Automotive Design and Communication, , Automotive NVH & Aerodynamics, Automotive Electrical and Electronic Systems, Finance for Automotive Engineers, Automotive Safety, Industrial Design, Advanced Manufacturing and Quality Systems and The Automotive Design Project.

Formula SAE has been a popular choice for the final year project and will become an integral part of the automotive syllabus. In this engineering challenge, our students raise sponsorship, design, build, test and then race a formula style car against many other national and internationl universities. Students excercise their engineering know-how, while developing skills in project management, financial control and quality. While the event itself is sponsored by Mitsubishi, Ford, Toyota and Holden, our local industries regularly sponsor our team in recognition of the project's immense value. For more information see the Formula SAE web site.

This degree will provide a pathway towards a career in automotive engineering in which opportunities will exist in many areas of technical specialisation and management. For more information on career opportunities, please follow our link to Employment Prospects.

Automotive engineers are engineers that have chosen to specialise in the vibrant area of automotive engineering. The industry itself is extremely diverse and will offer a multitude of opportunities. These may include:

• Research and development to produce innovative vehicles
• Component and module design for new vehicles
• Testing of new vehicles
• Design using advanced engineering materials and computer modelling
• Design and development of tooling
• Development of advanced manufacturing methods
• Development of engineering systems and work practices
• Management of an engineering team
• Membership of a Formula one, V8 Super car or rally car race team