Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026
Full time: 12 months
Part time: 24 months
Location: Headington
Overview
On our postgraduate Motorsport Engineering course, you’ll get the right blend of practical experience and theory to prepare you for a career in motorsport. You will have full access to our specialist automotive labs, which double as your research and learning spaces.
You’ll also want to get the most out of our facilities, including the High Voltage Energy Storage lab, driving simulator, the Joining Technology Research Centre, and #OxfordMetaverse, our virtual reality space. And you can explore your interests through research groups and extra-curricular activities like Formula Student.
Many Formula One and Formula E teams are near Oxford, in the UK’s motorsport valley. You’ll have unrivalled access to the industry. Speakers will visit and share up to date insight on what’s going on in motorsport. You can apply their experience and expertise in technology, production and management to your projects.
This course is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Why Oxford Brookes University?
-
Gain practical skills
Join Oxford Brookes Racing, Formula Student Team - who’ve been the top UK team and won the design award more times than any other UK university. You’ll develop skills in designing, building and racing vehicles. Watch more about how the OBR car is designed.
-
Get industry insights
This course is taught by Formula One professionals, with a working knowledge of the industry.
-
Speak to recruiters
Prospective employers visit Oxford Brookes as part of our Industrial Lecture series, letting you explore your career options.
-
Brand new facilities
All Engineering and Motorsport courses are moving from the Wheatley Campus to brand new, custom designed buildings at our main Headington site. These buildings will open in the 2024/25 academic year. You'll benefit from state-of-the-art facilities and equipment including a VR cave and material science labs, composite lab, autodynamics workshop and wind tunnel, as well as social learning spaces, teaching rooms and cafe space.
-
Great location
Oxford is home to lots of high-tech businesses, and is located in the heart of the motorsport valley. We also have excellent links with the industry.
-
Accreditation(s)
This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) for the purpose of meeting the further learning requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer. This course is also accredited by The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). We are seeking re-accreditation with IET and IMechE in October 2025.
Course details
Course structure
The course features specialist motorsport modules including Advanced Vehicle Dynamics and Aerodynamics. You’ll discover how to design, test and model motorsport vehicles in crash scenarios, create race engineering strategies and learn about motorsport sponsorship and management.
For your dissertation, you will research an aspect of motorsport engineering that you’re passionate about. And you will hone your project management, planning and research skills in doing so.
You can work on your own project, collaborating with a research or commercial organisation of your choice. Or you can take on an industry-sponsored project from a company such as AVL.
Study modules
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Research
The emphasis in our research groups is producing high-quality research for the real world. Our industry-focused research includes an award-winning project with Yasa Motors and BMWi development.
Staff have close links with industry through research projects and consultancies. This includes the Dallara single-seater electric racer design project. You can find out more on our department research pages.
The results of the most recent REF (2014) exercise showed that 96% of research in the department is internationally recognised, and 57% was judged to be of world leading quality or internationally excellent. More specifically, 50% of the impact case studies returned were judged to be internationally excellent, and 72% of the research outputs were judged to be internationally excellent or world leading.
Careers
Our graduates are enjoying success working for national and international companies. These include:
- McLaren Formula One,
- Red Bull Formula One,
- Scuderia Ferrari,
- Mercedes AMG HPP,
- Williams Advanced Engineering,
- Xtrac,
- Triumph Motorbikes,
- Hyundai World Rally Team.
If you need any help with your career, you can use our careers support system.
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
You should normally hold a first degree equivalent to at least a British lower second-class bachelor's degree in mechanical, automotive or motorsport engineering or a related discipline. Applicants with relevant professional experience will also be considered.
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
If your first language is not English you will require a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 6.0 in all components.
OR
An equivalent English language qualification acceptable to the University.
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.
Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.
If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
International qualifications and equivalences
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Compulsory costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| Personal protective equipment for engineering labs. | £25-40 |
Optional costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
If you are considering bringing your own computer, most of the software we use is on Windows machines though there is some use of Linux. We do not use Apple MacOS and their use is not required but some students do choose to bring MacOS machines so a Mac can be a viable choice if you so wish.
|
£500-1200 |
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
| You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. | £20-60 per book |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £10 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.