Fontys University of Applied Sciences

Bachelor in Automotive Engineering

Year 1

The first year is primarily focused on orienting your studies and future profession. You’re introduced to the automotive engineer’s broad domain and you establish an initial theoretical basis that will enable you to start working as an automotive engineer in the future. The lectures cover the theory which you can immediately apply in practical assignments and projects. Examples of the subjects covered:

• Motor dynamics
• Vehicle dynamics
• Control engineering
• Mechanics
• Materials science

Mathematics is a common thread throughout your studies. We’ll help you with additional lectures should you require any help with mathematics. From the very first day of the Automotive introduction week, there is the Pressure Cooker Week. During this week, you will be introduced to the Automotive Project Courses (APJ), where you will work in a small team of students. There are a total of 8 project modules within the first two years of the program.

Year 2

Starting in the second academic year, you’ll expand your automotive knowledge and engineering skills, and you’ll increasingly gain insight into the connection between certain subjects. The thinking process becomes more abstract and projects become more complicated, but they challenge you to engage in creative, out-of-the-box thinking.

You’ll do all of this in collaboration with your fellow students. In addition to taking specific automotive subjects in the engineering domain – including motor dynamics, vehicle dynamics, vehicle electrical engineering, and motor management systems – you’ll also learn more about mechanics, thermodynamics, electrical engineering and process control systems.

Year 3

From the third academic year onwards, you’ll specialize in several ways to focus on your specific interests.

Internship

In one half of the third academic year, you’ll spend 20 weeks doing an internship. This is the perfect opportunity for you to put into practice what you have learned during your study program. You’re entering the job market! You’ll complete an internship at a company in the Netherlands or abroad. Of course, we will assist you in choosing your internship.

Minor

One half of this academic year, you’ll follow a minor program. All Fontys full-time bachelor’s degree programs consist of a major and a minor. The major is the core of the program and serves as your main study field, whereas your minor is an elective program of one semester. As a full-time student, you can choose a Fontys minor in any discipline or a minor offered by Automotive, Electric Drive, or Motorsport Engineering. Minors outside of Fontys UAS and/or abroad are also possible. The choice is yours!

Year 4

In the first semester of the fourth year, the program focuses on AutomotiveNL, the cluster organization for the Dutch automotive industry, mobility sector, and automotive education sector:

Smart mobility (traffic safety and vehicle systems, advanced driver assistance systems)
Future power trains (hybrid drives, electrical drives, motors with exhaust after-treatment systems)
The second semester of the final year will be your graduation internship period. You’ll work and study at a company and write a bachelor’s thesis as a concluding project. At the end of the program, you’ll have achieved 240 credits and be granted a Bachelor’s of Science degree.

Related Courses

In addition to Automotive, Fontys University of Applied Sciences offers technical programmes in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mechatronics, and Mechanical Engineering.

What are you going to learn?

The automotive engineer of the future is an “out of the box” thinker who can connect complex and different professional disciplines. Our program prepares you to be the best! After your studies, you’ll be able to understand, interpret, connect, and integrate the complex challenges of transport concepts, sustainability and technology.

• You will get a mix between theory and practice.
• Cooperation with companies
• Hard and soft skills: you’ll learn to design, collaborate, plan, and think creatively and respectfully in a multi-cultural environment.
• Various and diverse subjects are included, such as mechanics, thermodynamics, electrical engineering, measurement and control technology, engine dynamics, vehicle dynamics, vehicle electrical engineering, materials, and engine management systems.

This study programme offers excellent perspective for finding a good job at one of the many automotive companies in the heart of the Brainport automotive sector or organisations abroad! Automotive engineers are currently in high demand everywhere in the world. A few examples of sectors you may work in:

• You might have a client who can use your creativity to provide its customers with vehicles that fully automate the loading process.
• You can contribute to developments in busses so that a bus can easily be steered through traffic via a wireless network (involving challenges in data communication).
• Or you can work on adjustments in vehicles that make them more comfortable for the handicapped.
• You can work in innovative companies like DAF or VDL

Continuing your studies

Of course, you can also continue studying and take a master's course at Fontys or a technical university. Fontys offers master's degrees in Digital Technology Engineering and in System Design.

Agreements have been made with Technical University Eindhoven (TU/e) for a special programme, which makes it easy to move on to a master's programme at the TU/e.