Karthiek Nagaraj

PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

WHY AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING?

Its scope is irrefutable and job prospects are very strong in any part of the
world. Also the prospect of returning to India to work is bright as the indian
automotive industry is making tremendous progress.

It is a stream which blends passion for vehicles and technical knowledge,
thus making it all the more interesting.

It is an interdisciplinary field which encompasses mechanical engineering,
electrical and electronics engineering and software engineering. This again
adds to the interest factor.

A multitude of research options are on offer, especially in hybrid powertrains
and fuel cells.

PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 2
Vehicle Propulsion
Internal combustion engines

Hybrid propulsion systems

Fuel cells
Powertrain dynamics and
control
Advanced transmission
systems

Drivetrain control systems

NVH modelling
Vehicle dynamics
Handling response

Terrain modelling
Automotive body structures
Material selection

Crash worthiness
Automotive safety
Active and passive safety
systems

Human factor engineering
and ergonomics

Injury biomechanics
KEY AREAS OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 3
TYPES OF PROGRAMS
Masters in Mechanical engineering with specialization in Automotive
engineering
A Mechanical engineering degree will be awarded.
Meant for students who are interested only in few aspects of automotive engineering.
Choose universities which have CARs (Center for automotive research) and engine research
laboratories.
A large number of universities offer this type of program
Masters in Automotive engineering
Meant for students who are interested in a highly specialized interdisciplinary program.
Very few universities offer this type of program.
PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 4
PROFILE BUILDING
As universities offering automotive engineering are limited, competition is intense. Good
academic credentials are therefore vital.
A high CGPA with excellent grades in core automotive subjects like automobile
engineering, thermal engineering, design of transmission systems.

Good GRE , TOEFL/IELTS scores.

Projects and publications related to automotive engineering.

Present papers in technical symposiums.

Participation in SAE activites.

A brilliant statement of purpose throwing light on your passion for the field. A lot of
research is to be done to identify areas of interest.
Warning: A bad SOP could seriously hamper your chances of admission.
PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 5
DESTINATION
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
PROS

Unparalleled quality of education.
Dominates the university ranking table single-handedly.
Flexible education system offering a wide range of subjects to choose from.
Home to a large number of research centers set up by major players in the automotive
industry.
Good job prospects compared to European countries.

CONS

Very high fees especially in the University of Michigan, Ohio state university which are
excellent for automotive engineering.

PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 6
TOP RANKED UNIVERSITIES IN USA FOR AUTOMOTIVE
ENGINEERING

MASTERS IN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
1. University of Michigan Ann Arbor
2. Ohio state university- Columbus
3. Clemson university- Greenville


MASTERS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING WITH AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALIZATION
1. Virginia Tech- Blacksburg
2. University of Minnesota- Twin Cities
3. University of Maryland- College Park
4. Michigan state university- East Lansing
5. Purdue university- West Lafayette
6. Texas A&M university- College station

PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 7
A COMMON MISCONCEPTION

If I pursue masters in automotive engineering in the USA, my dreams of working for
BMW, Mercedes Benz or Audi will go down the drain
LETS GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT

The USA is the largest market for BMW and Mercedes Benz. These German giants,
therefore have invested a fortune in setting up research centers and testing facilities in
North America. These centers contribute significantly to employment in the automotive
sector in USA.

The German manufacturers have tie-ups with American universities, thereby
contributing to internships and jobs. Specific examples:
1. Audi- University of Michigan collaboration for research on vehicle safety.
2. BMWs ICAR (International Center for Automotive Research)- established at Clemson
University.
3. Volkswagens ERL (electronic research laboratory) at Silicon valley, California.

Apart from these, Mercedes Benz, Honda, Toyota all have state of the art research
facilities in Michigan and California.
PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 8
GERMANY





PROS

Simply the best in the business. The Germans make world domination machines.
Superior automotive technology compared to USA and Japan.
Pioneers in eco-friendly technology. So it is the place to go if this field draws your
interest.
Many universities work in close harmony with the industry.
Job prospects are better compared to other European countries and engineers from
India and China are in demand.
The costs involved are very low as free education is a right in Germany. Total course can
be completed with a budget of about 8-10 lakhs.

CONS

If you are planning to choose Germany, you will have to select universities which offer
programs in english as pursuing masters with German as the medium of instruction is
close to impossible. Such universities are very limited.
There are issues with the quality of education.
There are only 3 german universities in the top 100 for engineering and technology.
In Germany, you have technical universities and universities of applied sciences. You are
not elligible to do Ph.D if you choose to study in the latter.

German language is the single major barrier. It is by no means easy. So get a very good
command over german if you want to work there. Also, some universities require Test DAF,
the German equivalent of TOEFL/IELTS.
The courses are very specific in nature. For example, there is not a single university there
which lets you do your masters in mechanical engineering, while specializing in
automotive engineering. So you have to be very clear in what you want to do.
Have a back up plan if you choose Germany as this year a program has been put to hold
due to accreditation processes.

UNIVERSITIES IN GERMANY FOR AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

1. Rheinisch-Westflische Technische Hochschule (RWTH)- Aachen
2. Hochschule Esslingen Esslingen
3. Hochschule Ingolstadt- Ingolstadt
4. Fachhochschule Aachen- Aachen

Note:

Work experience is highly valued in Germany and increases your chances of admission.
Start learning german early. Two levels of german is mandatory. The more you know,
the better.
SWEDEN
LESS EXPLORED DESTINATIONS
1. Chalmers University of Technology- Gothenburg
2. KTH Royal Institute of Technology- Stockholm

CANADA
1. University of Windsor- Windsor
2. University of Ontario Institute of Technology- Oshawa
NETHERLANDS
Eindhoven University of Technology
THE UNITED KINGDOM
1. University of Leeds- Leeds
2. City University of London- London
3. Loughborough University- Loughborough
4. Coventry University - Coventry
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED
1. Race engineering/ Motorsport engineering
2. Automotive body design
RACE ENGINEERING
Deals with race engines, advanced vehicle dynamics, chassis tuning, precision
manufacturing, team management and logistics, etc
Possible entry into world rally championship (WRC), Nascar or even Formula 1.

A high risk field though, and one has to be exceptionally good to succeed.
Job prospects are very weak.
The degree is almost useless in India.

The United Kingdom is the place to go for such programs as most racing teams are based
in the UK. Following universities offer masters program in race engineering.
1. Cranfield University
2. Coventry University
3. Brookes University
PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 12
AUTOMOTIVE BODY DESIGN
You need exceptional creativity to succeed in this extremely competitive field.
Deals with automotive design language, stages in automotive design, aerodynamic
designs, manufacturability, etc.

Automotive design is offered in universities which have an industrial design program.
Following are universities which offer a masters program exclusively in this field

1. Chalmers University- Sweden
2. IAAD- Turin, Italy
3. IED- Milan, Italy
4. DYP- DC institute- Pune, India.

Lots of information on this field can be found on www.carbodydesign.com

Popular automotive styling packages include:
1. Catia automotive class A surface module
2. Autodesk alias automotive

PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 13
BUILDING INTEREST LOOKING BEYOND THE TEXTBOOKS
USING THE INTERNET
www.carbibles.com
www.gizmag.com/automotive/
Websites of car manufacturers
TV SHOWS AND MAGAZINES
Top gear
Megafactories
Formula one

Top gear India
Autocar India
GAMING
Simulation racing will teach you certain aspects of vehicle dynamics in the most exciting
manner.
Try out Race injection, GTR racing, F12007.
PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 14
MASTERS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS
Germany is going green by 2022; make the most out of it.
The country has planned to phase out nuclear power and has therefore invested a
fortune in renewable energy sources.
Lots of research on this field is currently in progress there.
Unlike automotive engineering programs, programs in energy systems are offered by
quite a number of universities.Popular programs include:

1. Global production engineering in solar technology- Berlin university of technology.
2. Masters program in wind engineering- Kiel university of applied sciences
3. Masters program in energy university- FH Aachen university
4. Post-graduate program in renewable energy- University of Oldenburg.

For futher details, register in the edulix forum (www.edulix.com) and contact Nithin
Sreenivasan (User name JT_Daniel). He is currently doing his masters in energy systems
in FH Aachen university, Germany.
PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 15