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

KEY AREAS OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

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

Automotive safety

Material selection
Crash worthiness

Active and passive safety systems

Human factor engineering and ergonomics

Injury biomechanics

PRESENTED AT IRIS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

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

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

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

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. 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.

UNIVERSITIES IN GERMANY FOR AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

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

LESS EXPLORED DESTINATIONS

SWEDEN 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. 2. 3. 4. University of Leeds- Leeds City University of London- London Loughborough University- Loughborough 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

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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

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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. 2. 3. 4. Global production engineering in solar technology- Berlin university of technology. Masters program in wind engineering- Kiel university of applied sciences Masters program in energy university- FH Aachen university 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

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