University of Sunderland

Low Carbon Vehicle Technology

* Exceptions may apply.  Please see Fees and Finance for further information.

Introduction

Please note: This programme will run from September 2013.

Are you a professional engineer? Do you want to gain a qualification that will lead directly to a career in one of the most exciting new areas of vehicle technology?

This MSc programme is the first of its kind in the UK. It has been developed in close collaboration with the automotive industry to equip you with the specific skills you need to develop a career in Low Carbon Vehicle Technology economy.

Following close collaboration with industry, this programme has been designed around a Work Based Learning (WBL) structure. You will attend lectures and seminars at the University to develop core engineering skills and knowledge at the University, and then apply this knowledge with workplace-based training.

The programme builds on the University's existing strengths and expertise in Automotive Engineering within the Department of Computing, Engineering and Technology; and in Low Carbon Vehicle Engineering within the Institute for Automotive, Manufacturing Advanced Practice (AMAP).

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Course Content

Stage 1
Postgraduate Certificate (PgC)

• Electric Vehicle Technology
• Vehicle Engineering
• Environmental Awareness
• Case Study I

Stage 2
Postgraduate Diploma (PgD)

• Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technology
• Lightweight Materials for Vehicles
• Case Study II

Stage 3
Masters (MSc)

• Project

Note that these modules can be taken over either a 2 or 3 year period.

The programme offers a high degree of flexibility, and students can transfer between the 2-year and 3-year schemes. This allows students to fit the course around any changes in their employment throughout the period of study.

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Entry Requirements

Entry requirements are flexible. Applications will be evaluated on: academic achievement, professional and/or occupational experience and achievement, and personal qualities appropriate to the level of programme.

Please note that students on this programme must already be employed in a company involved in the Low Carbon Vehicle industry.

The employer must be formally involved in the admission process for one of their employees to register on this programme. This is necessary because the employer must confirm responsibilities for: releasing the student for the lecture periods of study at the University, providing time and facilities to undertake the work based study elements, and providing an industrial mentor for the work-based case studies and project.

It is important that the company is involved in some aspect of Low Carbon Vehicle Technology, so that it can offer work-based study which is directly relevant to the course.

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Fees and Finance

The fees for this course are as specified in the table at the top of the page.

Please note that different fees apply to students studying for "Equivalent or Lower Qualifications" (ELQs). For more information about ELQs, please see the page Information for applicants who already have an HE Qualification.

For information about University scholarships and bursaries please see the page Fees and Finance.

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Teaching and Assessment

Each year of study involves work-based assignments, case studies or project work. This work is managed between the academic and industrial supervisor, with agreed aims and scope at the outset.

All assessment is continuous and based on coursework, case studies, assignments and reports. Students will have both an academic and industrial mentor and access to all the university learning facilities.

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Work Experience

Students on this programme must already be employed in a company involved in the Low Carbon Vehicle industry because much of the study is based on work-based learning, involving assignments, case studies and projects carried out in the workplace.

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Career Opportunities

Low Carbon Vehicle Technology is one of the fastest growing areas in the automotive industry. The MSc programme at Sunderland is the first in the UK to address the training needs of professional engineers working in this industry sector.

This work-based MSc provides an opportunity for up-skilling professional engineers who typically will have been trained to graduate level in conventional mechanical or electrical/electronic engineering.

It offers a professional qualification to assist with career enhancement within this industrial sector, and offers opportunities for further prospects as the number of companies in the Low Carbon Vehicle economy grows.

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Supplemental Information

This programme has been developed through extensive discussions with the local low carbon vehicle industry in the North East, in particular:

• One North East
• ComeSys Ltd
• AVID Vehicles
• SEVCON Ltd
• Smith Electric Vehicles Ltd
• Liberty Electric Vehicles
• HiLTech Developments Ltd

The proposed programme fits in well with several current regional strategic initiatives:

• Draft Sunderland Economic Masterplan, which views the city as playing a key role in the growth and technology development of the Electric Vehicle industry
• North East announced as the UK's first Low Carbon Economic Area (LCEA)
• Investment in Nissan's European Centre of Excellence for Battery Technology at Sunderland 

The MSc programme is guided and advised by an Industrial Steering Group comprising industrialists and academics.

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Facilities

*World Class Web/Design Tools*
The University of Sunderland has made a significant investment in providing students with access to the latest releases of Adobe products.

Selected PCs within the St Peter's and Murray Libraries have been pre-loaded with the Creative Suite 4 (CS4) Adobe Design Premium Suite for your exclusive use.

CS4 Creative includes key products such as Indesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver as well as Photoshop and a range of many others.

Further information is available from:

http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/creativesuite/design/
For information regarding locations of PC or Macs within your own faculty that have access to Adobe products please contact your Faculty IT Support.

If you are interested in purchasing Adobe products for your own PC/Mac Adobe offer significant savings for student purchases via any of its approved re-sellers.

Please visit:

http://www.student-software.co.uk/

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