Welcome back to the blog, January is over already and we have a relatively short month in February.
This month I am going to carry on where I left off in January and will cover course choice before and after undergraduate study and study modes.

When you leave school at 16, there are many options for you, and when you complete your Bachelors degree, there are further options beyond this. The table below shows you the opportunities available at each level of study. Note, this is a list of available qualification offered broadly, not motorsport and automotive specific.

When considering a motorsport degree, the main option when leaving school would be to carry out either A-levels, or an Extended Diploma in either Engineering or Motorsport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A-levels can be studied in 6th Form or at a college, subjects considered should include: Maths, Physics, Engineering or a Technology based subject.
An Extended Diploma (with BTEC being more suitable than an IMI equivalent) allows you to also learn the basic fundamentals of engineering or motorsport principles and theory. These can generally be studied only at colleges. Here at Bridgwater College we offer both the IMI Extended Diploma in Motorsport and some students also opt to study for an A level in Maths at the same time.

Once you have gone through this 2 year study programme, you are then ready for your degree. This can be studied full time or part time. Full time will take 3 years at Bachelors level or 4 if you take up the optional work placement year (which would be my suggestion). Part time courses can often take a few more years dependent upon how often you can attend.

Upon completion of your degree, you can move onto postgraduate study. Many universities offer this option and carrying out a Masters degree is usually a 1 year top up from your Bachelors degree. This level 7 qualification is something that I would really recommend due to the saturation of the market with a wealth of students all having a Bachelors degree. The Masters qualification will raise your analytical and design skills whilst adding to your CV to increase your employability potential. After that, there is an option of studying for a PhD doctorate which is often over a longer period of time (up to 6 year) and involves a very large research project.

Next month we will be discussing the difference between studying HE at college or university.