Automotive engineering or automotive design degree?

Hi,

In a huge dilemma at the moment deciding on which degree to take, I currently have offers for both at Coventry for 2025. Everyone is telling me to go for the engineering due to the job prospects and how useful that degree is in comparison to the design one, however I am leaning more towards design as I have always been more creatively inclined (my Art A level was my highest grade).

I definitely want to go into automotive design at some point (that is the goal), so my plan would be to do engineering as undergraduate and then go on to automotive design for masters perhaps, as it leaves me with plenty of other options if that fails. But then I am thinking should I just jump straight into automotive design now? When I think of engineering, I don't like to think of how suspension arms work and batteries. I would much rather focus on the design process, body panels, aerodynamics, and working on a portfolio.

Academically I am okay at maths and sciences, definitely not a prodigy but I did decent at GCSE, I initially took Maths as one of my A levels but dropped out due to difficulty and swapped it with business. I also did Computer Science. I definitely think this knocks my confidence with the Automotive Engineering, although I would be doing a foundation year.

Has anyone on here done any of the above degrees or been in my dilemma? How are you finding it and what did you decide to do? Should I go into something else completely? What would you do in my position?

Thanks for the read.

Reply 1

PotentiallyLost

If you found A-level maths too difficult, don't go anywhere near engineering.

What do you want from the degree? Do you want a job designing the shape of cars, or modeling them in clay, or do you want to deep-dive into the thermodynamic cycle of the engine and the efficiency of the turbocharger? If basic A-level calculus made your ears bleed, I would suggest you won't enjoy engineering.

If you just want a degree because you need one to be a manager in Asda, then do whatever youll enjoy and find the easiest. Theres a reason why most supermarket managers don't have engineering degrees.