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Automotive Engineering

Automotive Engineering

4 year(s)
Bachelor
Full-time
Starts February and September
English
Eindhoven

All technology comes together in a car. At Automotive Engineering you learn to make it work as one.

Admission timeline

Check all deadlines

Meet us

Open days and more

You don’t have to know yet what you want to be

In a car, all technology comes together: mechanics, electronics and software. In the Automotive Engineering bachelor’s programme you get to work with all three. You design, build and test vehicles. You start broad and discover where your strengths lie along the way.

Is Automotive Engineering right for you?

  • You want to know how things really work

    That is why you spend half a day a week in the workshop in year 1.

  • You cannot pick one direction yet

    You learn mechanics, electronics and software first. You choose later.

  • Maths does not scare you

    It runs through all four terms of your first year, always applied.

Rick

Teacher

I teach mathematics in the Automotive Engineering programme. This surprises some people, because they think they spend all their time working on cars. But as an Automotive Engineer, you have to be able to solve much bigger problems. I use stories, real-life case studies, and a healthy dose of humour to explain the puzzles we spend our time working on during the classes. And, of course, the car often takes center stage during the lessons.

Students who enter the Automotive Engineering programme want to work with cars. Most of them do not exactly look forward to their mathematics lessons. Still, it’s a very important aspect of the programme. It’s my job to show them why they need it. In doing so, I also want to prove that math can be fun.What do I hope students take away from my lessons? That they start to see math as the foundation for various applications. They learn the theory through the lessons and fun stories, and then they think to themselves, 'Hey, maybe I can apply this to other things as well.' If students realize that, my job is done!

After they earn their diploma, I hope students leave here with a solid and broad knowledge of math, and that they can apply it in a variety of situations. I also hope that they are excited to improve the world and contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.

Nuria

Student

When I was looking for a place to study in the Netherlands, I especially looked at the differences between studying at a research university and a university of applied sciences. I decided to go to Fontys, a university of applied sciences, because of the practical side of the programme. I like the fact that you get physics and maths, but that you also get to work on the cars in the workshop. It is very important to have the basic theories, but I feel like it's also important to see how the theory works in real life.

I am currently in my second year and working on the Ecomarathon project. A very exciting project, because you get to work on a vehicle in two stages. First you have to design the vehicle, make a simulation of the whole chassis and see how the various forces play a part in it. At the end of the first half, we have to write a report and really show why we made certain choices. In the next part, we had to build the vehicle and see our simulations come to life. This is tricky, because some things might not work in real life the way you imagined on the computer. We get to make all kinds of changes to our initial design, but it is very important we explain why we made certain changes in another report.

I am currently finishing up my second year and would really like to do the minor ‘Be Creative’ in the next semester. This is a minor where you get to work on very creative projects with different kinds of engineers. I am very interested in AI and machine learning, and its role in society. Automotive Engineering is not just about working on the car, but it is also about the design and the effect technology has on people. There's more to the studies than mechanics and Formula 1.

There are many fields in Engineering I would like to explore, especially in the role of project manager. I would love to work in the Automotive industry and work on design and leading these types of projects.

Sacha

student

I am a third-year student of the programme Automotive Engineering, and I love my studies! I initially started my programme because I was interested in the technical side of Automotive Engineering, but I can't say I had a passion for Automotive at the time. This has completely changed. During my studies at Fontys I really developed a passion for it. I very much enjoy how all the pieces of the programme nicely come together. Especially during the second-year Ecomarathon project. We had to make a vehicle from scratch: we got to design it, had to build it, and eventually got to race against other vehicles on a real racetrack.

I was very surprised at how much of the theory we learned would actually be put into practice. I knew I was going to study at a university of applied sciences, but I did not expect we would actually get to build our own little car. The fact that the theory is put directly into practice makes the classes easier, not just because the content is easier to understand, but also because it makes classes more fun. I really do think you learn better when you apply your knowledge to real life.

In my second year, I also had to do an internship. I did my internship at a company called Xycarb Schunk Technology. My job was to develop a dashboard for their data analysis for the quality department. I really wanted to learn data analysis and decided to do this during my internship. Another example of how you can learn things and put them immediately into practice.

National Student Survey 2026

Every year, students across the Netherlands rate their own programme in the National Student Survey. They score twelve themes, from lecturers and support to atmosphere and facilities.

In 2026, Automotive Engineering at Fontys scored higher than every other Dutch automotive bachelor’s programme on all twelve themes. Our students are most positive about the atmosphere, the support they receive and the facilities: the labs and workshops you work in from your first year.

Curious about the figures? You can find them on studiekeuze123.nl.
Your programme

From a model vehicle to a car you build yourself

You start with a Fischertechnik vehicle and finish year 2 with a car built to use as little energy as possible, designed and built by your own team. In between you learn to calculate, draw, program and measure. Every project builds on the one before.

Your programme

What will you learn?

  • From question to working solution

    You turn a problem into requirements, design it and test whether it works.

  • Making systems work together

    In a vehicle, mechanics, electronics and software are one whole.

  • Measuring real technology

    What you measure in the lab, you take back to your theory class.

Your programme

What do the next four years look like?

You spend two years in Eindhoven building the basics: classes, practicals and projects. You work in small teams and get plenty of feedback from lecturers who follow your development. In year 1 your student coach is also your project tutor. In year 3 you do a 20-week placement and choose a minor. In year 4 you work in Helmond on real questions from industry and graduate.

Your future

You can do more than cars alone

Four in five graduates go into the automotive industry. The fifth usually ends up in high tech, with chip machines or semiconductors. Prefer to keep studying? You can take the automotive track of the Master System Design, or a pre-master leading to TU/e.

Admission & application

Admission requirements

  • You must have a diploma of higher secondary education that is equivalent to Dutch standards.

    Make sure to check all admission requirements.

  • A minimum level of proficiency in the English language is required.

Our campus

Come study and unlock your global talent potential in the Netherlands

Explore your future at Fontys where you’ll meet innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. 

Building Nexus in Eindhoven

Nexus is the place to be for technology. It is located in the Brainport region and shares a campus with Eindhoven University of Technology. Here, people who want to innovate can bring their ideas to life.

Costs

Curious about the costs of this study programme? 

Easily calculate your tuition fees with the tuition fees indicator. Besides tuition fees, you will also need to budget for study materials, a laptop, the introduction programme, and more. Find details about monthly living costs on our Finance page.

All about finances

Looking for a place to live near Fontys Campuses?

Starting a study in a foreign country is exciting. Discover how Fontys can assist you, especially with accommodation, amid the Dutch housing crisis.

In short

Language

English

Start

September, February

Degree

Bachelor

Study load

Full-time

Duration

4 year(s)

Location

Eindhoven

In short

Language

English

Start

September, February

Degree

Bachelor

Study load

Full-time

Duration

4 year(s)

Location

Eindhoven
Check all deadlines

Admission timeline

Wondering what's to come after applying for this programme? Go over the entire admission process.

Please note! If you wish to apply for housing through Fontys, the application deadline is June 15 (start September) or December 8 (start February).

Automotive Engineering

Admission timeline

Wondering what's to come after applying for this programme? Check out the entire admission process.

Start in September

  • Start your orientation

    Have you attended a study orientation event already?

    Take a look at our orientation events

  • 1 May 2027

    Apply through Studielink by 1 May at the latest. This gives you enough time to arrange everything before your studies start.

    Check application process
    Can't apply in time?

    Send an email to admission@fontys.nl

  • Submit required files

    Submission and assessment of grade lists, diploma and proof of language. For non EEA-students: additional steps can be required.

  • Complete your payment

    The tuition fees indicator helps you to determine the tuition rate for your situation.

    Everything about finances

  • Arrange student housing

    Fontys can offer housing for a limited number of international students. Fill in the housing application form before the deadline (15 June).

    More info about housing

  • 30 August - 3 September 2027

    Get to know Fontys and your fellow students during Purple Introduction week.

    Take a look at your introduction programme

  • 6 September 2027

    Start study programme

Start in February

  • Start your orientation

    Have you attended a study orientation event already?

    Take a look at our orientation events

  • Application deadline to start in February

    International students: 15 November. Dutch students: 31 January.

    Check application process
    Make sure to start the application process as soon as possible.

  • Submit required files

    Submission and assessment of grade lists, diploma and proof of language. For non EEA-students: additional steps can be required.

  • Complete your payment

    The tuition fees indicator helps you to determine the tuition rate for your situation.

    Everything about finances

  • Arrange student housing

    Fontys can offer housing for a limited number of international students. Fill in the housing application form before the deadline (December 6).

    More info about housing

  • February 2027

    Start study programme

Frequently asked questions

You design, test or build vehicles and the systems inside them. Four in five graduates work in the automotive industry, at companies such as DAF Trucks, VDL or Nooteboom Trailers. The rest usually move into high tech, for example at ASML or NXP.

No. The programme is taught entirely in English, from your first day to your graduation project. Many engineering companies in this region work in English too, so you can do your placement and graduation project here without speaking Dutch.

You need maths and physics, and that takes effort. You are not on your own: you keep the same student coach for four years. And everything is taught twice a year, so if you fall behind you can pick it up six months later instead of a full year.

In year 3 you do a 20-week placement. You find your own place, but not alone: there are networking events, vacancies through Fontys and lecturers with contacts in the industry. A placement abroad is possible. Most students stay in western Europe.

Only the language. Automotive Engineering is taught in English, Automotive in Dutch. The content is identical, and from the minor in year 3 everyone is taught in English. The choice makes no difference to your placement or job prospects.

Yes. In year 3 you can choose the Motorsport Engineering minor, and alongside your studies you can join a racing team. In year 2 you also race the vehicle you built yourself on a real circuit. Graduates work at JT-Performance and I.L. Motorsport, among others.

In some cases you can be exempted from parts of a module, for example if you have already covered the material in a previous programme. Send your question to automotive@fontys.nl and we will look at it with you.

Yes. You can start in September or in February. The programme is the same and takes just as long. February starters join their own class, which is smaller than the September group.

Do you have a question?

We are happy to help.

Ask Fontys Eindhoven your questions

Send an e-mail
Call: +31885077700
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