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IUPUI offers first degree in motor sports engineering
August 15, 2008
Sometimes students who have very specific career goals and industries in mind have to get general degrees then work their way into their field and be trained on the job. But if your industry is motor sports, one school is offering a specific degree program to prepare you for your career.
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), located in what is known as the home of open-wheel racing, seems the perfect place to offer the nation’s first bachelor’s degree program in motor sports engineering.
Starting in the fall of 2008, the program will prepare students for various careers in the motor sports industry, from working in a NASCAR or IndyCar series pit crew, to researching and designing engines, brakes, and shocks. There are 21 students expected to enroll in the program this year, with 106 projected to be enrolled by 2012.
The director of the program is Pete Hylton, an associate professor in the School of Engineering and Technology and former aerospace engineer. What makes Hylton equipped to head the new program are his 28 years of experience in amateur sports-car racing. He will be in charge of designing the curriculum for the program, which will expand upon the current 26-credit Motorsports Technology Certificate program at IUPUI.
Similar programs are available at schools across the country, but none award bachelor’s degrees in motor sports engineering. The University of North Carolina-Charlotte and a program offered by Old Dominion and the New College Institute in Virginia provide classes and specializations in motor sports engineering and Marian College in Indianapolis offers motor sports management in its school of business.
Due to the technical nature of the industry, skilled and trained workers are valuable assets. Being trained in relevant skills such as computer-aided design, flow analysis, scale development of race car models for testing, and aerodynamic, mechanical, and electrical engineering, in these programs at such a high level will be a definite advantage.
As motor sports continue to be a growing industry, perhaps more schools will follow IUPUI’s example to prepare students for careers in the industry. With more than 400 motorsports-related companies in the Indianapolis region, this program is sure to fill a need.
Posted by Jessica MacNeil on August 15, 2008 | Comments (2)
