Prerequisites for the admission.

As provided for by applicable legislation, access to this Bachelor’s Degree Programme requires a high-school diploma or other qualification obtained abroad and officially approved.
A good knowledge of the Italian language, both written and spoken, along with logical reasoning skills, as well as the knowledge and ability to make use of the main results of basic mathematics and the fundamentals of experimental science are required to access this Degree Course. Further information on the procedures carried out to verify the knowledge required for accessing the course, along with any additional educational obligations performed on students is available in the Education Regulation of the Study Programme.

Skills associated with the function

Vehicle engineer for design and development activities linked with the vehicle industry and its turnover
The main skills gained by graduates relate to drawing and mechanic design, manufacturing technologies, vehicle setup, vehicle mechanics, calculation activities (mainly structural), material behaviour, electrical engineering and electrical machines, electronics and sensor devices.
Graduates will be able to work autonomously in operationally defined contexts, and interact in work team even of a multidisciplinary nature.

Function in a work context

Vehicle engineer for design and development activities linked with the vehicle industry and its turnover
The professional profile of the Vehicle Engineer is based on sound technical and scientific fundamentals, together with a broad overview of the vehicle system. Vehicle Engineers are able to help design and develop the main road vehicle sub-systems, as well as take part in the development and management of technological and manufacturing processes.

The main functions carried out are:
- the design and development of products and processes, taking part into groups of development of subsystems and components such as: thermal, hybrid and electric powertrain; modelling of subsystems and components for optimisation and assessment purposes; road vehicle architecture (chassis, suspension and gears).
- the support to production management: choosing mechanical processing and manufacturing technologies, setting the production systems, organising production
- the technical and commercial support to sales structures: manuals management, aftersales assistance.
In addition to technical and engineering skills, vehicle engineers must have interdisciplinary skills aimed at communicating the technical contents, planning the management of project activities, and continuously refining the theoretical and practical skills through a learning by doing approach.

These functions will be carried out when working both in manufacturing industries and engineering companies.

Educational goals

The Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Vehicle Engineering is mainly aimed at providing graduates with an adequate mastery of general scientific methods and contents, which are useful to complete their own professional development profitably through subsequent training programmes, and to continuously keep up-to-date and adapt to the fast technological evolution typical of Mechanic Engineering, as well as of the production sectors it applies to.

Graduates in Vehicle Engineering shall be able to:
- interpret and model the phenomena and issues relating to components, mechanic and structural subsystems, electric systems, starting from a sound theoretical and scientific training of mathematics and the other basic sciences, and by means of an interdisciplinary approach;
- identify, formulate and resolve complex engineering issues requiring high-level theoretical and experimental knowledge and skills;
- work in a collaborative way in multidisciplinary groups to conceive, plan, design and manage complex and/or innovative systems, processes and services relating to vehicle engineering, by applying knowledge and skills that are typical of mechanic, electronic, electric and material engineering;

In order to achieve such priority training objective, the Degree Programme in Vehicle Engineering is aimed at providing graduates with a proper training in the following learning fields:

1) Basic sciences;
2) Distinctive engineering subjects;
3) Related and integrating engineering subjects.

In details:

1) Vehicle engineers are provided with a sound preparation in mathematical subjects (Mathematical analysis, Algebra and Geometry), including numerical and computational mathematics, and in other basic sciences (Chemistry and Physics), which are the essential tool to interpret, describe and resolve the issues of engineering, and to develop their methods and technologies. This training programme is part of the first two years, and is aimed at providing students with the bases required for their further training in engineering subjects.

2) Future engineers are provided with a preparation in subjects that are typical of vehicle engineering, aimed at providing the essential knowledge and abilities pertaining to the following disciplines that have been identified as distinctive of the programme: fluid machinery, industrial technical physics, converters and machinery and electric drives, mechanic design and machinery construction, drawing and industrial engineering methods, processing technology and systems, mechanics applied to machinery. Therefore, the training programme gives students the opportunity to gain deeper knowledge in Design, Motor field, Vehicle mechanics, Manufacturing technologies; students will gain both basic skills in industrial and mechanical engineering (such as design methods, manufacturing technologies, thermal aspects, vibration), and specific skills of the vehicle sector (vehicle setting, motors, vehicle mechanics).

3) Vehicle engineers are provided with a proper training in some sectors that are considered similar to Vehicle Engineering, in order for them to gain knowledge that may be helpful and complete their training in mathematical, scientific and engineering subjects, such as rational mechanics, metallurgy and materials science and technology, electric machines, electronics, sensor applications. These related sectors complete the training of vehicle engineers by providing them with the skills useful to deal with themes involving various subjects that are very common in modern industry, and in particular in the vehicle industry.

It should be pointed out that the project of the degree programme and its specific division in the three skill areas described above have taken into great account the suggestions received from the companies consulted, in particular the steering committee that has indicated the following key elements: versatility and reactivity, sound technical and scientific preparation, basic training, broadening of the traditional range of skills of the vehicle engineer towards subjects such as electric machines and electronics.

In general, the Degree Programme in Vehicle Engineering aims to provide its graduates with the ability to carry out experiments and to collect and interpret their data, the ability to report the results of their work, the learning skills required to continue with further studies, availing themselves of a high degree of self-reliance, and continuously update their knowledge.
Within the learning areas and relating to the professional profile of the Vehicle Engineer, the Degree Programme also offers its students:
a) the opportunity to gain further skills in the specific fields of the automotive sector mostly applied to the industry, useful for those graduates who do not wish to continue their studies to immediately enter the job market. To this purpose, those skills have been defined in accordance with the professional roles taken up by graduates (first level) in Vehicle Engineering, with specific focus to local demand;
b) the opportunity to carry out training activities aimed at facilitating the professional choices through the direct knowledge of the employment sector that students can access with this qualification, especially by means of training and guidance internships in companies or project activities to carry out in the laboratories of the university departments or in other public entities;
c) the opportunity to gain further skills in the distinctive and related subjects of the study programme.
d) the opportunity to acquire skills in disciplines that are useful to understand the different application contexts in the vehicle sector;
e) the opportunity to acquire skills in disciplines that are useful to understand the legal, corporate, social and ethical contexts of the engineering profession.

Communication skills

Graduates in Vehicle Engineering:


1) are able to communicate information, ideas, issues and solutions, both in writing and speaking, to specialist and non-specialist counterparties;

2) are able to effectively participate in workgroups aimed at developing projects or experimental activities within set timeframes.

3) are able to communicate effectively, at least in writing, in English (level B1 of the European Council or Common European Reference Framework), other than in Italian.

The achievement of results in 1) and 2) must be sided by some training activities from the following areas: Basic sciences, Energy engineering, Automation engineering and Mechanic engineering. The training activities planned for preparing the final examination and falling within the “Additional training activities are also included.
The teaching/learning methods include workshops, training internships in companies, and project activities carried out in specific departments.
The procedures for checking the attainment of results include the assessment of written reports and/or oral presentations of the results achieved.
All training activities of the programme involving written and/or oral tests also contribute to achieve result 1).

The achievement of result 3) includes the training activities aimed at “Learning at least a foreign language”. The procedures for checking the attainment of results include written and/oral tests.

Communication skills are achieved and enhanced when studying for the examination tests, presenting the results achieved in the various activities, taking on internships and preparing the final examination.

Making Judgements

Graduates in Vehicle Engineering:

1) are able to collect and interpret data, and to formulate personal opinions on such data;

2) are able to understand the impact of engineering solutions on the social and physical, and environmental context.

Results in 1) are achieved also thanks to some training activities of Basic and Distinctive Sciences, in which different types of approach to the issues are highlighted and the subsequent types of results achieved are discussed. The teaching/learning methods include workshops, training internships in companies, and project activities carried out in specific departments. The procedures for checking the attainment of results include the assessment of written reports and/or oral presentations of the results achieved.

Results in 2) are achieved also thanks to some activities mainly belonging to the following training areas: energy engineering, automation engineering and mechanic engineering. The teaching/learning methods include lessons and practical exercises in the classroom, workshops. The training activities planned for preparing the final examination and falling within the “Additional training activities (art. 10, paragraph 5, letter d)” are also included, as well as any internship taken in companies, design activities carried out in university departmental and/or faculty structures.
The procedures for checking the attainment of results include written and/or oral tests, as well as the assessment of written and/or oral presentations of the results achieved.

Learning skills

Graduates in Vehicle Engineering:
1) are able to classify, sketch and rework the notions acquired;
2) have developed the learning skills needed to take on further studies with a high degree of independency
3) have developed the learning skills required to keep one’s own knowledge constantly up-to-date.

The attainment of results 1 to 3 is ensured by the training programme as a whole, being it mainly aimed at providing graduates with an adequate mastery of general scientific methods and contents, which are useful to complete their own professional development through subsequent training programmes, and to continuously keep up-to-date and adapt to the fast technological evolution typical of industrial engineering, and mechanic engineering in particular.