Oklahoma State University offers associate's degrees in automotive engineering technology at its Institute of Technology in Okmulgee. Students in the full-time program apply engineering principles toward the development and production of automobiles and other types of vehicle systems. Students take design courses, as well as hands-on classes on technician issues and maintenance, development and testing, calibrations and creations of prototype vehicles.
Brigham Young University offers students automotive design education in its mechanical engineering program at the Ira A. Fulton College. Students at the school in Provo, Utah, can earn a bachelor's, master's or Ph.D. in mechanical engineering to enter into the automotive design field. Throughout the program, students will become familiar with engineering coursework, hands-on technical training and computer graphing. Students in the graduate program are also involved in creating remote-control vehicles as well as life-size prototypes. Brigham Young University offers students a work-study program for further hands-on training. Interested students can join the Automotive Engineering Society through the university and attend conferences as well as enter into competitions.
Colorado State University's department of mechanical engineering in Fort Collins features bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. degrees in automotive engineering. Students who pursue a master's or Ph.D. are given opportunities to join research teams that use fundamental and advanced engineering technologies to create testable prototype vehicles. These students may also design vehicles using new technologies such as batteries, bioengineering and biofuels. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs offer courses in mathematics, engineering, graphic design, analysis and hands-on technical repair and creation.
At the Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, students can enter into the department of mechanical engineering to receive a bachelor's, master's or Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. Students in the undergraduate program can expect to take courses such as introduction to engineering, heat transfer, mechanical engineering dynamics and thermodynamics. In the graduate programs, students are involved in detailed research programs and seminars that can further a student's automotive education in computer design, advanced mechanics and the use of alternative fuel sources.