Master'sAutomotive & Motorsport Applications open

Master’s in Motorsport Cooling and Aerothermal Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in motorsport cooling and aerothermal engineering. 12 modules covering thermal balance, heat transfer, radiators, ducting, CFD, coolant circuits, battery cooling, testing and race operation, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration12–14 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma

Master’s in Motorsport Cooling and Aerothermal Engineering — studying from Ireland

Ireland has a modest automotive footprint, with activity centred on component supply, automotive electronics, testing and aftermarket services rather than vehicle assembly. Motorsport and performance engineering are represented by teams, specialist workshops and engineering consultancies, often linked to the Irish motorsport community. Engineers in this area work on powertrain components, vehicle dynamics, sensor integration and testing for both established manufacturers and suppliers. Regulatory oversight for road vehicles comes from national and European type-approval bodies, while industry collaboration is coordinated through automotive and engineering associations.

Fees for Ireland: €5,920 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.

Relevant bodies in Ireland

  • Department of Transport
  • Motor Industry Ireland (MII)
  • Engineers Ireland
  • Motorsport Ireland

Typical roles

  • Automotive Engineer
  • Vehicle Dynamics Engineer
  • Powertrain Test Engineer
  • Motorsport Performance Engineer

Questions from Ireland

Which Irish bodies are relevant for recognising automotive engineering qualifications?

In Ireland, Engineers Ireland is the principal professional body for engineers and runs chartered engineer registration. Automotive vehicle standards and roadworthiness fall under the Road Safety Authority and the National Car Test system. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so their recognition is for employers or the relevant body to decide. Confirm this with them before enrolling if it matters for your career.

Where do automotive and motorsport engineers typically work in Ireland, and do employers value online study?

Ireland has automotive supply chain and engineering activity, along with motorsport and vehicle-related design roles, though it is a smaller market than larger European countries. Employers usually weigh practical experience and proven skills heavily. An online private qualification can complement a CV, but whether it is valued depends on each employer, and no outcome can be guaranteed.

How do I fit this programme around work and what language level is needed?

Study is fully online and taught in English, so you need a good working command of English for technical reading and written assignments. Master's programmes are 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours. Each student receives an assigned technical tutor. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible, so raise that with your employer early.

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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Establish the thermal balance of a racing vehicle.

02

Apply heat transfer to the sizing of radiators and heat exchangers.

03

Design ducts and intakes that balance cooling and downforce.

04

Simulate the aerothermal behaviour of the cooling package with CFD.

05

Define the cooling of batteries and power electronics.

06

Correlate thermal models with bench and track data.

07

Manage the thermal configuration according to race conditions.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Motorsport cooling engineers.
  • Aerothermal engineers.
  • Thermal CFD engineers.
  • Battery cooling system engineers.
  • Thermal test engineers.
  • Performance trackside engineers.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to join racing teams.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • FIA Technical Regulations (cooling and aerodynamics)
  • Appendix J to the FIA International Sporting Code
  • ASTM D3306 (glycol-based engine coolants)
  • SAE J1349 (engine net power rating)
  • ISO 6469-3 (electrical safety of electric vehicles)
  • ISO 5801 (fan performance testing)
  • Simcenter STAR-CCM+
  • ANSYS Fluent
  • GT-SUITE
  • Simcenter Amesim
  • MATLAB/Simulink
Syllabus

12 modules

  1. 1.1Heat sources: engine, brakes, electronics and battery
  2. 1.2Energy split and thermal efficiency
  3. 1.3Heat to be rejected at each circuit
  4. 1.4Ambient conditions and race scenarios
  5. 1.5Temperature limits by component
  6. 1.6Cooling targets by category
  7. 1.7Zero-dimensional vehicle model
  8. 1.8Model validation with track data
  9. 1.9Trade-offs between cooling and aerodynamics
  10. 1.10Workshop: thermal balance of a single-seater
  1. 2.1Conduction in blocks and cylinder heads
  2. 2.2Forced convection in ducts
  3. 2.3Nucleate boiling in coolant jackets
  4. 2.4Radiation in exhausts and hot zones
  5. 2.5Film coefficients and correlations
  6. 2.6Thermal resistances in series and parallel
  7. 2.7NTU effectiveness in heat exchangers
  8. 2.8Fouling factors and degradation
  9. 2.9Temperature measurements and their uncertainty
  10. 2.10Lab: characterisation of a heat exchanger
  1. 3.1Core types and fin geometries
  2. 3.2Cross-flow, counter-flow and multi-pass
  3. 3.3Pressure drop on the air and liquid sides
  4. 3.4Characteristic curves and operating point
  5. 3.5Materials and manufacturing processes
  6. 3.6Air-to-air charge air coolers
  7. 3.7Air-to-water exchangers and low-temperature circuits
  8. 3.8Oil and gearbox coolers
  9. 3.9Sizing and verification
  10. 3.10Workshop: selection of a cooling package
  1. 4.1Air intakes: pods, NACA ducts and front inlets
  2. 4.2Diffusers, losses and flow uniformity
  3. 4.3Air outlets and wake management
  4. 4.4Effect of the radiator on aerodynamics
  5. 4.5Cooling drag and its quantification
  6. 4.6Interaction with the floor and sidepods
  7. 4.7Brake cooling and dedicated ducts
  8. 4.8Cockpit and driver ventilation
  9. 4.9Trade-offs with downforce
  10. 4.10Case study: redesign of a sidepod
  1. 5.1Geometry preparation and simplifications
  2. 5.2Meshing of ducts and boundary layers
  3. 5.3Modelling the radiator as a porous medium
  4. 5.4Suitable turbulence models
  5. 5.5Realistic boundary conditions
  6. 5.6Conjugate fluid-solid heat transfer
  7. 5.7Convergence and quality criteria
  8. 5.8Post-processing: flow rates, temperatures and losses
  9. 5.9Correlation with tests
  10. 5.10Lab: simulation of a complete circuit
  1. 6.1Architecture of high- and low-temperature circuits
  2. 6.2Mechanical and electric pumps
  3. 6.3Pump curves and operating point
  4. 6.4Cavitation and circuit pressure
  5. 6.5Expansion tanks and bleeding
  6. 6.6Thermostats and flow control
  7. 6.7Hoses, fittings and sealing
  8. 6.8Coolant fluids and their properties
  9. 6.9Protection against freezing and corrosion
  10. 6.10Workshop: design of a dual circuit
  1. 7.1Battery cells and heat generation
  2. 7.2Direct, indirect and cold-plate cooling
  3. 7.3Thermal uniformity between cells
  4. 7.4Thermal management during fast charging
  5. 7.5Cooling of inverters and electric motors
  6. 7.6Dielectric fluids and their implications
  7. 7.7Thermal safety and fault propagation
  8. 7.8Sensing and BMS control
  9. 7.9Requirements of the electric category
  10. 7.10Case study: thermal package of a Formula E car
  1. 8.1Thermocouples, RTDs and pressure sensors
  2. 8.2Flow meters and their calibration
  3. 8.3On-board data acquisition
  4. 8.4Engine dyno and wind tunnel testing
  5. 8.5Track testing and measurement protocols
  6. 8.6Repeatability and reference conditions
  7. 8.7Correction for ambient conditions
  8. 8.8Anomaly detection during a race
  9. 8.9Test report and decision-making
  10. 8.10Lab: instrumentation of a circuit
  1. 9.1Objective functions and constraints
  2. 9.2Applied design of experiments
  3. 9.3Response surfaces and metamodels
  4. 9.4Multi-objective cooling-aerodynamics optimisation
  5. 9.5Weight, centre of gravity and packaging
  6. 9.6Reliability versus performance
  7. 9.7Manufacturing cost and lead time
  8. 9.8Technical regulations as a constraint
  9. 9.9Decision-making with incomplete data
  10. 9.10Workshop: optimisation study
  1. 10.1Thermal strategy by circuit and climate
  2. 10.2Cooling opening and closing configurations
  3. 10.3Temperature management under safety car
  4. 10.4Degradation from dirt and debris
  5. 10.5Critical readings for the race engineer
  6. 10.6Overheating protocols
  7. 10.7Coordination with tyre strategy
  8. 10.8Post-session logging and analysis
  9. 10.9Changes between sessions and verification
  10. 10.10Simulation of a race weekend
  1. 11.1Materials and processes in heat exchangers
  2. 11.2Welding and critical joints
  3. 11.3Tolerances and fit in the chassis
  4. 11.4Mountings, insulation and heat shielding
  5. 11.5Quality control and leak testing
  6. 11.6Maintenance and cleaning of the package
  7. 11.7Spares and parts fleet management
  8. 11.8Component traceability
  9. 11.9Assembly times and ergonomics
  10. 11.10Case study: manufacturing plan
  1. 12.1Definition of the category and applicable regulations
  2. 12.2Thermal balance and design targets
  3. 12.3Sizing of heat exchangers and ducts
  4. 12.4CFD simulation and correlation
  5. 12.5Circuit design and pump selection
  6. 12.6Instrumentation and test plan
  7. 12.7Analysis of trade-offs with aerodynamics
  8. 12.8Manufacturing and assembly plan
  9. 12.9Technical report and defence
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: final review with the tutor
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

A 100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it fits around your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Simcenter STAR-CCM+, ANSYS Fluent, GT-SUITE, Simcenter Amesim and MATLAB/Simulink, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for wind tunnel testing with internal flow measurement, radiator thermal test benches and on-track temperature acquisition. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: FIA Technical Regulations, Appendix J to the FIA International Sporting Code, ASTM D3306, SAE J1349, ISO 6469-3 and ISO 5801.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of the FIA Technical Regulations, Appendix J and ASTM D3306 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:Simcenter STAR-CCM+, ANSYS Fluent, GT-SUITE, Simcenter Amesim and MATLAB/Simulink, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:the complete design of a thermal package for a racing car, from thermal balance and CFD to the manufacturing plan, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Single-seater thermal balance
Establish the thermal balance of a single-seater and the heat to be rejected at each circuit.
Cooling package selection
Select and size the radiators and heat exchangers of a cooling package.
Sidepod redesign
Redesign a sidepod to balance cooling airflow, cooling drag and downforce.
Full-circuit CFD simulation
Simulate a complete cooling circuit with CFD and correlate it with test data.
Master's Thesis
Design a complete thermal package for a racing category, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Motorsport cooling engineerAerothermal engineerThermal CFD engineerBattery cooling systems engineerThermal test engineerPerformance trackside engineer
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You will work with Simcenter STAR-CCM+, ANSYS Fluent, GT-SUITE, Simcenter Amesim and MATLAB/Simulink. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and your tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent professional experience; a computer able to run the programme's software; and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

Master’s in Motorsport Cooling and Aerothermal EngineeringEnrol
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