An automotive technologist can fix an automobile's design flaws.
As an automotive technologist, you will work on researching and designing automobiles and the systems that make those vehicles work. Although there is a plethora of universities across the United States that offer programs in automotive technology, each has similar admissions requirements, program goals and coursework. Some of the more well-known automotive technology universities are Weber State University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Ferris State University.
Admissions
The admissions requirements for automotive technology programs at universities are quite similar. You must have a high school diploma, and at some schools, like Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC), you have to submit your ACT score. Your admission is usually based on your high school grades, your SAT or ACT scores and any aptitude you show toward automotive technology, especially as that aptitude relates to mathematics and mechanics. At SIUC, your admission will be based on a combination of your ACT score, your high school grade point average and the date you applied.
Program Goals
Each automotive technology program offered at a university will prepare you to apply engineering principles to the development, manufacturing or testing of automobiles. Some universities, such as Ferris State University, provide a broad education in all the fields covered within automotive technology, including design and management, so that you can get a job in any automotive technology field. Other universities, such as Weber State Universities, do provide this broad learning environment, but they allow students to specialize their learning. At Weber State, students can choose three paths: field service operations, advanced vehicle systems and collision repair and insurance management.
Coursework
The coursework at universities that have automotive technology programs will combine classroom learning with hands-on education. In the class, you will learn basic principles in such courses as physics, automotive repair, and manufacturing management; while your hands-on education will allow you to work on automobiles with systems and designs malfunctions. At Weber State University, students have the option of receiving hands-on training from Honda's Management Action Program in the areas of service management, parts management, service advisement and sales.
Specialization
Some universities offer certification programs within the automotive technology departments that allow students to specialize in a specific automotive system. For example, at Ferris State University you can work toward obtaining a certificate in Performance Machining, which will teach virtually everything you need to know about the performance of a vehicle's engine, or Performance Motor Sports, which teaches you about the performance in such motorsports engines as those found in race cars and speed boats.
Tags: automotive technology, State University, Weber State, Ferris State, Ferris State University, high school, about performance
