I am interested in persuing a career in Automotive design/engineering. There seems to be so much information out there that is unclear to me in terms of were I would even start. I have a BFA in Viscom from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and I have been sketching cars in a detailed manor, ie. rough cut-aways and internal working parts as well as body design since I was a boy.

My questions:

Where do I begin?

What type of programs are out there?

What is the difference between design and engineering?

Is it possible to stay in the mid-west and complete a automotive design/engineering program?

Thanks for reading.

 

I wanted to the same thing. I loved to sketch cars in my free time. I ended up checking into what it would take. I ended up taking a course at an art school in Denver, they had connections with the automotive industry the could put your foot in the door at many drafting/designing places. Unfortunately, I'm really not all that creative so it didn't work out for me. But my suggestion is to find an art school near you and see what they have to say.

 

If you really want to work in the automotive design industry, you really only have two choices.

Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA

Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI

They both have the strongest Transportation Design majors in the nation. Oh yeah, ART CENTER FTW....not that I'm biased or anything.

 

^^I agree.

ACCD and CCS have direct links to automotive companies, and if you do well in one of their programs, you will find yourself employed with a car company.

I can't speak about CCS, but I know the ArtCenter program is very demanding.

There is a huge difference between automotive design vs. automotive engineering. Design is everything from aesthetics to concept and function. Engineering is all about making what the designers want possible.

If you're seriously considering it, feel free to post a question thread about ArtCenter in the Southern California region, there are several transportation design grads active (Saint_Spinner included) that could answer any questions you have.