Purdue trustees OK IUPUI motorsports program
The Purdue University board of trustees on Friday (Feb. 8) ratified a bachelor's degree program in motorsports engineering at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
The bachelor's degree program in motorsports engineering at IUPUI is designed to augment a currently existing program on the campus. The School of Engineering and Technology currently offers a motorsports technology certificate program, in which more than 30 students are currently enrolled.
"Positioned in Indianapolis, the self-proclaimed Capital of Auto Racing, IUPUI offers an ideal location for students training in this field to connect within the industry learning opportunities, internships and postgraduation employment opportunities," said interim Provost Victor L. Lechtenberg. "The program will educate graduates for careers in automotive-related companies, either in motorsports or in the broader automotive industry, which could include airplanes, boats, trucks, off-road vehicles and unmanned competition vehicles."
Enrollment for the new program is expected to be 21 students over the first years and increase to 106 students by the fourth year.
The program will first be offered in the fall semester of 2008, pending approval by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Lechtenberg said it is believed that there are currently no comparable programs in the central part of the United States and only a limited number of similar programs in the country.
The program was developed by Purdue faculty in the mechanical engineering, engineering technology, and electrical and computer engineering programs at IUPUI.
During the first three years, 11 news courses will be developed for the curriculum and two new full-time faculty positions and a full-time technician will be needed. A Motorsports Lab already exists on the campus, Lechtenberg said.
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