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Yah, I am a high school student and am needing to start thinking about what I want to do in my future, and am especially considering entering the automotive design field.  What I am not sure is of what I need to do to do so.  What classes do I need to take?  What colleges will help me achieve my goal of becoming an automtive designer?  And I am also curious as to whether Automotive Engineering is the same thing as car design.  If any of you guys can help me with my questions or lead me to a website that can, you would be of very great help to me.  Also, if anyone has any experience in the field, that would be great too.  Thanks a lot

Lots of math, metalurgy, aeorodynamics. Look for a good engineering school.

I.T. Is another key area. Since a lot of car designing is done on computers and in windtunnels. A fair understanding of aerodynamics as MF said is needed, and some understand of computational fluid dynamics could help these days.

Thanks a lot for that info.  It's gonna be hard to get the electives I need in just one year, and no automotive classes on our high school campus are offered.

I.T. Is another key area. Since a lot of car designing is done on computers and in windtunnels. A fair understanding of aerodynamics as MF said is needed, and some understand of computational fluid dynamics could help these days.

Good points, forgot about those. I'm still used to thinking wood and clay models derived from paper drawings. Ah, to be young again. The computer sciences, are especially important these days. Seems everything is done on a CAD program.

What classes do I need to take?  What colleges will help me achieve my goal of becoming an automtive designer?  And I am also curious as to whether Automotive Engineering is the same thing as car design.  If any of you guys can help me with my questions or lead me to a website that can, you would be of very great help to me.  Also, if anyone has any experience in the field, that would be great too.  Thanks a lot

As always, where are you? This helps answer lots of questions (ie, no point recommending Coventry in the UK if you live in California etc)!

And I am also curious as to whether Automotive Engineering is the same thing as car design.

Put it this way, I did and aeronautical engineering degree, and my course had about 50-75% commonality with the Automotive course in the first two year. So if you are talking about the car's engineering and performance/aerodynamics yes, if you are talking about effectively being a conceptual body stylist, then absolutely not.

[quote][quote] What classes do I need to take?

Yah I'm in Maryland

And I mean more about the asthetics of a car
[/quote]

In that case I've no idea about where to go. Certainly Coventry University in the UK, one of the best centres for Automotive courses in the UK offers Automotive Engineering, and then also Automotive Design (including design with 3D etc).

Sounds exactly what I need, first how cars are built and their underpinnings for the knowledge I'll need, followed by how to actually design cars and build myself a career.  Thanks anyways.  I could move to the U.K.  :P