Driverless Car Engineers

High School

Driverless car engineers have solid knowledge of computers and math. Take as many classes as possible in computer science (including artificial intelligence), science, algebra, calculus, and other mathematics. Art, drawing, and design classes are beneficial because the work requires familiarity with design. Engineering work also involves collaborating with others in teams, so strong communication skills are important. Take English, writing, and speech classes.

Postsecondary Training

A bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement for driverless car engineer jobs. Employers typically expect self-driving car engineers to have a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical, mechanical, systems, software, or industrial engineering, or in robotics. Coursework includes engineering, robotics, and artificial intelligence topics, as well science and math classes, including courses that cover topics such as probability and statistics. Students may also participate in internship programs at software companies to enhance their knowledge of software systems development.

Certification

Many colleges and universities offer undergraduate and graduate certificate programs in AI, engineering, robotics, and related fields, and a smaller number of schools provide programs in autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle design and engineering. Programs typically last six months to a year and are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats.

Other Education or Training

Driverless car engineers must keep up with industry developments and improve their knowledge and skills throughout their careers. They take continuing education classes through schools such as Udacity and Coursera, which offer courses and education programs on specializations such as autonomous car engineering. Engineers also take classes and webinars through professional associations. For example, SAE International offers Introduction to Highly Automated Vehicle. According to the association, students who take this class “will learn how highly automated vehicles perceive the world, make decisions, and either warn drivers or actively intervene in controlling the vehicle to avoid or mitigate crashes.” The American Society for Engineering Education, Association for Computing Machinery, and many other associations offer professional development opportunities.