The second-cycle degree course in Advanced Automotive Engineering is an international inter-university course with its administrative hub at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. It is run jointly by the Universities of Bologna, Ferrara and Parma and is supported by the most prestigious companies operating in the automotive sector in the Emilia-Romagna region.

The course’s objective is to provide knowledge and skills in the design of high-performance and competition motor and motorcycles vehicles. The main features of the course are:

- lecturers are chosen amongst university professors and Italian and foreign professional experts, to guarantee the highest quality of teaching; they are selected by an inter-university Coordination Committee, open for participation to the partner companies.

- students are admitted to the degree course following an accurate assessment of their merits and a technical and motivational interview, then are assigned to one of the six curricula that make up the course, based on their ranking and declared interests.

- a joint first semester for all students, held at the "Enzo Ferrari" Department of Engineering of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, aimed at providing basic skills.

- six curricula (max. 25 places each): Advanced Powertrain- Modena (Modena hub) Advanced Powertrain - Bologna (Bologna hub from the second semester) High Performance Car Design (Modena hub), Racing Car Design (Parma hub from the second year), Advanced Motorcycle Engineering (Bologna hub) Advanced Sportscar Manufacturing (Bologna hub).

- the courses are taught entirely in English and include both a theoretical and a laboratory part, held at the universities and at industrial partners’ laboratories, to develop high-level professional skills according to a "Learning by Doing" logic.

- mandatory internships and activities aimed at writing the dissertation in 'Project Working' mode, taking place within the most important firms in the automotive sector and at universities’ research laboratories