High School

Driverless car engineers have solid knowledge of computers and math. Take as many classes as possible in computers, science, algebra, calculus, and other mathematics. Art, drawing, and design classes are beneficial as 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, or industrial engineering, or in robotics. Coursework includes engineering and robotic topics, as well a science and math classes, including classes that cover topics such as probability and statistics. Students may also participate in internship programs in software companies to enhance their knowledge of software systems development.

Other Education or Training

Driverless car engineers must keep up with industry developments and improve their knowledge and skills throughout their career. 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 such as the American Society for Engineering Education and the Association for Computing Machinery, among others.

Certification or Licensing

Driverless car engineers can enhance their skills and knowledge as well as their marketability through certification. The IEEE Computer Society offers the associate software developer credential and the professional software developer and professional software engineering master certifications. Find information at https://www.computer.org/education. The Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals, https://www.iccp.org, also offers certification to computer professionals and related professionals.

Driverless car engineers usually have prior work experience as software developers, systems engineers, or other related engineering specializations.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are needed in autonomous vehicle engineering work. Attention to detail is required, as is the ability to work well under pressure, especially in the face of tight deadlines. Engineers also work in teams, so clear written and oral communication skills are needed for effective collaboration on projects. They must have strong listening skills and patience in dealing with other engineers and professionals of various backgrounds. They must also be interested in continually learning to keep up with new technologies and software programs.