Electrical and Electronic Engineering

• From the day you join us until the day you graduate you'll be testing and applying everything you learn in our fantastic labs.
  
• Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an
  Incorporated Engineer and partly meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.
• Ranked 14th overall in the country for electrical engineering (Guardian league tables 2020).
• Develop highly practical skills and learn through doing.
  
• When our new engineering and design facility is launched, students in engineering, science and the arts will have access to a range of specialist equipment and innovative laboratories.
  
• Draw on our strong industry links and benefit from industry participation in course development, delivery and project sponsorship.
• Take advantage of our flexible course, allowing you to switch between electronics and robotics until your final year, as your interests develop.  
• Benefit from free IET membership (while at University) as the University is an IET Academic Partner.
• Take part in our final year student project open day, showcasing the excellence of the engineering skills development and the high levels of achievement of our undergraduates, with many industrially sponsored prizes awarded.
• Balance laboratory sessions with hands-on practical experiences throughout the course. 
• Develop your skills, with opportunities throughout your degree to build and program embedded systems, advanced mobile communications devices, and solar power systems.
• Hone your expertise in your final year project, offering you a chance to design and develop an original system or device on the theme of your choice.
• Demonstrate your abilities to future employers with your final year project. Many of our graduates quote this aspect as having helped them get a good job.
• Access one of the largest undergraduate laboratory spaces in the country, which you can use to further your own understanding of communications, electronics and renewable energy technologies. 
• Receive electronic tools for studying.
• Transfer to MEng is possible after the first or second year following the demonstration of an excellent overall achievement. 
• Study a broad range of topics from electrical and electronics, power, communications and microprocessors before choosing your final year project to gain expertise and experience in a specialist area.
• To complement your formal learning we offer regular PALS sessions that provide the opportunity for you to learn with and from your peers. Share knowledge, discuss ideas, and ask questions in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Do you have the ambition to develop the electrical power systems and renewable energies of tomorrow? Whether focused on embedded microcontrollers, power converters, or high frequency communications, you'll be developing your understanding of the high-level aspects of electronics on the BEng course. Electrical and electronic engineering, accredited by The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), will provide you with a solid foundation for engineering a wide range of electrical systems.

You will balance teaching sessions with hands-on practical experiences throughout the course. You'll draw on our strong industry links and benefit from industry participation in course development, delivery and project sponsorship. You'll take advantage of our flexible course, allowing you to switch between electronics and robotics until your final year, as your interests develop.

• Year 1

• From the start of your studies, you will find that there is an emphasis on learning by doing. Group project work will enable you to develop your problem solving and communication skills and you'll use our well-equipped laboratories to develop your knowledge and practical problem solving skills. In our integrating project you'll bring together structured design procedures for both hardware and software.

  Core modules

  • Stage 1 Electrical/Robotics Placement Preparation (BPIE112)

    This module is aimed at students who may be undertaking an industrial placement in the third year of their programme. It is designed to assist students in their search for a placement and in their preparation for the placement itself.

  • Analogue Electronics (ELEC141)

    This module provides an overview of analogue circuit characterisation, analysis and design, linking theory to practice. It will examine how common analogue systems are constructed from elementary components.

  • Digital Electronics (ELEC142)

    This is a foundation module in digital electronics and computer control, which introduces digital devices and provides a background in the principles, design and applications of combinational and sequential logic circuits.

  • Embedded Software in Context (ELEC143)

    This module develops skills in elementary programming through the use of high-level programming languages and the use of the flowcharts to develop algorithms. The module has a strong practical bias where students are required to solve various problems by programming existing microcontroller hardware.

  • Electrical Principles and Machines (ELEC144)

    This module gives an introduction to the electrical properties of materials, capacitance, Inductance, and electromagnetism. Basic circuit principles and their application in dc and ac circuit analysis are then applied to electrical machines, transformers and energy conversion.

  • Engineering Mathematics (MATH190)

    The module provides students with a number of fundamental mathematical skills and techniques which are essential for the analysis of engineering problems.

  • Electronic and Robot Design and Build (PROJ101)

    The module aims to provide an overview of a range of electronic sensors and mobile robotics topics, to give students practical involvement in the subject through problem-based learning, to introduce students to various techniques and skills relevant for electronic sensors and robotics as well as creating enthusiasm for the possibilities of the subject.

• Year 2

• In Year 2 you will develop a greater understanding of underlying engineering principles and circuit design methods. Again, there is an emphasis on team work and you will have opportunity to do both group and individual presentations of your projects. You'll have the opportunity to use industrial standard software tools for design and simulation, which is great preparation for your final year individual project or for a placement year.

  Core modules

  • Stage 2 Electrical/Robotics Placement Preparation (BPIE212)

    This module is aimed at students who may be undertaking an industrial placement in the third year of their programme. It is designed build on the Level 1 module (BPIE111) and to assist students in their search for a placement and in their preparation for the placement itself.

  • Power Electronics and Generation (ELEC237)

    This module introduces power electronics devices and motors. Students will build switching power systems and also build and interface motor drive systems and generators.

  • Communication Systems (ELEC239)

    This module extends the student's knowledge and understanding of electrical engineering in order to develop a deeper understanding of electronic engineering principles and their application to electronic and communication engineering.

  • Embedded Systems (ELEC240)

    This module introduces the architecture of an embedded system and the engineering process to design, implement, program and validate them. Students will interface analogue and digital peripherals to microcontroller and FPGA devices, develop programming techniques to solve various real-time problems and perform testing.

  • Real Time Systems (ELEC241)

    The module enables students to build robust and scalable solutions to real-world problems using both Microcontroller and FPGA technologies. This will include both hardware and firmware development skills.

  • Engineering Mathematics and Statistics (MATH237)

    This module provides an introduction to mathematical and statistical methods that are important in the study of electronic and communications engineering. The mathematical techniques (transforms) are central to the study of linear, time-invariant systems. As well as introducing descriptive statistics, basic probability distributions, the module also considers the more advanced topics of reliability and quality control.

  • Control Engineering (ROCO219)

    This module introduces basic concepts in how to control systems that have dynamics. This can involve making an unstable system stable, like balancing a Segway transporter to ensure it always remains upright. Or to get a system to follow a desired input and reach the desired goal. For example, controlling a robot arm so it moves directly to a target location without oscillating or overshooting.

• Optional placement year

• Enhance your studies with relevant experience and an excellent opportunity to seek final year sponsorship. Many of our graduates are offered permanent jobs with their placement company. We can help you find industrial placement opportunities in the UK, France, Germany and Japan. Your optional work placement experience gives you opportunities to put theory into practice. This means you are well prepared for your final year of academic study and your specialist, individual project.

  Core modules

  • Electrical Industrial Placement (BPIE332)

    A 48-week period of professional training spent as the third year of a sandwich programme undertaking an approved placement with a suitable company. This provides an opportunity for the student to gain relevant industrial experience to consolidate the first two stages of study and to prepare for the final stage and employment after graduation.

• Final year

• Your final year gives you an exciting opportunity to develop an individual project, consolidate your knowledge, explore and evaluate new technologies. You'll demonstrate your communication skills in the oral and written presentation of your project and refine the independent learning skills vital for your continuing professional development in your chosen career path.

  Core modules

  • Information and Communication Signal Processing (ELEC347)

    This module provides a thorough understanding of basic and advanced signal processing and coding techniques. This will equip students with knowledge that is vital for the processing, manipulation, encoding and transmission and efficient storage of information in most areas of IT, electronics and communications.

  • Design and Control of Renewable Energy Technology (ELEC349)

    The focus of this module is on the generation of energy using solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. The effect of the environment, the PV material characteristics and the technology to achieve maximum power point tracking (MPPT) are described.

  • Advanced Embedded Programming (ELEC351)

    The module aims to develop programming skills in embedded programming, by making use of advanced features of high-level programming languages and by deepening the knowledge of modern programming techniques in embedded systems. The module has a strong practical bias where students are required to solve various problems by programming existing microcontroller hardware.

  • Individual Project (PROJ324)

    The project presents the student with a design, experimental or investigative problem which relates the theoretical studies to a practical application. The project objectives will be based on problems originating from industry, commerce and current research programs. Students will also create a business plan in conjunction with their projects.

  Optional modules

  • Machine Learning (AINT351Z)

    This module introduces machine learning, covering unsupervised, supervised and reinforcement learning from Bayesian, Information Theoretic and decision making perspectives. This includes theory behind a range of learning techniques and how to apply these to build representations of data in systems that make decisions and predictions.

  • High Speed Communications (ELEC345)

    A circuit and system design module covering analogue and high frequency techniques and their place in modern communications systems.

Every undergraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the course aims, the course structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest course structure and may be subject to change:

BEng Electrical Electronic Engineering programme specification 0125

Discover employment and further study opportunities that you could consider once you graduate with an electrical and electronic engineering degree.

What can you do with an electrical and electronic engineering degree?