Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineering is the discipline that underpins the generation, transmission, distribution, and use of electrical power, as well as the design of the electronic and communication systems that depend on it. It is a field with fundamental importance to every aspect of modern life: the electricity networks that power homes and industries, the motors and drives used in manufacturing and transport, the telecommunications infrastructure connecting the world, and the power electronics enabling electric vehicles and renewable energy all draw on electrical engineering knowledge. The discipline combines rigorous physics and mathematics with hands-on design, analysis, and problem-solving.

At the University of Nottingham, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, making it one of the most richly structured electrical engineering degrees in the UK. The foundation year provides preparatory study for students who need to build their mathematical and scientific foundations before entering the main degree. The sandwich year gives you extended professional experience in an engineering role, and the year abroad broadens your perspective on how electrical engineering is practised internationally.

Nottingham has strong research links with the energy, transport, and manufacturing industries, and the programme reflects those connections throughout.

You will cover power systems and electrical machines, electronics and semiconductor devices, signal processing, control systems, communications, and electromagnetic theory, developing both the theoretical depth and the practical skills the profession requires. Design projects, laboratory work, and the application of computer-aided engineering tools are integral throughout.

Graduates in electrical engineering are in sustained demand across energy, transport, defence, telecommunications, and manufacturing. Roles in power systems engineering, electrical design, control engineering, and research and development are all accessible. The combination of foundation year, sandwich year, and year abroad means that Nottingham graduates enter the job market with a substantially enhanced record of practical and international experience.

Chartered engineer status, pursued through bodies such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology, is the typical career development pathway for professional electrical engineers.