Electronic and Computer Engineering

Electronic and computer engineering is the discipline that sits at the heart of the digital world, combining the design of electronic circuits, systems and devices with the software and computational methods that give those systems intelligence and purpose. It spans everything from the transistors on a microprocessor to the firmware that controls embedded systems, the networks that connect devices, and the signal processing algorithms that make communication possible. In an era when electronics permeates healthcare, transport, energy, communications and defence, engineers who can design and integrate hardware and software are in sustained demand.

At the University of Nottingham, this four-year full-time degree includes a foundation year, providing a supported introduction to the mathematical and scientific foundations of the programme before you move into the core electronic and computer engineering curriculum. You will study analogue and digital electronics, signal processing, computer architecture, embedded systems, communications and control, building from fundamental principles through to advanced design and analysis. The programme includes a sandwich year with work placement opportunities and a year abroad, giving you both professional experience in an industrial or research setting and the opportunity to study at an international partner institution.

This combination of foundation year, placement year and year abroad shapes a programme of considerable breadth and depth. Typical entry is around 136 UCAS tariff points.

Graduates go on to careers in semiconductor design, telecommunications, defence electronics, automotive systems, consumer electronics, robotics, medical devices and the energy sector. The combination of hardware and software expertise makes electronic and computer engineering graduates particularly versatile, and many move between technical, systems and project management roles as their careers develop. Further study includes postgraduate research in communications, signal processing, embedded systems or related areas, and many graduates pursue chartership through professional engineering institutions.