Electronic and Computer Engineering

Electronic and computer engineering brings together two disciplines that are increasingly inseparable in the digital systems that underpin modern technology. Electronics provides the hardware foundation, from the transistors and circuits that process signals to the microcontrollers, sensors, and power systems that enable devices to interact with the physical world. Computer engineering extends into the software, architecture, and systems design that determine how hardware is programmed and controlled.

Together they equip you to design and build the integrated systems, from embedded controllers and communications hardware to digital signal processors and IoT devices, that are at the heart of technology innovation.

At York you will study this three-year full-time programme, developing knowledge and skills across both electronic and computer engineering in a research-intensive environment with particular strengths in electronics and communications. The programme includes a sandwich year and a work placement, giving you professional experience in an engineering context that connects your academic learning to real product development and systems engineering challenges. You will cover analogue and digital electronics, signal processing, computer architecture, software engineering, embedded systems, and the design and testing of integrated hardware-software systems.

Graduates are in demand across the technology, telecommunications, defence, aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics industries. Roles include electronics engineer, embedded systems engineer, hardware engineer, systems engineer, and FPGA developer. The combination of hardware and software skills is particularly valuable at a time when the design of complex electronic systems requires engineers who can work across both domains.

Many graduates pursue chartered engineer status through professional engineering institutions. Postgraduate study in electronics, communications engineering, or embedded systems is also a route for those who wish to develop advanced technical expertise.