Electronic and Software Engineering

Electronic and software engineering is a discipline that combines the design of electronic hardware with the development of the software systems that make that hardware useful, two domains that are becoming ever more tightly coupled as embedded computing permeates everything from consumer electronics and medical devices to industrial control systems and autonomous vehicles. Practitioners in this field need to understand both the physical realities of electronic circuits and systems and the logical structures of the software that controls them, a combination that is increasingly in demand as the complexity of modern technological systems grows.

At the University of Aberdeen this five-year MEng programme provides a comprehensive education in both electrical and electronic engineering fundamentals and software engineering principles. You will study digital circuits, signal processing, microelectronics, electromagnetics, and hardware design alongside software engineering, programming, operating systems, and the integration of software and hardware in embedded and real-time systems. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study engineering in an international context and develop the global perspective that matters in an industry that operates across borders.

The five-year integrated masters structure ensures you graduate with both depth and breadth in both disciplines.

Graduates from electronic and software engineering programmes work in the semiconductor industry, defence, aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, healthcare technology, telecommunications, and the broader technology sector. The combination of hardware and software knowledge makes graduates particularly valuable in embedded systems roles, where the boundary between the two disciplines is where the most challenging and interesting engineering happens. Chartered engineer status through the Institution of Engineering and Technology is a common professional goal.

Some graduates go on to doctoral research in electronic engineering, computer science, or related disciplines.