Electronics and Electrical Engineering

Electronics and electrical engineering encompass the design, analysis, and development of systems that generate, transmit, and process electrical energy and electronic signals. Electrical engineering has been at the foundation of modern civilisation since the late nineteenth century, underpinning power generation, transmission, and distribution as well as the motors, actuators, and control systems that drive industrial processes. Electronics, which emerged as a distinct field in the twentieth century, deals with devices and circuits operating at lower power levels, enabling the communications, computing, and sensing technologies that define contemporary life.

Together, they form a discipline of extraordinary breadth and consequence.

At the University of Edinburgh, this four-year full-time degree develops both fields to a high level, graduating engineers who can work across the full spectrum from power systems to integrated circuits. You will study circuit theory, electromagnetic fields, digital and analogue electronics, signal processing, control systems, power electronics, and communications, building the theoretical foundations and practical skills needed to design and evaluate complex engineered systems. Edinburgh's research strength in areas such as energy systems, sensor technology, and communications gives the degree a contemporary relevance, and the programme includes a year abroad, offering the opportunity to study in another academic and technological environment.

The engineering school's project-based approach develops both technical competence and the collaborative, problem-solving habits of mind that professional engineering requires.

Graduates of electronics and electrical engineering are among the most consistently in-demand of any engineering discipline. Career pathways include roles in power generation and distribution, renewable energy, telecommunications, semiconductor design, aerospace and defence, automotive engineering, medical devices, robotics, and technology consulting. The global energy transition is creating particular demand for engineers with expertise in power electronics, grid integration, and energy systems.

Many graduates pursue chartered engineer status through professional institutions, while others continue to postgraduate research in power systems, communications, signal processing, or photonics.