A student testing an electronic circuit board.

BEng(Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering (with Foundation Year)

Entry year
2024/25
Course code
H6DF
Application
UCAS
Level
Undergraduate
School
School of Engineering
Tariff points
80
Campus
Frenchay
Duration
Four years full-time; five years sandwich
Delivery
Full-time; sandwich
Programme leader
Dr Maryam Atoofi

This course is open for applications

Page last updated 9 February 2024

Introduction

Get on track for our BEng(Hons) Electronic Engineering degree by completing a foundation year. If you're committed to an engineering future and have a less conventional background, this is the course for you.

Accreditations and partnerships:

Why study electrical and electronic engineering?

We're facing a global energy crisis, with an urgent need for sustainable electricity solutions, for both now and the future. Increased demand is leading to a shortage of fossil fuels, resulting in supply chain issues and soaring energy prices across the global economy.

Study electrical and electronic engineering and you'll be at the forefront of solving today's energy challenges. Play a vital role in developing technology to reduce our carbon footprint and you'll make a real difference to society.

Electrical and electronic engineering is a multidisciplinary area, bringing together several disciplines to deal with real-world challenges. These range from power, electronics, digital and analogue, computing, system design, mathematics and physics.

From power electronic solutions for electric vehicles and aircrafts to renewable energy resources, advances in these fields are transforming the way we travel and power our homes and businesses. As an electrical or electronic engineer, you'll become a champion of social impact, designing innovative energy solutions to reduce society's power consumption.

Why UWE Bristol?

Our new inclusive, problem-based curriculum will broaden our engineering audience, enabling students from a wider range of backgrounds to pursue a career in engineering.

You'll be taught in our new state-of-the-art School of Engineering designed to revolutionise the way engineering is taught. Featuring engine test cells, dedicated collaborative learning spaces and the latest high-tech equipment, it's purpose-built to support a wide range of engineering disciplines.

Where can it take me?

As a student engineer, you'll start your professional journey towards becoming an incorporated or chartered engineer from day one. You'll learn by doing, applying and revisiting your early skills through embedded project weeks and developing digital and physical prototypes, as you would in practice.

Choose a career designing electrical and electronic systems, working on consumer technology or solving engineering problems for communications and power generation/distribution companies. You could also work in technology, manufacturing, transport and rail, aviation and a host of other industries.

Structure

Content

The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.

Year zero (foundation year)

You'll study:

  • Engineering Experimentation
  • Foundation Group Project
  • Foundation Mechanics
  • Foundation Mathematics: Algebra and Calculus
  • Introduction to Mechatronics.

You normally need to pass your foundation year before going into Year one.

Year one

You'll study:

  • Engineering Practice 1
  • Principles of Electrical Engineering
  • Mathematical Modelling for Electronics and Robotics
  • Programming for Engineers
  • Applied Electronics.

Year two

You'll study:

  • Engineering Practice 2
  • Electrical Machines and Power Systems
  • Embedded Systems
  • Engineering Research
  • Signals and Systems
  • Analogue Electronic Systems.

Placement year (if applicable)

If you study on the four year sandwich course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work placement after year two.

You'll complete a placement learning module.

See the Placements and Fees sections for more information.

Final year

You'll study:

  • Engineering Project
  • Group Design and Integration Project
  • Control Systems Design
  • Power Electronics and Energy Systems
  • Professionalism for Engineers*.

*You won't study this module if you complete the placement year.

Plus one module from:

  • Digital Signal Processing
  • Advanced Analogue Electronics
  • Communications
  • Introduction to CMOS IC Design. 

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.

Learning and Teaching

Learn through lectures, seminars, tutorials, laboratory work, case studies and mini projects, with a mixture of group and individual activities depending on the subject area.

Attend regular presentations from visiting professionals to gain an inside track on industry challenges and opportunities.

Showcase your work to employers and the public at your final year degree show.

See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Approximate percentage of time you'll spend in different learning activities*:

YearScheduled learning and teaching studyIndependent studyPlacement study
027%73%0%
129%71%0%
227%73%0%
319%81%0%

*Calculated from compulsory and optional modules (where applicable) each year

Boost your skills

Volunteer to help build infrastructure in developing countries with initiatives like Engineers without Borders, gaining valuable practical experience.

Achieve success in annual competitions such as Formula Student.

Study time

You can study this course full-time or on a part-time day release basis.

Modules are structured so you can attend all your lectures and tutorial sessions in a single day each week, minimising the time you spend away from the workplace.

Assessment

Assessment generally takes place through a mix of coursework, assignments and exams.

Learn more about assessments.

Approximate percentage of marks awarded by each assessment method*:

YearWritten exam assessmentCoursework assessmentPractical exam assessment
037%58%5%
147%53%5%
222%57%21%
328%62%10%

*Calculated from compulsory and optional modules (where applicable) each year

Features

Professional accreditation

This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Placements

Students who get work experience tend to graduate with better degrees. Experience also hones your skills, industry knowledge and professional network, making you a sought after graduate.

If you choose the four-year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work placement after Year two.

We have strong relationships with renewable energy companies such as EDF Energy, GE Power and NPower, and aerospace, automotive and mechatronic companies such as Airbus, Bowing, Dyson and Rolls Royce. We also work with smaller local consultancies, who provide computer-aided design (CAD) and engineering work placements.

Past students have worked on electronic systems for next-generation Range Rovers. Others have developed fuel systems for Airbus.

Employers are impressed with the standard of our students and often offer them work on graduation.

Get help to find your placement and support throughout from staff within the school and our award-winning careers service.

Fieldwork

Throughout the course, you'll see engineering in action at a range of facilities run by partner employers, like Airbus. 

On factory visits, you'll receive a guided tour of the shop floor and attend presentations from the host organisation.

Study facilities

Our engineering building is designed to inspire the engineers of the future. Built for hands-on investigation, with engine test cells, wind tunnels and collaborative learning spaces. An ideal environment for encouraging you to explore, take risks and discover ways to change the world for the better.

Learn in well-equipped electronics, control systems and embedded systems laboratories.

Collaborate and develop ideas in our lab, which emulates a real-world software development environment.

Develop prototypes using robotic assembly cells, power distribution systems and motor drives, as well as subsonic and supersonic wind tunnels.

Produce hardware with industry standard software. Make circuit boards, leads and connectors in fabrication facilities with electronic test equipment, monitors and scopes.

Study control systems and telecommunications in specialist labs.

Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.

Take a Virtual Tour of the Engineering facilities and see what's on offer here for you.

Take a look at the Engineering building

Step inside our new School of Engineering building at UWE Bristol.

Life

Accommodation

An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.

Bristol

A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.

Sports, societies and activities

There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.

Health and Wellbeing

We provide support in the way you need it.

Campus and facilities

Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.

Careers

Careers / Further study

Our BEng(Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering will enable you to explore the application of electronics in a broad range of environments. You'll examine signal processing, micro-controllers, communications, control systems and digital hardware design.

On this course, you'll tackle real world issues through live projects, and learn to take risks as you develop solutions in our state-of-the art labs. You'll gain technical skills in digital and analogue electronics, mathematics and computer programming.

You'll also develop core skills that you'll take with you through your career, such as innovation, teamwork, communication, creativity and project planning. You'll learn to apply these skills through practical projects in our well-equipped facilities, ensuring you're prepared for professional practice.

Demand for graduates with expertise in electrical and electronic engineering is high, so you'll graduate with strong employability prospects. Many of our graduates pursue careers in power generation, consumer technology, communications, manufacturing, transport, rail, aviation or electrical companies.

Gain an inside track on the industry through factory tours and professional briefings from leading organisations. With some of the biggest names in engineering on your doorstep, you'll benefit from our local industry links with professionals in practice.

You'll also have the chance to attend careers fairs and engineer 'speed dating' events. These opportunities will help you find employment at the end of your course and take the next step towards changing the world as a qualified engineer.

Get inspired

Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.

We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.

Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.

See also:

Prospects - careers in engineering

The Guardian - what to do with a degree in electronic or electrical engineering

Fees

Supplementary fee information

Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on. Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.

You'll apply for funding each year that you study and Student Finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the five year course and then transfer to the four year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student Finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you have been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.

Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.

Learn more about funding.

Additional costs

Additional costs are for items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.

Learn more about costs.

Entry

Typical offers

  • Tariff points: 80
  • Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
  • GCSE: Grade C/4 in English and Mathematics, or equivalent.
  • English Language Requirement: International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).

    *The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page.

  • A-level subjects: No specific subjects required.
  • EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: No specific subjects required.

    For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.

  • Access: No specific subjects required.
  • Baccalaureate IB: No specific subjects required.
  • Irish Highers: No specific subjects required.
  • T Levels: No specific subjects required.

Entry requirements

If you exceed the entry requirements you may be eligible for BEng(Hons) Electronic Engineering.

International applicants

If you are an international student your recommended route of study for this degree is through our International College, which upon successful completion to the required level and with good attendance, guarantees entry to Year one of the degree.

Read more about entry requirements.

How to apply

Read more about undergraduate applications.

For further information

Unistats

UWE Main Campus

Full Time