Electrical and Electronic Engineering with a Year in Industry BEng (Hons) at University of Liverpool

Graduates of this degree programme go on to a wide range of careers: you may be responsible for planning the electricity distribution network, or you may be designing the electronics of the next ‘must have’ item.

However, you are also not limited to a career in engineering, with many employers actively seeking engineers for their mixture of numerical ability and practical problem solving skills. One day per week is timetabled for practical work in our well-equipped modern laboratories during the first two years. In the final year you will choose from a wide range of projects that is either linked to research work or has some industrial relevance.

Programme in detail

In the first year, subjects covered range from digital electronics and electronics circuits through to electromagnetism and electromechanics. A similar range of modules are covered in the second year. In the final year you will be able to choose a specialisation from ‘electrical engineering’, ‘electrical and electronic engineering’, ‘electronic engineering’, or ‘electronic and communication engineering’. ‘Electrical engineering’ is not simply about producing and transmitting electrical energy, it is also about how it is used. In both its transmission and usage there are significant and increasing challenges facing electrical engineers; many of these are related to sustainability and the environment. Over the last decade there has been an increase in the generation of electrical energy from greener sources (eg wind, wave, solar etc) and more efficient consumer products with increased electronics and software.

‘Electrical and Electronic Engineering’ is the broadest of the four specialisations and will allow you to choose lecture modules from an extensive list of options including subjects as diverse as Power generation and transmission, Antennas and Digital systems design with verilog. The ‘electronics’ specialisation will prepare you for the world of modern electronics. The Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics is particularly strong in electronics with research groups in solid state silicon electronics, molecular electronics and bionano electronics. The Department also has excellent links with the electronics industry; for example ARM Ltd, who design the microprocessors that go into 90% of all mobile phones, have supported the Department through donations (from the Founding CEO of ARM plc, Sir Robin Saxby, an electronics graduate from the University of Liverpool), summer work placements, ideas for project work and, most significantly, employment for many recent graduates.

It is an exciting time for the electronic and communications industry. New and innovative products are coming out every day. The rapid growth of the wireless market is fuelled by technological innovation. The current wireless communication systems include 3G mobile phones, Bluetooth, wireless local area network (WLAN), and Wi-Fi. More exciting wireless systems and technologies (such as WiMAX and 4G) are emerging all the time. This programme is designed for those students with an interest in communications engineering and associated electronics. It covers a wide range of topics in electronic and communications engineering. You will not only learn how a communication system works, but also understand what electronic components are required for such a system.

Career prospects

Our degrees have excellent career prospects: 90% of graduates go on to graduate level jobs. Graduate employers include Siemens, BAE Systems, BT and Guardian Media Group. Careers are many and varied and include Design Engineer, Systems Engineer, Medical Physicist, Postdoctoral Research Scientist and Radio Frequency Scientist. Some of our graduates go on to work in the industrial sector, in government and in education, whilst others enter non-technical professions such as banking, accountancy, management and law.

Recent employers

• ARM Holdings Ltd
• British Nuclear Group
• Deva Electronic Controls
• Energetix Group PLC
• Ericsson Ltd
• Heap and Partners Ltd
• Logica CMG
• Marconi
• Ministry of Defence
• Royal Liverpool University Hospital (Clinical Engineering)
• Science and Technology Facilities Council
• Daresbury Laboratory
• Scottish Power
• The Highways Agency
• United Utilities PLC
• Siemens UK