Newcastle University

Electronic Communications BEng Honours
UCAS Code: H640 (3 Years)

• Course Overview
• Modules
• Entry Requirements
• Careers
• Finance

We offer a wide range of degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering to suit your interests and aspirations. This cutting-edge field will equip you with in-demand skills for a variety of exciting engineering careers.  

Electrical and electronic engineers are at the forefront of the technological revolution that is changing the face of modern society. From mobile phones and games consoles, to medical scanners and electric cars, they help develop future technologies to improve our quality of life and the sustainability of society.   

Our Electronic Communications BEng Honours degree has been designed to fulfil the growth in demand for professionals with skills in electronic communications, such as mobile and Internet.  

• In Stages 1 and 2 you study a common syllabus, providing the basis for specialisation in later Stages. You cover topics such as semiconductor devices, electromagnetism, analogue circuits and linear control theory, to help you understand electrical machines and electronic communications systems.
• In Stage 3 you undertake a large individual design project, giving you the chance to apply what you have learnt to a wide range of communication problems, preparing you for the transition into a professional engineer.

Quality and ranking

Electrical Engineering at Newcastle ranks in the top 200 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Professional accreditation

We have a policy of seeking professional accreditation from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). This means you can be assured of graduating with a degree that meets the standards set by the electrical and engineering profession.

See the MEng or BEng section below for more information about professional accreditation and the difference between studying to BEng and MEng level.

Teaching and assessment

Our degrees are informed by the research discoveries of our expert researchers, meaning you learn from leading experts in the field and study at the cutting-edge of the discipline.

You will work on real-world engineering projects set by companies with which we have strong links, applying your skills to real challenges faced by potential employers.

Contact hours are made up of lectures, laboratory sessions and tutorials. Up to 10 hours will consist of practical sessions in our laboratories where you will take part in experiments and project work. 

Assessment takes the form of examinations, projects and laboratory work, including competitions between teams. Teaching and assessment methods may vary from module to module; more information can be found in our individual module listings.

Flexible degree structure

We understand that you may not yet know which area of electrical and electronic engineering you want to specialise in. We have designed our degrees so that all of our students study a common syllabus for the first two years.

This gives you the chance to see where your interests lie. It also means that you may transfer between any of our Electrical and Electronic Engineering degrees up to the end of the second year should your ideas change as your skills and knowledge develop, though transfer from a BEng degree to a MEng degree is subject to you achieving the appropriate academic standard.

We cover topics such as current flow in semiconductor devices, electromagnetism, analogue circuits and linear control theory to enable you to understand the operation of simple electrical machines and electronic communications systems.

We complement this with teaching in how to analyse, design and construct electrical and electronic circuits to meet specific criteria.

We help you to develop your computing skills and engineering mathematics knowledge, with topics covering extended C and assembly language programming techniques, the design and testing of microprocessor systems, and the application of differential equations and linear algebra to describe complex engineering systems.

You also take part in a series of group projects to develop your skills in soldering, wiring, circuit board construction and project planning such as a simple digital voltmeter, a power amplifier, a radio transmitter and receiver, and a mini-racing car that can find its own way round a track.

Facilities

Continued investment in our undergraduate teaching laboratories means that you can learn in excellent facilities – described as the best in Europe by leading industrial visitors:

• dedicated computing facilities, comprising industrially relevant software and hardware tools, which are refreshed every two years to make sure you are always working with the most up-to-date equipment available
• the UK’s largest state-of-the-art electrical power laboratories for developing the electrical technologies of the future, such as high-performance and high-efficiency electric vehicles and solar-powered aircraft
• a machines laboratory
• class 100 clean rooms for the fabrication of semiconductor devices

View photos of our facilities or take a virtual tour on the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering's website.

School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

The School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering is located in Merz Court in the heart of our city-centre campus. One of our key strengths is our reputation in the industry and the opportunities that this creates for students who study with us.

• We have sponsorship arrangements with leading industrial companies including Dyson, Sevcon and Tridonic, offering financial support and summer placements
• We are one of only three UK universities to be a member of the E3 Academy. This offers three- or four-year sponsorship opportunities for our undergraduate students as well as giving you access to industrially relevant training and employment in leading UK companies

We also pay for student membership for all of our students of the regional branch of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), which runs social events and provides more opportunities for contact with practising engineers in the region.

We offer a peer mentoring scheme and a personal tutor system to help you make the transition to university life. We also have a strong community spirit and student society, ShockSoc, as well as dedicated social space.