Electronic and electrical components feature in most of our everyday objects, along with heat, light and power – we need them all to live, and we need electronic and electrical engineers to make them work for us. This STEM course will help you develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to become an electronic or electrical engineer and take your first steps in your chosen career. You could end up working on new technology, or designing and creating new processes, systems and components that could improve everyday life and society we live in.

Creating, designing and managing the systems that keep society running in a sustainable manner is vital. This course aims to give you a thorough understanding of how it all works. We look at the generation, distribution, application and control of electrical energy.

Your studies could get you investigating some fascinating areas, including:

• Sustainable power generation
• Integrated electronic and electrical systems
• Performance and electronic control of electric machines

We’ll cover a wide range of topics. During your studies you’ll have every opportunity to explore and understand the principal aspects of electronic and electrical engineering. You'll study a common Year 1 with those on the BEng Electronic Engineering course, which means you have the opportunity to switch specialisms if you discover that you have an interest in an area you may not have encountered before. This common Year 1 aims to introduce you to the fundamentals of engineering science.

During your studies you have the chance to take a placement after your second year. You could work in the industry and put what you’ve learnt into practice. We’ll also give you the opportunity to take part in national competitions like the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Formula Student,Railway Challenge and UAS (or comparable design and build team projects).

You’ll be taught by professional engineers, many of whom have years of industry experience. The course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council. Once you graduate, you could become registered as an Incorporate Engineer. The course could also lead on to you gaining Chartered Engineer (CEng) status following further study.

If you achieve an average grade of 60% or more during your first two years, you might be able to move onto the integrated Master’s MEng course. You’ll study for an extra year, and have the chance to gain an even deeper understanding of the subject.

You might like to hear what Philippa has to say about studying Electronic and Electrical Engineering BEng(Hons) at the University of Huddersfield.

Placements

This course offers you the chance to undertake an optional placement in Year 3. A placement helps you to build on the knowledge and skills developed on the course. You will be employed by the company for 12 months, but the actual number of weeks worked will be dependent on the annual leave entitlement you are given in line with the placement company’s policy.

The placement year is a valuable tool that can enhance your employability and help you to develop as an individual. It is acknowledged that graduates with industry experience are generally much more attractive to employers.

Our Placement Unit will be on hand to support you in applying for and finding suitable placement opportunities. They will assist you with preparing your CV and with interview techniques. They'll also be in contact with you during your placement so that you'll be fully supported while you gain the experience that employers value so highly.

The Placement Unit team are regularly in contact with local and national companies. Previous students from this subject area have spent their placement year at companies including Nissan, Bosch, Sellafield Ltd, and Intel. You can find more information on placements here.

Alternatively, if you are a student from within the UK, you could consider starting your own small business by applying for the Enterprise Placement Year in conjunction with the University’s Enterprise Team. You’ll have the opportunity to benefit from business advice, mentoring and networking sessions. Find out more information on the Enterprise Placement Year.

Your Career

Previous graduates from courses in this subject area have gone on to work in a variety of roles such as electronic engineer, systems engineer, control systems and instrumentation design engineer and application design engineer in organisations including Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Syngenta and Schneider Electric.**

Additionally, you may gain skills that are transferable to other industries and may be able to pursue a career that requires a good honours degree. You could go on to further study and the University has many options available for postgraduate study and research which may interest you.