BEng Electrical Engineering

As a student on the BEng Electrical Engineering programme at Southampton, you’ll develop practical skills alongside theory from day one. You’ll do weekly hands‑on labs in purpose-built teaching suites, build the custom Micro Arcana processing boards that become yours to keep, and explore real-world electronics in Southampton’s Hardware and Software Projects laboratories.

All of your labs, group briefs and final‑year work take place in facilities shared with postgraduate researchers—yet designed to empower undergraduate engineers to prototype, test, debug and iterate complex systems using industry‑standard tools.

Here’s how your hands‑on learning works in practice:

• Year 1 weekly labs and “Electronic Design” module: From Term 1, you’ll build, program and debug your own analogue/digital circuits using the in‑house Micro Arcana boards (Atmel microcontrollers, FPGA or ARM SoCs)—then move into the Electronic Design module in Year 2, where teams apply their skills in a three‑week build-and-test project and pitch working systems to industry judges.
• Electrical & Electronic Engineering Teaching Laboratory: Level 2 is fitted with 112 individual student benches, each with dual‑screen PCs, 200 MHz mixed‑signal scopes, logic analysers, TTi linear PSUs, waveform generators and QHD monitors—mirroring the layout of a modern hardware‑test lab.
• Hardware Projects Laboratory (Prototyping, PCB suite & Maker Space): This is home to dedicated smart benches, high‑voltage testing, a pick-and-place PCB fabrication line, reflow ovens, laser cutters and 3D‑printing tools. It’s where prototype boards and mechanical parts are made for projects spanning from power systems to embedded robotics.
• Group Design Projects (GDP): In multi-disciplinary teams you build real-world solutions for business or academic clients—past examples include an autonomous racing car (Soton GT), a CubeSat power and comms payload (UoS3), robotic fish prototypes and urban greenhouse automation systems.
• Final‑Year Independent Projects: Year 3 (for BEng) gives you the opportunity to run your own honours project—often aligned with High Voltage, Wireless, Power Electronics or Device Design labs—supported by ECS researchers and lending real technical ownership.
• Software & Simulation Tools: You’ll use licensing for tools such as Cadence Virtuoso / S‑Edit / L‑Edit (IC design), LabVIEW (instrument control), MATLAB/PSpice, Python, and SOC‑based embedded toolchains, accessed via both physical PC clusters and a remote lab system.
• Internships, placements & employer links: Most students take paid summer internships after Years 2 or 3 (lasting 6–14 weeks). This programme complements Southampton’s MEng with Industrial Studies 12‑month placement pathway and connects you to over 300 industry partners—all supported by ECS’s dedicated Careers & Employability Hub and annual Engineering & Technology Careers Fair.
• Student Showcase & employer feedback events: Each year, ECS hosts a high-profile Student Showcase, where faculty-chosen student projects (from GDP or final-year teams) are displayed in London for employers and alumni—often generating job offers and mentoring opportunities.
• Start-Up & Entrepreneurship Resources (Future Worlds): If you're interested in turning a project into a business, Future Worlds accelerator offers labs, mentorship, and early-stage funding for hardware and software ventures.
• Engineering & Computing Libraries and Study Space: You’ll have access to the E. J. Richards Engineering Library, the David Barron Computing Lab, and dedicated group/quiet-study areas built into the ECS building—and all coursework and assessment is managed through the LEARN virtual learning environment.

Graduates of the University of Southampton’s BEng Electrical Engineering are highly employable, moving into roles such as electrical engineer, power systems engineer, control systems engineer, electronics designer, and project manager. Many alumni also pursue further study in engineering, renewable energy, or related fields, or work in sectors including energy, transportation, manufacturing, and telecommunications.

Here’s how Southampton specifically supports your future:

Career Services & Experiential Learning: 
The program offers the option of a placement year, allowing you to gain industry experience with leading engineering firms. You’ll learn through a combination of lectures, laboratory sessions, design projects, and individual research, with a strong focus on practical application and problem-solving. The university’s Career Hub provides tailored career guidance, internship opportunities, and employer networking events to enhance your employability from the first year onwards.

Industry Partnerships & Research: 
Southampton’s School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) has strong collaborations with industry leaders such as National Grid, Siemens, and Schneider Electric, as well as research partnerships with organisations like the UK Atomic Energy Authority. Students benefit from world-class facilities, including the Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory and the Power Electronics Laboratory. The program incorporates research-led teaching in areas such as sustainable energy systems, smart grids, electric vehicles, and advanced control engineering. Employers highly value the technical, analytical, and project management skills developed in this degree.​

Graduate Outcomes: 
Students graduate with expertise in power engineering, electronics, control systems, and renewable energy technologies, along with hands-on experience in real-world engineering challenges. These skills are in high demand across the energy, automation, and infrastructure sectors.

Further Academic Progression: 
After completing the BEng at Southampton, you can progress to the MEng Electrical Engineering or pursue a master’s in a specialised field such as renewable energy or robotics. Alternatively, you can enter professional roles in power generation, systems engineering, or technical consultancy—supported by the program’s industry connections and research-driven curriculum.