BEng Electronic Engineering with a Year in Industry

Electronic Engineering with a Year in Industry BEng (Hons) at Royal Holloway at University of London is a three-year, full-time honours degree situated in a vibrant, research-led environment with a dedicated £20 million facility, combining practical prototyping, hands-on learning, and creative project work. Ideal for careers in embedded systems, renewable energy technologies, smart hardware platforms, signal processing, and advanced electronics engineering. Students benefit from a scenic Surrey campus, expert faculty guidance, and industrially relevant project experiences delivered via group and individual design challenges.

Curriculum structure:

Year 1:
In the first year, all modules are compulsory and designed to build a solid theoretical and practical foundation. You’ll take Embedded Systems Creative Team Project 1, where you’ll work collaboratively to design and prototype solutions, gaining hands-on experience in digital logic and engineering teamwork. Core modules also include Electronic Circuits and Components, covering passive and active circuit elements and their analysis; Communications Engineering 1, which explores signal characterisation, modulation, and digital transmission; Internet Services, focusing on web protocols, development technologies, and network security; and Mathematics for Engineers 1 & 2, introducing calculus, vector algebra, probability, differential equations, and physical applications. Altogether, these modules ensure a rigorous grounding in electronics, computation, and mathematical methods.

Year 2:
Year two continues with all core modules intended to deepen your technical mastery. You’ll engage in Embedded Systems Creative Team Project 2, advancing from prototyping to product-level development and refining collaboration skills. Additional modules include Software Engineering for Electronics, where you’ll learn to design and manage complex embedded software systems; Signals, Systems and Communications, exploring system interaction and signal processing; Control Engineering, applying theory and MATLAB tools to real-world control systems; Analogue Electronic Systems, extending your understanding of analogue circuit design; and Professional and Sustainable Engineering, introducing ethical, environmental, and renewable energy considerations in electronics design.

Year 3 (Industrial Placement):
The third year is devoted entirely to an Industrial Year in Industry. This placement phase gives you 120 credits while gaining invaluable real-world experience, building professional networks, and contextualizing your academic learning in industry settings—significantly enhancing your employability upon graduation

Year 4:
The fourth year shifts to advanced topics and independent work. You’ll undertake a non-condonable Individual Project (30 credits), where you carry out a substantial piece of theoretical and practical work—often developing a functional prototype under supervision. Core modules also include Principles of Engineering Management, which covers company finance, risk and project management, legal standards, and health and safety practices; Digital Signal Processing Design, focusing on filter design and signal processing using MATLAB; Digital Systems Design, where you learn to design digital logic circuits using HDLs and control unit specifications; and Advanced Communications Systems, exploring emerging communication technologies. You’ll also choose two optional modules (each 15 credits), such as Power Systems, Voice Technologies, Biomedical Engineering, or Information Security, allowing you to tailor your expertise toward energy, voice processing, medical tech, or cybersecurity.

Focus areas:
Emphasizes digital electronics and system integration, embedded signal processing, creative design and prototyping, communications systems, and application-driven specialisations in energy, healthcare, or smart technologies.

Learning outcomes:
Graduates emerge with strong analytical and practical design skills, immersive lab and project experience, and the capacity to lead independent creative engineering solutions—well-positioned for roles in embedded electronics, power or communications industries, and high-tech engineering fields.

Professional alignment (accreditation):
Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), making graduates eligible for Chartered Engineer (CEng) registration upon completion of a suitable professional development pathway.

Reputation (student experience & research excellence):
Ranks 1st in the UK for student experience, and its Electronic Engineering discipline consistently places among the top 30 nationally. The department is particularly noted for world-class research in areas such as renewable energy, biosignal technologies, and nanotechnology.