MEng Electronic Engineering

Electronic Engineering MEng at Royal Holloway University of London is a four-year, full-time integrated master’s degree that combines advanced theoretical knowledge and practical, project-led learning—delivered in a dedicated Electronic Engineering building with state-of-the-art facilities—designed to develop innovation, product development skills, and creativity in electronics, communications, control systems, internet technologies, and device engineering. The course includes a placement year option in related variants, enhancing employability via real-world experience.

Curriculum structure:

Year 1:
In your first year, you'll develop foundational skills through a combination of practical and theoretical modules. Embedded Systems Creative Team Project 1 introduces you to collaborative prototype development using digital logic theories like Boolean algebra and Karnaugh maps, mirroring professional engineering workflows. Simultaneously, you will study Programming in C++ to apply computational models to solve engineering problems; Electronic Circuits and Components to gain both theoretical and hands-on experience with passive and active components; Communications Engineering 1 to understand signal forms, modulation, noise, and digital transmission principles; Internet Services to learn about web protocols, network security, and dynamic content creation; and Mathematics for Scientists 1 and Mathematics for Engineers 2, which cover calculus, vector algebra, differential equations, eigenvalues, and their physical applications in engineering contexts.

Year 2:
Building on Year 1's foundation, the second year further deepens your technical abilities and introduces ethical, sustainable considerations. Embedded Systems Creative Team Project 2 challenges you to take prototype designs toward product-level solutions, emphasizing industrial practices and creative problem-solving. Other modules like Software Engineering for Electronics cover the full lifecycle of building robust, real-world software systems; Signals, Systems and Communications explore system interactions and signal behaviors; Control Engineering offers practical insights into system dynamics using MATLAB and control-theoretic tools like Bode plots and Nyquist diagrams; Electronic Materials and Devices delves into the physical properties and behaviours of conductive and semiconductor materials; Analogue Electronic Systems enhances your understanding of analogue circuitry; and Professional and Sustainable Engineering examines the life-cycle impacts of electronic products, green engineering principles, and their ethical dimensions.

Year 3:
In the third year, you pivot toward greater autonomy and project-based learning. A significant Individual Project (30 credits, non-condonable) requires you to plan, design, and prototype an original piece of engineering under supervision. Core modules also include Principles of Engineering Management, where you’ll study business essentials like company structure, risk management, finance, and regulatory standards; Digital Signal Processing Design, involving advanced filter design and MATLAB applications; Digital Systems Design, teaching you to build digital logic using HDLs and design control units; and Advanced Communications Systems, focusing on cutting-edge communication technologies. You also choose two optional 15-credit modules—options such as Power Systems, Voice Technologies, Biomedical Engineering, or Information Security—allowing you to specialize in areas aligned with your interests.

Year 4:
The final year emphasizes team-based problem-solving and exploration of emerging technologies. The Team Project involves group work on real-world engineering challenges, where you practice planning, leadership, and project documentation in an industrial-style workflow. In parallel, Agile Engineering provides insight into designing immersive systems like VR/AR applications and the hardware/software architecture behind audiovisual technologies. Additionally, you select from several advanced optional modules, such as Pattern Recognition (covering neural networks, support vector machines, and deep learning) and Nano Electronics (examining quantum principles, device fabrication, and nanoscale electronic behavior), enabling deeper specialization in cutting-edge fields.

Focus areas:
The programme emphasizes digital system design, embedded electronics, signal and voice processing, biomedical devices, cyber-security, machine learning, and emerging nanoscale technologies.

Learning outcomes:
Graduates gain strong technical design, systems integration, programming, and analytical skills; they complete substantial hands-on and research-oriented learning, preparing them well for careers in electronics, embedded systems, renewable energy, AI-based systems, healthcare technologies, or further engineering research.

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.