MEng Electronic Engineering

As a student on the MEng Electronic 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 4 (for MEng) 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.
• Placement  year option: choose “Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Industrial Studies” and spend a full year at one of Southampton’s industry partners, focusing on utility grid systems, energy networks or embedded technology—boosting your CV and helping you become Chartered upon graduation.  
• 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 MEng Electronic Engineering are highly employable, moving into roles such as electronics engineer, communications engineer, power systems engineer, embedded systems designer, and research scientist. Many alumni also pursue further study in engineering, robotics, or related fields, or work in sectors including aerospace, automotive, energy, telecommunications, and consumer electronics.

Here’s how Southampton specifically supports your future:

Career Services & Experiential Learning: 
The program includes opportunities for an industrial placement year or study abroad, allowing you to gain hands-on experience or international exposure. You’ll learn through a mix of lectures, lab work, group projects, and individual research, with a strong emphasis on practical engineering skills and innovation. The university’s Career Hub offers tailored support, from CV workshops to employer networking events, ensuring you’re career-ready from the first year onward.

Industry Partnerships & Research: 
Southampton’s School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) has strong ties with leading companies such as ARM, Rolls-Royce, and BAE Systems, as well as research collaborations with organisations like the National Physical Laboratory and the European Space Agency. Students benefit from cutting-edge facilities, including the Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory, the Nanofabrication Centre, and the £110m interdisciplinary cleanroom complex. The program integrates research-led teaching in areas such as nanoelectronics, renewable energy systems, wireless communications, and machine learning. Industry partners highly value the technical expertise, problem-solving, and project management skills developed in this degree.

Graduate Outcomes: 
Students graduate with advanced skills in circuit design, signal processing, power engineering, and embedded systems, along with experience in real-world projects. These competencies are in high demand across industries such as robotics, IoT, renewable energy, and telecommunications.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the MEng at Southampton, you can pursue a PhD in electronics, electrical engineering, or related disciplines, or enter professional roles in R&D, systems engineering, or technical consultancy—supported by the program’s industry links, research excellence, and focus on innovation.