Electronic Engineering and Computer Science MEng

Digital electronics and computer systems are significant in commerce, industry and the home, and have an ever increasing impact on the way we work and live. To gain the competitive edge over its global rivals, British industry and commerce needs trained computer systems engineers with skills in both hardware and software who can assess, harness and influence the growth of information technology.

Our Electrical and Electronic Engineering MEng course is designed to stretch our top students and includes a 12 month industrial placement. It gives you the opportunity to study electronics and computer science more deeply than at BEng level while also gaining valuable industry experience.

Our courses are developed in collaboration with a wide range of industry sectors to give a broad but relevant degree so teaching won’t just be standard lectures and you’ll be encouraged to discover how science fiction becomes fact. Designing your own products and working with cutting-edge equipment will be a core part of the course. The design of this innovative course emphasises ‘doing’ as well as ‘knowing’, helping you to develop essential practical, intellectual, business and communication skills. This ‘real world’ approach, combined with the beneficial experience you will gain during your placement, will give you a clear competitive edge in the search for graduate employment. 

What you’ll learn

The first two years of the MEng are taught alongside the BEng degree and you’ll gain a solid grounding in software engineering and computing systems, complemented by engineering expertise in digital electronics and telecommunications. To build a bridge between hardware and software specialists you’ll study computing and electronics with single honours students from the electronic engineering and computer science subject groups. 

In the second and final year, you’ll be able to choose options that enable you to specialise in preparation for your future career. These options include digital system design, telecommunications systems, optoelectronics and signal processing.

The final year is taught alongside our masters programmes and you can choose options from the stream that most interests you, including communications, sensing, computing or electrical power. You will also undertake an in-depth project, based on your areas of specialism.

You’ll have access to an extensive network of computer facilities throughout your course, including high performance PCs for industrial standard ECAD, Unix workstations and a large number of embedded processors for lab work. These resources are complemented by specialist electronics, telecommunications and networked laboratories and research facilities.

You’ll spend your third year in industry and we’ll support you to find a paid, professional placement of direct relevance to your studies. This placement will give you invaluable practical experience in a real work environment and further enhance your career prospects. As an integrated masters student your placement year will be academically assessed and also include some distance learning modules.

Current and recent placement employers include BNFL, ConocoPhillips, GSK, Kraft, Thames Water, AMEC and 3M.

Modules

Year 1

•    Object Oriented Programming
•    Electronic Engineering Fundamentals
•    Engineering Mathematics
•    Engineering Projects
•    Physical Principles 

Year 2

•    Data Acquisition and Control
•    Software Engineering 
•    Analogue and Power Electronics
•    Communications Systems
•    Engineering Team Project 
•    Digital Design 
•    Professional Engineering Practice
•    Programming Language Concepts

Year 3

Years 3 & 4

The final two years allow you to develop your skills in engineering and engineering management to a much greater depth and gain important experience working on an engineering placement.

The placement in Year 3 is academically assessed and also includes some distance learning business modules.

Find out more about the Aston placement year.

Year 3 modules

Core modules:

• Sustainability in Science and Technology
• Measurement, Automation and Data Processing
• Leadership in Engineering 
• Engineering Project Management

Optional modules:

•    International Placement Assessment 
•    MEng International Study Placement
•    MEng Industrial Placement
•    Individual Research

Final Year 

In the final year, you can take a broad range of Masters level courses from both electronic engineering and computer science. You will also complete an extended individual project in an area that interests you.

Core Modules

•    Digital Signal Processing
•    MEng Final Year Project 

Optional Modules
Section A
•    Internet of Things 
•    Digital Systems Design
•    Digital Systems Hardware 

Section B
•    Reliability in Software Engineering
•    Information Security
•    Data Mining

Accreditation

All our electrical and electronic engineering courses are accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, which enables you to register as an Incorporated Engineer and puts you on the path to acquiring Chartered Engineer status.

This course is also accredited by the BCS (British Computer Society), the Chartered Institute for IT and partially meets the academic requirements for registration as a Chartered IT professional.
 

International students

Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students on many of our undergraduate programmes. Students from over 120 countries choose to study with us every year and Aston is not only a great place to study, based in the centre of Birmingham, it’s also a great place to live. Aston’s professional work placements can improve your chance of securing a graduate job. Placements give you experience, confidence and opportunities and as an Aston student, you’ll be better prepared for your future career. One of the great things about Aston is our focus on employability and our close links with businesses, industries and professions make this possible.

Choosing to start your Aston journey with one of our foundation programmes will help you develop specialist knowledge to ensure that you are fully prepared to study your chosen undergraduate course. During your foundation year, you’ll have excellent support from academics and group projects will give you the chance to meet new people, make new friends and build a network of peers who will share your university journey.

We also have a Learning Development Centre that can provide additional support and offer pre-sessional English language programmes. 

For International Students intending to do a foundation year, visit ONCAMPUS.

Typical offers:

A Levels

• BBB to include Maths and a physical science or technology subject at minimum grade B
   
• BBC to include Maths and a physical science or technology subject at minimum grade B (with an EPQ or Core Maths at grade B)
   
• BCC to include Maths and a physical science or technology subject (contextual offers*)
   
• Physical science or technology subjects accepted: Physics, Electronics, Further Maths, Design Technology, Engineering Science

*For details on our Aston Ready contextual offer scheme, please see here.

IB

31 overall points with 5, 5, 5 in Higher Level subjects, including Higher Level grade 5 in Maths and a physical science or technology subject.

BTEC, Access & other

BTEC 

• Extended Diploma and National Extended Diploma (Science/Technical/Engineering types): DDM including the following units at Distinction (QCF): Mathematics for Engineering Technicians, Further Mathematics for Engineering Technicians, Mechanical/Electrical Principles, Further Mechanical/Electrical Principles. OR (RQF): Engineering Principles, Calculus to Solve Engineering Problems, Further Engineering Mathematics, Specialist Engineering Project.

• National Diploma and Diploma (Science/Technical/Engineering types): DM including the following units at Distinction (QCF): Mathematics for Engineering Technicians, Further Mathematics for Engineering Technicians, Mechanical/Electrical Principles, Further Mechanical/Electrical Principles. OR (RQF): Engineering Principles, Calculus to Solve Engineering Problems, Further Engineering Mathematics, Specialist Engineering Project. This BTEC requires 1 A-level at a minimum Grade B.

• Foundation or 90 credits Diploma (Science/Technical/Engineering type): DM plus 2 A-levels at a minimum grade B. Diploma should include the following units at Distinction if A level is not in Mathematics: (QCF) Mathematics for Engineering Technicians, Further Mathematics for Engineering Technicians, Mechanical/Electrical Principles, Further Mechanical/Electrical Principles. OR (RQF): Engineering Principles, Calculus to Solve Engineering Problems, Further Engineering Mathematics, Specialist Engineering Project.

• Foundation or 90 credits Diploma (any subject): DM plus 2 A-levels at a minimum grade B in Mathematics and Physics or similar physical science A level subject. 

• National Extended Certificate or Subsidiary Diploma (science/ technical/ engineering type): M plus 2 A-levels at a minimum Grade B. Diploma should include the following units at Distinction (QCF): Mathematics for Engineering Technicians, Further Mathematics for Engineering Technicians, Mechanical/Electrical Principles, Further Mechanical/Electrical Principles. OR (RQF): Engineering Principles, Calculus to Solve Engineering Problems, Further Engineering Mathematics, Specialist Engineering Project.

• National Extended Certificate or Subsidiary Diploma (any subject): M plus 2 A-levels at a minimum grade B in Mathematics and Physics or similar physical science A level subject. 

• Certificate/ National Certificate Level 3: Not accepted

Access to Higher Education: 

• Science or technical Access with at least 30 Distinctions and 15 Merits at level 3 including at least 15 credits at Level 3 in Mathematics and 15 credits at Level 3 in Physical Science.

Non-standard qualifications
Degree: 

• Year 1 entry: We may consider applicants for year 1 entry who are undertaking a 1st year degree elsewhere. You must meet the GCSEs and A level (or equivalent) requirements as listed. In order to be considered you will need to submit a UCAS application as we do not accept direct applications and this must include an academic reference.
   
• Year 2 entry: Please note that second year transfers are not part of the standard admissions process and is up to the discretion of the admissions team and tutor. Applications are only considered if there is space on that year of the programme.
  
  Typically, applicants for second year entry must meet the GCSEs and A level (or equivalent) requirements as listed. Alongside this you must have gained (or be expected to gain) 65% overall and 120 credits on an equivalent programme at another recognised university. The equivalency of the programme is reviewed by the Admissions Tutor and you will be required to provide an official copy of the programme specification of this. In order to be considered you will need to submit a UCAS application as we do not accept direct applications and this must include an academic reference.
   
• Year 3: We will not be able to consider any application for Year 3.

T Levels

T Levels are not currently accepted as an entry requirement for this course.

Students completing T levels in 2022
T levels in the following subjects are not accepted for entry to this course: Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction; Digital Production, Design and Development; Education and Childcare.  Please note that where a T level is listed as 'Not acceptable' this is because the T level does not cover subject specific knowledge that we normally require at A level.  If you have taken both a T level and an additional A level or A levels please consult the admissions team for advice in relation to any degrees where T levels are listed as 'not accepted.'

Students completing T levels in 2023 and beyond
There are now an additional seven T Level qualifications in: building services; engineering for construction; digital business services; digital support and services; health; healthcare science; onsite construction and science. The first student cohorts from these subjects will complete their courses in the summer of 2023. We will publish details of the progression opportunities to our degree programmes from these T Levels by September 2022.

GCSEs

Additionally to our Level 3 requirement, you will also need to have achieved:

GCSE English and Maths Grade C/4 and above.
 

Our Admissions Policy

View our Admissions Policy

Whilst the grades listed here are our entry requirements, we understand that predicted grades are only an estimate. We will therefore consider applicants with predicted grades that fall below these entry requirements if the application is of a high standard (however, initial offers will not be lower than stated above).

Entry onto our Foundation Year maybe offered as an alternative to the degree course if lower entry grades are achieved.

*For details on our Aston Ready contextual offer scheme, please see here.

The information contained on this website details the typical entry requirements for this course for the most commonly offered qualifications. Applicants with alternative qualifications may wish to enquire with the relevant admissions teams prior to application whether or not their qualifications are deemed acceptable. For less commonly encountered qualifications this will be judged on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the academic admissions tutor.

International students

Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of an English language qualification. Find out more about our English language requirements. For more information about qualifications view our Aston in your country webpage.

Our programmes put you in control, giving you the skills to lead and undertake complex engineering projects and providing you with the experiences you need to succeed in the industry. Teaching isn’t just lectures, it’s workshops and practical sessions too.

You will be involved in individual and group project work throughout the course, designed to develop individual skills as an engineer as well as communication and the organisational and leadership skills needed to work effectively in a business or organisation.

Learn in our recent 1.3 million-pound refurbished electronics labs. You will gain hands-on experience in our high-spec workspaces, meaning you will be industry-ready once you graduate. Here are just a few of the exciting facilities you will be able to access and use throughout our Electrical and Electronic Engineering courses:

• Soldering workshop
• Power supply multimeter oscilloscope and function generator that are all integrated in one setting and connected to a PC
• Workshop space where you can design and produce your prototypes with a laser cutter and a 3Dprinter
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering student society room which has equipment for testing soldering and a 3D printer that you can use in your free time to work on your own projects and expand your creativity.

More information

*Tuition fees are reviewed annually and may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) to take account of the University’s increased costs of delivering the Programme. When undertaking a placement year a placement year fee applies.

More information on fees

Scholarships

At Aston University we are committed to supporting the most talented and hardworking students to achieve their potential by providing a range of scholarships to help lower tuition and living costs. Find out more about our scholarships here.

Well-trained graduates with skills in electronics design, software, telecommunications and engineering are in high demand. This innovative fast-track MEng is designed to reflect the demands of ‘real world’ electronic engineering and computer science. Through theoretical and project work, you’ll develop essential practical, intellectual, business and communication skills. These attributes will give you a clear, competitive edge in the search for graduate employment.

Recent graduates have moved on to roles including: research and development, design and manufacturing, education and consultancy. They are working for high-profile companies and organisations such as Olympus, Corus, HSBC, Oxford University, Hewlett Packard, Cogent Defence, BAE Systems, Npower, Siemens, Orange, Vodafone, QinetiQ, the National Grid, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar Cars and Microsoft.

Other graduates have chosen to study for PhD degrees at Aston or have started their own businesses.

Why study Electronic Engineering and Computer Science at Aston? 

If you’re interested in a career in industry or commerce, using your engineering skills, this course will give you the necessary academic knowledge and understanding. 

What will I be doing on the Electronic Engineering and Computer Science course at Aston? 

You will be learning through a variety of means from conventional lectures and tutorials, to project team and individual work, plant visits, lab work and specialist supervision from consultants working in industry. 

Does accreditation matter? 

Yes. Working towards accreditation with your professional body means that you are among the best in your field. Our Engineering MEng courses are accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, meeting the academic requirements for Chartered Engineer status.  

In addition, our joint honours course is accredited by the BCS (British Computer Society), the Chartered Institute for IT and meeting the academic requirements for registration as a Chartered IT professional. 

Why should international students choose Aston University? 

Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students on many of our undergraduate programmes. Students from over 120 different countries chose to study with us every year and Aston is not only a great place to study, based in the centre of Birmingham it’s also a great place to live. 

Aston’s professional work placements can improve your chance of securing a graduate job. Placements give you experience, confidence and opportunities and as an Aston student, you’ll be better prepared for your future career.  

Choosing to start your Aston journey with our foundation programme will help you develop specialist knowledge to ensure that you are fully prepared to study your chosen undergraduate course.