Course options
Key information
Duration: 4 years full time
UCAS code: HH6F
Institution code: R72
Campus: Egham
The course
BEng Electronic Engineering (with Integrated Foundation Year)
This course is available to Home (UK) students and students from the EU who meet the English Language requirements.
Our Integrated Foundation Year for science is a thorough, skills-building course that will give you everything you need to start your study of BEng Electronic Engineering with confidence.
Engineering, Physical, Computational and Mathematical sciences underpin modern technological society and can help us provide answers to fundamental questions. Our Foundation Year sets you up so that you’re ready to take on those questions - providing you with opportunities to gain knowledge and understanding of how to get started in studying the sciences at university, including your chosen degree subject.
Learning from friendly, expert tutors, you’ll explore modules designed to provide familiarity with Mathematics and computation – the language of modern science and technology, and key for success in science, technology and engineering.
Once you have completed your Foundation year, you will normally progress onto the full degree course, BEng Electronic Engineering. There may also be flexibility to move onto a degree in another department (see end of section, below).
All of our lives are touched by the products of Electronic Engineering. The breakthroughs made by today's electronic engineers help to create the mobile devices, personal media, computers, smart transportation and domestic appliances we use every day, but also have a more profound impact on issues such as environmental sustainability, healthcare and information security.
We're in the midst of a major technological revolution, and as such there has never been a more exciting time to study Electronic Engineering. Study at Royal Holloway's Department of Electronic Engineering and you';ll have access to a brand new, purpose-designed building, with £20 million invested in state-of-the-art equipment and facilities including labs, collaboration and research spaces.
You'll benefit from research-led teaching from expert academics building international reputations in diverse fields including renewable energy and music technology. Electronic Engineering students will enjoy a rewarding blend of practical and theoretical study, working in pairs, groups and individually with one-on-one support from your own Personal Advisor.
Opportunities for student placements, internships and industry relevant projects will be available, and our connection with industry advisors ensures that students are taught the most relevant knowledge and skills and market awareness.
Join us at our beautiful, well-established Surrey campus within easy reach of London. You'll become a part of a vibrant, international student community as you prepare for a rewarding career in your chosen field. Follow your passion for the creative, innovative world of Electronic Engineering and develop the ingenuity, invention and product development skills you need to thrive in this rapidly expanding industry.
On successful completion of your Foundation Year, you may be able to choose an alternative pathway which could include a degree from one of the other departments offering a Foundation Year within the School of Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences. If you'd like to do this, you may take your Foundation Year Individual Project in one of these other departments. The degree course you choose to take after progression is likely to depend on the individual project you select during the foundation year. Please note however that you must take 'Foundation Skills (Mathematics)' and your individual project in the Department of Mathematics if you wish to join a full degree course in Mathematics.
From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
Course structure
Core Modules
Foundation Year
Term 1:
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Global Perspectives and Academic Practice provides a survey of world history that identifies key events and ideas from the Enlightenment to the present day through an examination of a range of issues related to the broad theme of globalisation. The unit takes a broadly chronological approach to the core issues but considers the overarching theme of globalisation from innovative and interesting angles such as the experience and participation of women, the significance of black, ethnic minority or third world perspectives, contributions and experiences, and the role of science as a driver of global interdependence.
The seminars and workshops take the core academic themes covered in the lectures as their starting point but centre around the development of academic skills that will enable transition, ‘upskilling’, confidence building and effective participation in the academic practices associated with humanities disciplines. This is complimented by weekly tutorials provided by your dedicated CeDAS personal tutor, a suite of skills workshops delivered by the Library, and fortnightly personal tutorials within your chosen academic department.
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Mathematics. The foundation to all sciences. By engaging in mathematical reasoning you will develop your scientific thinking as well as problem solving skills. Moreover, you will get to embark on a journey through the exciting world of maths and its application. This course will provide you with the skills to successfully continue onto a STEM degree. The course aims to aid you in developing familiarity and skills in differentiation and integration. The main mathematical topics and concepts in the course are algebra (simplification, rearrangement), sequences and series, number bases, logic, functions, graphing of functions, exponential and logarithm, trigonometry, vectors/matrices, complex numbers differentiation, integration, first order ordinary differential equations, probability, and statistics (mean, variance, normal, binomial distributions). Whether you are seeking to improve your existing maths skills, or have not taken maths at ‘A’ level, you’ll find these units to be an invaluable platform for problem solving in Computer Science, Physics, Maths and Electronic Engineering.
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Knowing how to program is a highly sought-after skill, and is becoming increasingly important. Also, it is fun. This course equips you with the basic and foundational skills necessary to be successful in programming. We mainly use Python, but the skills learnt are also applicable to other languages. The course will contain foundational programming topics, including: how computers work, introduction to algorithms, basic data structures, control flow, programming libraries, data manipulation, input/output, file manipulation, dynamic structures and objects. Upon completion of the until you’ll will be able to understand variables, types and simple data structures (lists, strings, dictionaries and arrays), use functions to simply programs and promote code testing and reuse. Throughout the course there will be lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on problem-solving.
Term 2:
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Global Perspectives and Academic Practice provides a survey of world history that identifies key events and ideas from the Enlightenment to the present day through an examination of a range of issues related to the broad theme of globalisation. The unit takes a broadly chronological approach to the core issues but considers the overarching theme of globalisation from innovative and interesting angles such as the experience and participation of women, the significance of black, ethnic minority or third world perspectives, contributions and experiences, and the role of science as a driver of global interdependence.
The seminars and workshops take the core academic themes covered in the lectures as their starting point but centre around the development of academic skills that will enable transition, ‘upskilling’, confidence building and effective participation in the academic practices associated with humanities disciplines. This is complimented by weekly tutorials provided by your dedicated CeDAS personal tutor, a suite of skills workshops delivered by the Library, and fortnightly personal tutorials within your chosen academic department.
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Mathematics. The foundation to all sciences. By engaging in mathematical reasoning you will develop your scientific thinking as well as problem solving skills. Moreover, you will get to embark on a journey through the exciting world of maths and its application. This course will provide you with the skills to successfully continue onto a STEM degree. The course aims to aid you in developing familiarity and skills in differentiation and integration. The main mathematical topics and concepts in the course are algebra (simplification, rearrangement), sequences and series, number bases, logic, functions, graphing of functions, exponential and logarithm, trigonometry, vectors/matrices, complex numbers differentiation, integration, first order ordinary differential equations, probability, and statistics (mean, variance, normal, binomial distributions). Whether you are seeking to improve your existing maths skills, or have not taken maths at ‘A’ level, you’ll find these units to be an invaluable platform for problem solving in Computer Science, Physics, Maths and Electronic Engineering.
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What better way to get a glimpse of the wonders of the universe than a course covering key concepts that underpin all Physics and Engineering disciplines? In this course you will learn about topics ranging from matter and energy to magnetic fields to random processes. You will also develop your analytical and problem solving skills through hand-on demonstrations and projects. The course will contain the following topics: Matter and Energy; Units and Dimensions; Motion; Newton’s Laws; Work, Energy and Linear Momentum; Oscillations and Waves; Electric Potential and Capacitance; Current, Resistance & Power; Simple Electrical Circuits, Magnetic Fields, Inductance and Random Processes.
Term 3:
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The aim of this course is to develop basic experimental, programming, mathematical or practical techniques required for scientific degrees. The course comprises of five twice weekly practical exercises that are to be completed in approximately three hours. Whilst undertaking the unit you will keep a laboratory notebook, record experimental work, set up an experiments, simulation or software tasks from a script, and carry out and record measurements and/or observations, analyse data and plot graphs using a computer package, and present results and conclusions from your work.
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The aim of the individual project is to enable you to engage in theoretical and practical work on an agreed specific area relevant to your chosen discipline.
Topics will be proposed by supervisors from which you can state three (rank ordered) preferences or you may propose your own topic subject to agreement. Projects will be completed on the basis of a specification agreed with your supervisor and progress will be monitored against the specification in terms of implementation and testing as appropriate. The project will culminate with a joint Poster Presentation with all students on the Foundation Year.
Year 1
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Working in groups, you will carry out a project using methods and techniques that parallel industrial practice. You will develop prototypes which solve one or more elements of a given issue. You will look at digital logic in the context of combinational and sequential logic with discrete logic gate circuits (AND, NOT, OR, NAND, XOR, XNOR) and consider how their responses can be modelled in practice using Boolean algebra, truth tables, De Morgan's theorem and Karnaugh maps. You will also become familiar with the professional team working attitudes and skills required to take projects from inception to the fabrication of a final product prototype.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of programming in C++. You will learn how to use mathematical and computer-based models to solve electronic engineering problems and how to apply quantitative methods in C++. You will look at the concept of a computer program and compilation in the context of objective-orientated programming, and examine the digital representation of numbers, user interfacing, printing to screen, iterative and conditional statements, and error handling.
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The aim of this module is to provide theoretical and practical knowledge of electronic components and their use in circuits. This module covers the electrical properties of both passive (including resistors, capacitors, inductors) and active electronic components (including diodes, photo diodes, LEDs, transistors, ICs, opto-isolators, opto-couplers) and how they are typically used in practical circuits during laboratory sessions. The design and analysis of analogue circuit behaviour is covered in the context of the use of phasors to represent voltage-current phase differences, transient and steady-state design and analysis of passive and active filters, time and frequency domain representations of the small signal responses of amplifier circuits.
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The aim of this module is to provide an introduction theoretical and practical knowledge of communications engineering. In terms of indicative content, this module will include the description of a signal and its characterisation in the time and frequency domains, considerations, introduction to analogue and digital signals; linear time invariance, random variables, Gaussian random processes, probability, thermal noise; introduction to modulation techniques including RF modulation, spectral and power considerations, pre-emphasis and de-emphasis, baseband recovery, error detection and correction, PLLs, multiplexing; introduction to digital signal transmission including sampling theorem, a2d and d2a conversion and quantisation, numbers of bits, error bit probabilities, introduction to digital signal processing.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of how to solve problems involving one variable (either real or complex) and differentiate and integrate simple functions. You will learn how to use vector algebra and geometry and how to use the common probability distributions.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of how to solve problems involving more than one variable. You will learn how to use matrices and solves eigenvalue problems, and how to manipulate vector differential operators, including gradient, divergence and curl. You will also consider their physical significance and the theorems of Gauss and Stokes.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of how the internet works and its key protocols. You will look at the technologies used for web development, including scripting languages and their potential for adding dynamic content to web sites and applications. You will consider the role of web services and related technologies, and will examine the fundamental principles of network security.
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This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.
Year 2
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In this module you will move from prototype design to product creation. Working in groups, you will take on a specific management function within the context of industrial practice. You will use the results of analysis and apply technology by implementing engineering processes to solve engineering problems. You will demonstrate the ability to use relevant materials, equipment, tools, processes or products and use creativity and innovation in a practical context to establish an innovative solution.
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The aim in this module is to understand the mathematical interactions that the combination of various system types impose upon signals and their conveyance in communication applications, quantifying the interplay of deterministic cost factors such as bandwidth, energy, power and interference.
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The aim of this module is to provide theoretical and practical knowledge in control engineering. This module will make extensive use of MATLAB and the control toolbox in the context of solving control engineering problems and its indicative content includes the step response of first and second order systems and the effect of varying the time constant on overshoot and settling times, the use of bode plots, root locus, Nyquist plots, error estimation. Practical control systems will be explored theoretically and practically.
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The aim of this module is to provide theoretical and practical knowledge of digital coding and the networking of data. The indicative content for this module builds on the Communications Engineering modules and includes lossy and lossless digital coding in the contexts of audio (e.g. MP3, AAC), video (e.g. VP8, MPEG, H.264) and combined (e.g. AVI, MP4, FLV) transmission and storage, as well as the concept of a data network, its geography and the principles behind its operation including: speed considerations, data packets, packet switching, bandwidth, data integrity, error detection, network links, wired and wireless connection, network topologies, communications protocols, routers, switches, firewalls, intranet, extranet, internet, quality of service, resilience and security.
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The aim of this module is to provide theoretical and practical knowledge on the materials that underpin electronic devices. The indicative content for this module encompasses the solid-state physical macro- and nano-scale properties of solid conductor, insulator, semiconductor and optoelectronic materials that make them useful in electronic devices, their structures, the behaviour of electrons, electrical conduction, lattice vibration, thermal conduction, how dopants are used, and their interaction with light where appropriate. Existing electronic materials as well as future deveopments will be explored.
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This module introduces the full and holistic life cycle analysis in relation to electronic products and components, their environmental impact and sustainability. You will develop an understanding of closed loop technology renewable and sustainable technologies and challenges, motivators for sustainable engineering and the notion of ‘green engineering’. Ethical and social impact of engineering and technology will be covered together with real-world case studies.
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Analogue Electronic Systems covers electronic engineering in content to extend and deepen your knowledge of electronic circuits and systems
Year 3
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In this module you will engage in theoretical and practical work on an agreed specific area relevant to electronic engineering. This will usually be a prototype that demonstrates the feasibility of a product or a fully functioning prototype depending on the nature of the topic itself. You will be allocated a supervisor and progress will be monitored against the specification in terms of implementation and testing as appropriate.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the scientific principles underpinning practical signal processing. You will look at the mathematics behind signal processing and consider new and emerging technologies within the field. You carry out practical work in digital filter design involving the use of MATLAB.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of modern techniques used in company management to tackle the challenges of the business sector. You will look at company management structures, company finance, statuary requirements, human resource management, project management techniques, managing risks, health and safety requirements, and how to deal with problems that arise during the project lifecycle. You will consider the role of codes of practice and industry standards, and examine relevant legal requirements governing engineering activities.
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This course module will help you develop your knowledge and understanding of advanced digital systems design. You will learn the principles of designing digital logic circuits, hardware description languages and control unit design, acquire the skills to design controllers from written specifications, and evaluate and make decisions about specific digital system designs.
- Advanced Communications Systems
Optional Modules
There are a number of optional course modules available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course modules that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new modules may be offered or existing modules may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.
Year 1
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All modules are core
Year 2
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All modules are core
Year 3
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In this module you will develop an understanding of a range of renewable energy generation concepts. You will look at technologies such as wind generators, solar generation, hydro and marine generation concepts, geothermal dynamics and biofuels. You will consider the different sources of primary energy as well as the energy conversion and electricity generation principals that are exploited. Using your engineering skills, you will build your own renewable micro-generators.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of electronic systems for smart living. You will look at the scientific principles underpinning smart transportation, including sensors, their accuracy and limitations, electric motor design and control systems, batteries and their charge/discharge cycles, RFID technologies, cloud computing, and communication protocols. You will investigate and develop engineering solutions for smart transportation using a systems approach and examine the developing technologies related to future means of transportation.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of voice synthesis, recognition and processing in the context of present-day and future engineering systems that make use of a voice input or output. You will look at the synthesis of human speech and singing in terms of the sound source and sound modifiers in practice to create electronic voice signals. You will consider standard voice processing techniques, used, for example, to enhance speech quality and to remove background noise and improve perceived voice quality. You will also examine techniques used for automatic speech recognition, such as Apple's 'Siri' system.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the human factors in healthcare engineering. You will look at critical safety issues in healthcare engineering and material compatibility in the context of implantable devices. You will consider the operation of systems such as eye trackers, hearing aids, cochlear implants, pacemakers, wearable health monitors and examine the role of assistive technologies, electronic enhancement for condition diagnosis, medical robots and drug delivery control.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the fundamentals behind cryptography and how it is deployed in real systems. You will look at a range of security services that can be provided by cryptography and the mechanisms behind them, such as symmetric and public-key encryption, hash functions, MACs, digital signatures and authentication protocols. You will consider the architecture of security systems using cryptography, including key management, implementation issues, cryptographic standards and crypto politics, and examine real-world applications such as 3G, EMV, and SSL/TLS.
Teaching & assessment
In your Foundation Year, teaching methods include a mixture of lectures, practical classes and workshops, laboratory classes, individual tutorials, and supervisory sessions. Outside of the classroom you’ll undertake guided and independent practice. You will be assigned a Personal Tutor in the Department of Electronic Engineering and will have regular scheduled sessions. In the Foundation Year, you’ll also be assigned a Personal Tutor in the Centre for the Development of Academic Skills (CeDAS). Assessments are varied; practical exercises, weekly problem sheets, set exercises, written examinations, laboratory reports, scientific poster preparation and presentation. In addition the Foundation Year offers a full range of skills-based training and also the opportunity to take a micro-placement to enhance your employability.
Once you progress onto your full degree course, in many modules you will carry out practical project work, involving problem-solving using theory developed within the module and electronic circuit building and/or software skills as appropriate. Teaching activities will include lectures, workshops and seminars, and practical project work will be carried out in groups and individually in purpose-built thinking and fabrication laboratories.
Various assessment methods will be used including examinations for theoretical subjects, formal presentations, reports and practical demonstrations for project work with an additional viva voce examination for final year individual projects. You will be expected to review material after lectures to support your learning and to preview scripts before coming to laboratory sessions.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills are highly valued and sought after in the industrial workplace and are essential for effective group working. You will develop these as part of project-based work and will be assessed formally on them.
You’ll continue to work with your Personal Tutor, with whom any issues can be discussed to enable appropriate advice and help to be given as appropriate.
Entry requirements
A Levels: CCC
Required subjects:
- Mathematics
- At least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9-4 including English and Mathematics.
T-levels
We accept T-levels for admission to our undergraduate courses, with the following grades regarded as equivalent to our standard A-level requirements:
- AAA* – Distinction (A* on the core and distinction in the occupational specialism)
- AAA – Distinction
- BBB – Merit
- CCC – Pass (C or above on the core)
- DDD – Pass (D or E on the core)
Where a course specifies subject-specific requirements at A-level, T-level applicants are likely to be asked to offer this A-level alongside their T-level studies.
Other UK and Ireland Qualifications
EU requirements
English language requirements
All teaching at Royal Holloway is in English. You will therefore need to have good enough written and spoken English to cope with your studies right from the start.
The scores we require
- IELTS: 6.5 overall. No subscore lower than 5.5.
- Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. No subscore lower than 51.
- Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
Your future career
Study at Royal Holloway, University of London Department of Electronic Engineering and lay the foundations for a rewarding career in your chosen field.
Graduates of Electronic Engineering have excellent employment prospects, with an abundance of well-paid job opportunities in an expanding industry struggling to cope with a significant skills shortage.
You’ll develop a strong transferrable skillset including verbal and written communication skills, team work and commercial awareness, preparing you for a career in a range of areas within Electronic Engineering and beyond.
Royal Holloway is located within the South East regional hub of electronics businesses, meaning you’ll benefit from links to some of the top UK-based electronics companies.
Fees, funding & scholarships
Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £9,250
Eligible EU students tuition fee per year**: £25,200
Foundation year essential costs***: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course.
How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students who have already taken out a tuition fee loan for undergraduate study should check their eligibility for additional funding directly with the relevant awards body.
*The tuition fee for UK undergraduates is controlled by Government regulations. The fee for the academic year 2024/25 is £9,250 and is provided here as a guide. The fee for UK undergraduates starting in 2025/26 has not yet been set, but will be advertised here once confirmed.
** This figure is the fee for eligible EU students starting this degree in the academic year 2024/25, and is included as a guide only. The fee for eligible EU students starting this degree in the academic year 2025/26 has not yet been set, but will be advertised here once confirmed.
Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually for overseas fee-paying students. Please be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree. The upper limit of any such annual rise has not yet been set for courses starting in 2025/26 but will be advertised here once confirmed. For further information see fees and funding and the terms and conditions.
***These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2024/25 academic year, and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing etc., have not been included.
