The Best Universities for Postgraduate Courses in Electronics and Embedded Software
A Complete Guide
A significant percentage of engineering students go on to study a postgraduate course. These are often an integrated part of an undergraduate degree and a brilliant way to pursue a specialist interest and gain practical research and project experience before applying for a job.
Completing a postgraduate degree in an engineering discipline is also a great way to boost your employability, demonstrating your commitment and level of understanding to potential employers. In the electronics and embedded systems industry, plenty of candidates have a postgraduate qualification in an engineering area, with many finding that it can make it easier to find a job after graduation.
If you’re studying engineering as a graduate, you might choose to continue pursuing a Masters at the same university. Alternatively, you might study a postgraduate course somewhere else so you can specialise in an area like Embedded Software engineering, or decide to study a Masters a couple of years after finishing your undergraduate degree.
Some engineering candidates choose their undergraduate courses based on the postgraduate opportunities at the same university, particularly if they have a certain discipline in mind. Whatever your motivations, here’s our guide to some of the best universities for postgraduate courses in electronics and embedded systems engineering.
We’ve ordered these courses based on their position in the Complete University Guide’s Subject League Table 2023 for Electrical and Electronic Engineering, with the highest-ranking institution at the top of the list. This is not a full list of all the available postgraduate courses in the UK, but is a useful resource if you’re looking for courses specifically in electronics or embedded systems engineering.
The University of Birmingham
Electronic and Computer Engineering
This postgraduate course from the University of Birmingham combines the study of electronics engineering with computing and communication technology, offering a more diverse range of modules than a standard Electronics MSc. Students gain a comprehensive background in complementary disciplines that prepare them for future roles in research and development, or the application of electronics technology.
The University of Leeds
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
The Electronic and Electrical Engineering postgraduate course from the University of Leeds is an interdisciplinary course that covers all of the topics related to modern electronics. As with many courses in this area, you gain a broad background in the sector whilst also having the option to specialise in topics or technologies that you are interested in.
This specific Embedded Systems postgraduate course is based on practical work with embedded systems technology and electronics design. This content will give you a great foundation in this industry sector that will prepare you for work, with potential applications of the course content in everything from medicine to software development.
The University of Strathclyde Glasgow
Electronic & Electrical Engineering
The University of Strathclyde’s postgraduate course in Electronic and Electrical Engineering lets you personalise your course by selecting modules offered by the department in a wide range of topics. After two terms of studying, the course ends with a three-month research project on a topic of your choice, or you have the option to extend the course with an industry internship.
The University of Sheffield
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
The University of Sheffield is one of the best institutions in the UK for engineering, and its Electronic and Electrical Engineering postgraduate course offers a great foundation for candidates that want to study these disciplines. The course structure follows the usual split of modules and a final project, allowing students to specialise in an area of particular interest.
Wireless Communication Systems
A postgraduate course in Wireless Communication Systems at Sheffield has a lot of research and development involved, focusing on a range of modern wireless communication systems. Modules will cover topics like embedded systems engineering and you’ll have access to a huge range of equipment in the Faculty of Engineering’s buildings.
Queen’s University Belfast
The postgraduate Electronics course at Queen’s University Belfast is a specialist continuation of an undergraduate degree in Electronics Engineering. It’s an ideal course if there is a particular area of advanced electronics subjects that you would like to develop your interest and experience in.
The University of Nottingham
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
This broad-focus postgraduate course covers a range of topics within this industry sector and focuses on giving students the background they need to find a job once they graduate. Nottingham came 9th in the UK for Electronics Engineering in The Guardian University Guide 2023, so it’s one of the best places to study this discipline.
Advanced Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Extended Research
An Advanced Electrical and Electronic Engineering postgraduate course takes place over two years. The first year of study covers the usual material in an Electrical and Electronic Engineering MSc, whilst the second year is an extended research project that provides graduates with the necessary skills to solve real-world engineering issues. This is a new course at Nottingham and a great option for candidates that are looking for research positions.
Electronic Communications and Computer Engineering
This postgraduate course focuses on electronics engineering and the applications of this discipline in modern technology and communication systems. It’s a great choice for candidates that want to study software engineering as well as practical electronics engineering, offering a broad range of modules that will give you a really useful background in this discipline.
Newcastle University
Newcastle University’s Electrical Power postgraduate course is taught by leaders in the field, so you’ll benefit from studying at the home of the largest academic research group in Electrical Power. Topics covered in the course include advanced power electronics and power systems operation, the design and analysis of electrical machines, the control of electric drives and renewable energy and smart grids. It’s one of the best options in the country if you want to work in electrical power or renewable energy as an engineer.
The University of York
If you’re looking to study a particular specialist postgraduate course, the University of York offers an Embedded Wireless Systems MSc through their School of Physics, Engineering and Technology. Focusing on the embedded systems sector of the industry, this course is a fantastic opportunity for candidates that know they want to develop their skills in this emerging area.
Bangor University
Bangor University is ranked 4th in the UK for Electronic Engineering by Research Outputs and is a particularly well-respected institution for the studies and projects that its staff complete. The modules focus on emerging technologies in this industry area and the course is a particularly good choice for candidates that want to pursue work in renewable energy, which the university is famous for.
The University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield has a fantastic electronics engineering department, and this focused postgraduate course covers the research, design and development of electronics systems. Topics featured in the course’s content include FPGA, digital systems and digital system development, control computing and SoC.
Electronic and Communication Engineering
This specialist postgraduate course focuses on the development of communication systems and information transfer, built on a foundation of electronic engineering principles. Practical work will develop skills for the design and development of a range of communication and monitoring devices, alongside teaching that provides insight into project planning and management.
Electronic and Automotive Engineering
The Electronic and Automotive Engineering postgraduate course at Huddersfield is a specialist course that gives students a comprehensive background in automotive electronic systems design. As well as covering the principles of electronics engineering, you’ll learn about the new electronic technologies being used in automotive development and gain valuable skills for an industry that is predicted to grow rapidly over the next decade.
The University of Essex
The Electronic Engineering course from the University of Essex includes aspects of research, teaching and industrial contact and experience so that students gain a wide range of skills that prepare them for finding a job. Essex is one of the best-resourced electronic engineering and computer science schools in the UK, and this course devoted to electronics engineering is a great choice for advancing your study in this discipline.
The University of Kent
Electronic Engineering (by Research)
This postgraduate electronic engineering course is research-led, which means that the degree is mainly taught through hands-on projects and research, with very few taught modules. It can be geared towards students that want to complete a PhD after the course, or based on developing industry skills that will prepare candidates for finding a job in the electronics engineering industry.
The University of Portsmouth
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
This Electrical and Electronic Engineering postgraduate course from the University of Portsmouth focuses on contemporary electrical and electronic design and offers plenty of practical learning opportunities for students to interact with the latest technologies. Along with studying relevant modules, you’ll also work on a final project on a topic of your choice, allowing you to specialise and develop your skills in a subject that interests you.
Glasgow Caledonian University
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Offered through Glasgow Caledonian University’s School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, this Electrical and Electronic Engineering postgraduate course focuses on giving students the necessary skills and background to work on modern electrical and electronics projects once they graduate. This course offers the opportunity to learn about power systems, instrumentation systems, telecommunications systems and business operations alongside core material and allows students to develop their career prospects through events and activities with the IET.
The University of Leicester
Advanced Electrical and Electronic Engineering MSc
The University of Leicester offers a postgraduate course in Advanced Electrical and Electronic Engineering, which offers a broad range of opportunities to deepen your understanding of this discipline. As well as the traditional course consisting of modules and a project, you also have the opportunity to extend your MSc and do an industry placement, which can be really beneficial from an employability point of view.
The University of Warwick
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
This postgraduate course from the University of Warwick is a great opportunity for undergraduates to continue their study of electrical engineering or specialise in the electronics sector after gaining a general engineering background. It’s a course with a heavy focus on a project, offering lots of practical experience opportunities both individually and in groups.
Summary
Studying a postgraduate course is a common choice for engineering candidates that want to specialise in a certain area of the industry or gain more practical experience to prepare them for work. Electronics engineering and embedded software are both seen as sectors where plenty of new technologies are being developed and gaining more relevance in today’s society, so gaining a postgraduate qualification will really benefit you as you enter the recruitment market.
If you’re an engineering graduate looking for a role in electronics engineering or embedded software, KO2 is a specialist recruitment agency that will find you your perfect role. Take a look at our available graduate opportunities or get in touch to speak to our team about what you’re looking for.
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info@ko2.co.uk
