Electrical And Electronic Engineering (be (hons)) in University College Cork, Ireland

Electrical And Electronic Engineering (be (hons)) in University College Cork

Electrical and Electronic Engineering applies scientific knowledge to develop a broad range of technological products and services that underpin modern society.  These include the generation and distribution of electricity, the development of renewable energy systems, industrial automation and control, telecommunications including broadband and mobile systems and medical systems. BE Electrical and Electronic Engineering is a four-year professional engineering course designed to prepare students for employment in the electrical and electronic sectors in Ireland and abroad. It has a broad curriculum with strong practical content, including a work placement. It has an excellent record for graduate employment.

The first two years of the course will develop your scientific knowledge, especially in mathematics, physics and the fundamentals of electrical signals.

The third and fourth years of the BE concentrate on applied engineering topics such as:

• the generation and distribution of electricity;
• the development of renewable energy systems;
• industrial automation and control;
• telecommunications;
• optoelectronics and photonics;
• medical electronic systems;
• consumer electronics;
• the design and fabrication of integrated circuits;

The final year of the BE includes  several module options allowing you to tailor your degree to suit your particular technical interests and career ambitions.

The first three years of the BE course provide an access route to the integrated masters, ME in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. The ME programme has extensive industrial experience, deeper technical and professional learning and a significant final year project. It is targeted towards creating the technology leaders of the future.

Our department has well-equipped laboratories with a wide range of hardware and software for the design of modern high-performance electronic systems. Our staff undertake research at the highest level and many opportunities exist for follow-on postgraduate studies.

We have close links with Ireland’s largest ICT research centre, the Tyndall National Institute, opening up further possibilities for students wishing to pursue postgraduate studies and research. Further links exist with other National Centres of Excellence such as the SFI sponsored Marine Renewable Energy Institute (MaREI) (Electrical Power Engineering) and INFANT (Advanced Signal Processing for Medical Monitoring of infants).

This degree course is built on a solid scientific foundation but also has a strong emphasis on practical content, reinforced by work placements and project work.

Placement or Study Abroad Information

At the end of Year 3, you may undertake a work placement. Some students have an opportunity to do their placement with a company abroad. Most recently, some students have been placed with a large German engineering company and have gained valuable experience working and learning a language at the same time.

You also have an opportunity to do Year 3 at an engineering college abroad. This requires approval from the Head of the School of Engineering and depends on the availability of places at our partner institutions abroad.

Students electing to transfer to the ME programme at the end of Year 3 will undertake a longer, eight month salaried work placement as part of their studies.

Skills and Careers Information

The BE Hons (Electrical and Electronic) degree is recognised internationally and our graduates have developed successful careers within the electrical, electronic and energy engineering industries and beyond. Our graduates are in extremely high demand locally, nationally and internationally, due to the continued increase in the information and communications technology market, and the fact that the discipline is the technology that underpins the sector.

While a degree in electrical and electronic engineering acts as a starting point to a career as a professional engineer, the skills acquired during this course are appreciated by a range of employers, offering you the possibility of embarking on a career in many other areas, including computing, management consultancy, the finance industry, and scientific and engineering research.