A Guide to Electrical Engineering Courses

Depending on where you choose to study, you may be able to specialise towards the end of your degree. This specialisation can influence the area in which you choose to work when you have graduated. Common specialisations include:

• Communication Systems Engineering
• Computer Hardware Engineering
• Control Systems
• Optics
• Power Systems
• Semiconductors and Electronics

If your degree course requires you to write a dissertation in your final year, this will give you the opportunity to further explore a favoured area of electrical engineering.

The accreditation of your degree will depend on where you choose to study, as well as the specific content of your course. Generally, you can expect to be awarded a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng), or a Bachelor of Science (BSc).

Some degree courses might be accredited or approved by a professional body of engineering, meaning you can become a chartered engineer. For example, in the UK, degrees might be accredited or approved by the Engineering Council.

Typically, an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering will take three to four years to complete. Foundation degrees, diplomas and certificates can last up to two years, when studied full-time.

Once you have successfully completed your degree, you can choose to either seek employment in your chosen area, or further your studies. Continuation of your studies could be in the form of a postgraduate degree, such as a masters or a PhD, or a graduate certificate or diploma.

The entry requirements for an electrical engineering degree will depend on the institution you choose to study at. Some universities might require you to sit an entrance exam, where others may rely on previous exam results. Some universities may prefer you to have studied certain subjects, and others might consider previous relevant work experience.

You should check each institution to see what entry requirements they have for their electrical engineering programmes.

• UK – 6.5 IELTS
• US – 3.0 GPA

Tuition fees for international students are not fixed. This means that they can vary greatly from institution to institution. You should make sure that you are aware of how much your course will cost you.

You may be eligible for a scholarship or funding. This could be awarded by your institution, or by a separate funding body. For more information, visit our scholarships and funding section.

Electrical engineering graduates will be able to work in a variety of fields and industries, such as power generation, construction, infrastructure development, communications and information technology. You can expect to be involved in the design, development, testing and maintenance of projects.

You will have gained transferable skills throughout your degree, such as problem solving, analytical skills, and independent working. These skills mean that you will be a useful asset to any team in a field unrelated to electrical engineering.