Undergraduate Course

Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Foundation Year

BEng (Hons)

Course details

Study options

Full-time: 4 Years

UK fee

£9,250 per year (2024/25)

International fee

£14,900 per year (2024/25)

UCAS points

72 (September 2024 entry)

UCAS code

H601

Course level

Undergraduate

Qualification

BEng (Hons)

Start date

September

Location

Markeaton Street, Derby Campus

Course description

1st for satisfaction with feedback**Electronic and Electrical Engineering subject area, The Guardian University Guide 2024
Top10 for satisfaction with teaching**Electronic and Electrical Engineering subject area, The Guardian University Guide 2024
Top15for learning opportunities**BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering - National Student Survey 2023
90%of students agreed that the course is intellectually stimulating**BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering - National Student Survey 2023

Gain a real career advantage on this exciting degree which will put you at the forefront of future technologies. With the BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering on your CV, you can join one of the UK’s most in-demand professions. 

Electricity lights our homes, runs many of our domestic gadgets and keeps the wheels of industry turning. We often take it for granted, yet it remains a fascinating and developing field of study – this is all captured in our distinctive BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Foundation Year - helping you to achieve more

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.

Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.

Meeting the needs of the industry and you

Engineering is such a broad discipline, and you may not fully know which area of engineering is the right choice to study when beginning your studies.

Employers are increasingly seeking engineers with a broader knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering to meet their environmental, consumer and business needs. As a University based in an advanced engineering city, it’s vital that we offer degrees with a strong focus on sustainability, electrification and automation.

With this in mind, we have developed our degrees to match the multi-disciplinary requirements that employers are shouting for. All engineering students will take the same core modules in the first year to gain an essential foundation in all aspects of engineering, giving you the chance to settle into your studies, and allowing you time to decide which area suits you best. At the end of your first year, you’ll have the opportunity to switch to either our BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering or BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering degree should you realise your passion falls within this area, or you can continue on BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

You’ll have the opportunity to take part in our annual ebot competition where you work in a team to create a robot from scratch before testing its ability on a track. This is a great way of building skills in teamwork whilst also taking part in a fun competition alongside your fellow course mates.

A student with their Derbot practising on the track
A student putting their Derbot on the track
Derbots (Derby Robots) that took part in the 2020 Derbot competition

Use specialist facilities

Your studies will feature practical learning and experiments in our specialist laboratories. Areas include:

You'll also have access to our Makerspace - a place where you can work on any project and turn your ideas into a prototype. Equipment in the Makerspace includes a laser cutter, 3D printers, soldering irons and CNC machines. All students across the University can use this space and it is a fantastic way of sharing knowledge and skills with one another. 

A student working on a circuit board in the lab
A close up of a circuit board
A student working in the renewable energies lab

Learn from the experts

The Electrical and Electronic Engineering teaching team have a wide range of research interests and expertise that they bring into their teaching. They include:

Vital practical experience

We give you the opportunity to take a placement year in industry as part of this degree. This experience, which takes place between the second and final stage of your studies, will greatly enhance your career prospects after graduation. A large number of companies seek placement students each year. In addition, we offer extensive support to boost your employability while you are studying with us: for more information, contact our Careers and Employment Service team.

Portrait of graduate Kyran Hill

Leaving the University with an accredited degree is a great feeling, knowing that there are now several opportunities at my disposal including professional accreditation, further work experience, career changes and post graduate courses.

Kyran Hill
Electrical and Electronic Engineering graduate
Why you should study Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Derby

What you will study

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus entrance

Undergraduate Open Days

The best way to find out if studying at Derby is right for you is to experience an Open Day. Get a feel for the city and campus, tour our first-class facilities and see where you could be living.

Book your Undergraduate Open DayBook your Undergraduate Open Day

How you will learn

The programme is taught through a mix of lectures, tutorials and laboratory work. Very popular with our students, mini-projects are also used as a hands-on way of learning real-world skills.

The timetable contains up to 16 hours of contact with staff a week, with around the same amount of time designated as "directed study".

All modules are supported through University of Derby Online (UDOL), so you have access to essential support materials at any time of the day or night.

How you are assessed

Assessment is through a careful blend of assignment and examination. Assignments may relate to work at the computer or in the laboratory, or may involve a piece of written or analytical work. 

EEE students in lab

Personal academic tutoring

Your personal academic tutor will work with you to help you get the most out of your time at university. Having someone to talk to about your academic progress, your university experience and your professional aspirations is hugely valuable. We want you to feel challenged in your studies, stretched but confident to achieve your academic and professional goals.

Find out more about personal academic tutoring

Entry requirements

2024 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2024 entry. Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

RequirementWhat we're looking for
UCAS points72
A LevelDDD
T LevelPass
BTECMMP
GCSEGCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification
Access to HEPass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 0, Merit: 24, Pass: 21

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)

Fees and funding

2024/25

 Full-timePart-time
UK

£9,250 per year

N/A

International

£14,900 per year

N/A

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

How to apply

Please look at our application deadlines before you apply.


UK students

If you are in Year 13 and applying for a full-time undergraduate course (including our joint honours courses), we recommend that you apply through UCAS.

Apply through UCAS

If you are applying to study part-time, or already have your qualifications, or wish to join at Year 2 or 3, you should apply directly to the University.

Apply directly to the University

Careers

When you graduate, a wide range of employment opportunities will open up for you in electrical and electronic engineering. You could move into areas as diverse as avionics, medical electronics, automotive electrical and electronic systems, electrical power generation, the rail industry or music and entertainment.

Recent students have moved into roles involving electrical or electronic system design, installation and commissioning, programming, maintenance, and related activities. Derby graduates can now be found developing embedded systems in cars, electrical power distribution systems, railway signalling systems, or rolling stock enhancements. They are also managing major industrial processes, from breweries to assembly lines.

The numeracy and problem-solving skills you develop during the BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering will broaden your career scope further still, with alternative options including teaching, banking, accountancy, technical sales or management. 

You could also consider taking your studies to postgraduate level by taking, for example, our MSc Control and Instrumentation.

Students working with electronics

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Contact us Contact us

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Additional costs and optional extras

We’re committed to providing you with an outstanding learning experience. Our expert teaching, excellent facilities and great employability prepare you for your future career. As part of our commitment to you we aim to keep any additional study costs to a minimum. However, there are occasions where students may incur some additional costs.

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

Included in your fees
Mandatory costs not included in your fees
Optional costs not included in your fees

Please note: Our courses are refreshed and updated on a regular basis. If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

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