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Computer Systems Engineering BEng

Overview
Course details
Learning and teaching
Employability

Undergraduate degree course in Computer Systems Engineering BEng:

Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineers are involved in the design and development of technology that has become essential to all areas of the modern world; from satellites and mobile 'phones keeping our telecommunications networks connected day and night, to computers and digital networks storing and releasing, as required, the billions of bits of data that stream around the globe.

At Birmingham, we have been at the forefront of teaching and research in this area for over 100 years, engaging in each era of new technological advance and helping it to evolve into what we see around us today. We are a friendly, confident and all-embracing School, welcoming people from all over the world.

Our graduates have recently rated their satisfaction levels with us at 94% in the National Student Survey; and 80% of our graduates were employed six months after graduating with 90% of those finding graduate-level jobs.

Course fact file

UCAS code: H602

Duration: 3 years for BEng

Places Available: 45

Applications in 2011: 376

Typical Offer: AAB (More detailed entry requirements and the international qualifications accepted can be found in the course details)

Start date: September

Related courses

Undergraduate degree programmes - Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Contact

Admissions Tutor: Dr Paul Smith
Telephone enquiries: +44 (0)121 414 4295
Email: uga-eece@bham.ac.uk

School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Course details

Details

This three-year accredited programme has a student satisfaction rating of 91%. Our graduates have recently rated their satisfaction levels with us at 91% in the National Student Survey, and 65% of our graduates were employed six months after graduating with 90% of those finding graduate-level jobs.

Communications systems such as the internet, mobile phones and digital TV have revolutionised the lives of businesses and individuals. These systems will continue to evolve at an astonishing pace in the 21st century.

Our social lives, education and health are enhanced by continuing advances in communications, data compression and wireless connectivity. This degree programme equips you to play a part in the future of these technologies. You learn about levels of design ranging from individual sub-systems through to the organisation and control of large-scale systems such as networked, computer-based communication technologies. This degree is ideal for students who have a keen interest in modern electronic technologies and their applications.

First and second years

You study computer programming languages, networks, microprocessors, electronics and systems engineering. Depending on your specialisation, you also cover computer systems, communications systems, computer speech and vision, or signal processing techniques. You also have the option to study a foreign language or a variety of modules outside your main discipline.

Third year

You study your chosen specialist options in greater depth, and undertake a major, research-based individual project. These projects span the breadth of our disciplines, are based on the world-leading research work being undertaken in the school and are well regarded by our industrial partners.

Computer Systems Engineering with Business Management module details (BEng and MEng) pdf

Why study this course

At Birmingham, we provide diverse, yet balanced, courses, enabling our graduates to gain employment in a wide range of industries. Teaching is provided by lecturers who are global experts in their field, with multi-million pound investment providing leading-edge teaching facilities and laboratories.

We produce graduates who can function in today's fast-changing marketplace, and your career prospects will be excellent. Your Birmingham degree is evidence of your ability to succeed in a demanding academic environment.

Employers target Birmingham students for their drive, diversity, communication and problem-solving skills, their team-working abilities and cultural awareness, and our graduate employment statistics have continued to climb at a rate well above national trends.

Housed in the refurbished Gisbert Kapp building with its dedicated state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities. We have three well-equipped computer laboratories and an agreement with Microsoft, through the MSDNAA, providing student access to key computing software. These labs are open until midnight every day. We also boast modern laboratories to support the teaching of electronic and electrical engineering, together with specialised labs that students can use for their individual projects. Students can also take advantage of the extensive facilities for embedded systems with microcontrollers, FPGAs, and DSP kits, or work with internationally leading research groups on projects in communications engineering, applied computing and novel electronic devices.

Our degree programmes equip our graduates with a firm understanding of the discipline, from the fundamental science and maths which underpins it to practical applications. It is this understanding, combined with the distinction of a good degree from Birmingham, which means many of our BEng/MEng graduates hold a graduate job offer before completing their study!

Because career progression for many engineers can lead to senior management roles we offer the opportunity to study engineering with business management. The business management modules, which make up one third of each year, are delivered by our colleagues in the internationally recognised Birmingham Business School.

All of our Undergraduate BEng/MEng and Postgraduate courses are accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), allowing you to take the first steps towards professional Chartered Engineer status. This ensures that studying at Birmingham will provide you with a professionally recognised degree, and one which has a great reputation within the industry.

Modules

Computer Systems Engineering module details (BEng and MEng) - pdf

Fees and funding

Standard fees apply
Learn more about fees and funding

Scholarships

Please see the Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering scholarships and awards page for information on available scholarships
Learn more about the University of Birmingham's scholarships and awards

Entry requirements

Number of A levels required: 3

Typical offer: AAB

Required subjects and grades: at least one science or technology A level. Mathematics A or AS level preferred but not required: if no Mathematics A level or AS level is offered, Mathematics GCSE grade A is the minimum requirement.

General Studies: not normally accepted as one of the three A levels, but a good performance may be taken into account if you fail to meet the conditions of an offer marginally

Additional information:

Other qualifications are considered – learn more about entry requirements

International students:

International Baccalaureate Diploma: 35 points, including both Mathematics and at least one physical science at HL

Standard English language requirements apply
Learn more about international entry requirements

Depending on your chosen course of study, you may also be interested in the Birmingham Foundation Academy, a specially structured programme for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Further details can be found on the foundation academy web pages.

How to apply

Apply through UCAS at www.ucas.com
Learn more about applying

Key Information Set (KIS)

Key Information Sets (KIS) are comparable sets of information about full or part time undergraduate courses and are designed to meet the information needs of prospective students.

From September 2012 all KIS information will be published on the Unistats website and can also be accessed via the small advert, or ‘widget’, below. On the Unistats website you will be able to compare all the KIS data for each course with data for other courses.

The development of Key Information Sets (KIS) forms part of HEFCE’s work to enhance the information that is available about higher education. It will give you access to robust, reliable and comparable information in order to help you make informed decisions about what and where to study.

The KIS contains information which prospective students have identified as useful, such as student satisfaction, graduate outcomes, learning and teaching activities, assessment methods, tuition fees and student finance, accommodation and professional accreditation.

Contact

Admissions Tutor: Dr Paul Smith
Telephone enquiries: +44 (0)121 414 4295
Email: uga-eece@bham.ac.uk

School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Learning and teaching

How will I be taught?
As a Birmingham student, you are joining the academic elite and have the privilege of learning from world-leading experts in the field of computer science. Throughout your studies, you'll be encouraged to become an independent and self-motivated learner, thriving on challenge and opportunities to think for yourself.

Personal tutor
At the start of your degree, you'll be assigned a Personal Tutor who will remain with you throughout your studies to help you in three important areas: supporting your academic progress, developing transferable skills and dealing with any welfare issues.

Contact hours
In your first year the course is delivered via lectures, tutorials, workshops and laboratory classes. As you proceed through your course the number of structured hours decreases and there's a strong emphasis on project work in your final year.

Learning settings:

Laboratory-based work is an integral part of our Electronic & Electrical Engineering degree programme, vital not only to develop your experimental practical skills, but also to reinforce concepts introduced in lectures. Practical sessions typically last two to three hours, although more advanced experiments and activities may span over several sessions.

Lectures take place in our theatres which, as well as the traditional whiteboard and pen, are equipped with the latest technology, including facilities to show movies, animations and graphics, to record lectures and to interact with 'ask the audience' style electronic voting systems.

Small-group tutorials/personal tutorials run alongside the lecture course, addressing any individual problems you may have and allowing you to consolidate lecture material, as well as test your understanding through problem-solving exercises.

Project Work. All of our undergraduate programmes feature a significant level of project working in each year of study, with individual and group projects designed to prepare our graduates for teamworking, problem solving and project management. To support this the entire second year goes on a team-building weekend in the Lake District before starting their group project, and those who take an MEng degree programme do the same again before starting their major group project in the third year. For many of our students these weekends help to build skills and friendships which last long beyond their project work.

Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) is a group activity which requires you to work in a team, with a variety of assessment methods; in either a group or individually, by written reports and sometimes as a presentation. Based on techniques used in research-led organisations like the University of Birmingham, EBL gives you a research-orientated approach to a problem and helps you to gain essential skills that are highly valued by employers.

Assessment methods

The course modules are taught through lectures, tutorial problem classes, and laboratory and/or project work, and you'll be assessed through a mixture of written exams and continually assessed coursework. As your degree progresses, you will attend fewer lectures and perform more practical work in preparation for your final-year project. Around half of the total course marks are assessed through formal examination, and half through coursework or continuous assessment.

During your first year you will undergo a formal 'transition' review to see how you are getting on and whether there are particular areas where you need support. This is in addition to the personal tutor who is based in your School or Department and can help with any academic issues you encounter.

Feedback is an essential part of learning and we use a wide range of methods, such as written feedback on your assessments, class feedback sessions and discussions with your tutor. You'll receive feedback on each assessment within four weeks, highlighting the positives of your work as well as any areas that need more attention. You will also be given feedback on any exams that you take; if you fail an exam we will ensure that you receive particularly detailed feedback to enable you to learn for the future.

Contact

Admissions Tutor: Dr Paul Smith
Telephone enquiries: +44 (0)121 414 4295
Email: uga-eece@bham.ac.uk

School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Course details

Employability

Feedback shows that, on average, 65% of the students on this course find work and/or further study after graduating, and those in work are, typically, earning £25,000 a year six months after graduation. Of those working, 90% are doing professional/managerial jobs.

Preparing for your career is one of the first things you need to think about when you start university. There is a great demand for trained engineers, and armed with a good degree from a world-renowned university like Birmingham, our graduates have the opportunity to get involved in all sorts of exciting projects close to home or further away. Our accredited degree programmes provide an excellent preparation for rewarding professional careers in the electronics, computing, telecommunications and energy industries. But the skills you'll gain, such as technical engineering, applied science and mathematical, computing, teamworking, and project and management skills, also open up career opportunities in the fields of financial services and consultancy.

At the University of Birmingham, we enhance your employability with superb opportunities to gain industry experience, assiting you to secure mentoring opportunities, global internships and placements. Spending a whole year in industry between your second and final study years is a chance to earn money and gain real-life experience, allowing you to get involved in serious projects and put into practice the skills and knowledge gained from your degree. It's a great chance to prove your worth and placements often lead to sponsorship and/or the offer of a graduate job.

Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal.

Our unique careers guidance service is tailored to your academic subject area, offering a specialised team (in each of the five academic colleges) who can give you expert advice. Once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CVs and job applications will help give you the edge. In addition, our employer-endorsed award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises your extra-curricular activities, and provides an accredited employability programme designed to improve your career prospects.

Your Birmingham degree is evidence of your ability to succeed in a demanding academic environment. Employers target Birmingham students for their drive, diversity, communication and problem-solving skills, their team-working abilities and cultural awareness, and our graduate employment statistics have continued to climb at a rate well above national trends. If you make the most of the wide range of services you will be able to develop your career from the moment you arrive.

Career destinations of recent graduates include:

Engineering Officer (RAF)
Graduate Engineer (Network Rail)
Digital Media Assistant (Road Safety Analysis)
Graduate Electrical Construction (National Grid)
Design Engineer (IDX co. Ltd)
Systems Designer (Amor Group)
Graduate Test Engineer (Goodrich)
Advanced Product Creation Engineer (Jaguar Landrover)
Production Manager (Powelectrics Ltd)

University Careers Network

Preparation for your career should be one of the first things you think about as you start university. Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal.

If you make the most of the wide range of services you will be able to develop your career from the moment you arrive.