Electronic and Communication Engineering with Foundation Year BEng(Hons)

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Start Dates

21 September 2026

Duration

4 years full-time 5 years inc. placement year

UCAS Tariff

64

About this course

Overview

Why choose Huddersfield for this course?

  • Ground yourself in the foundation year to bring yourself up to speed before progressing onto the main programme if you pass.
  • Explore areas such as digital and analogue system integration, AM and FM techniques, aerials and satellite communications with professional engineers.
  • Simulate a real-world engineering environment and boost your employability through our unique EnABLE initiative.

This programme is not available to international students. Instead, international students should apply for our international foundation programmes delivered by our International Study Centre on campus. For more information please visit International Study Centre.

Money isn’t the only thing that makes the world go round. Communications technology plays a crucial role in the stability of the global economy, with continuous advances in electronics and communications leaving an invaluable impact on the modern world.

Our integrated foundation degrees are for those of you who possess the capability to pursue a degree but do not have the pre-requisite qualifications to directly apply to your desired course, it leads onto our accredited BEng(Hons). The duration of the foundation element is one year and if you successfully pass, you will automatically progress on to the degree. Our Common First Year (which is year two of the integrated foundation year course) lets you explore key areas of Electronic and Electrical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering, giving you the chance to “taste” different specialisms before you decide. You will work in multi-disciplinary teams and build a solid foundation aligned with industry needs, whichever path you choose next. In the 2025 National Student Survey, this subject area ranked top in Yorkshire for learning resources

The demands for new devices and environmentally sustainable solutions are only increasing as communications technology becomes even more advanced. This is where you can have an impact, studying Electronic and Communication Engineering could enhance your career prospects and lead to careers with vast earning potential, allowing you to create the lifestyle you want in the future. The top five job titles advertised in the UK for graduate roles associated with Electronic and Electrical Engineering are Electrical Engineer, Electrical Maintenance Engineer, Electrical Design Engineer, Electronic Engineer and Field Service Engineer*.

*Lightcast data extracted from Graduate Career Explorer – job postings from Dec 2023 to Nov 2024 showing jobs advertised associated with a selection of relevant graduate roles.

Career opportunities after the course *

Electrical Engineers

Electrical Design Engineers

Electrical Maintenance Enginee

Electronics Engineers

Principal Electrical Engineers

*Lightcast

Who can apply?

Entry Requirements

CC at A Level.
64 UCAS tariff points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications.
MPP in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma.
Pass at T Level, D or E grade on core.
Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above.
64 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications.

In addition, you must have GCSE Maths at grade 4 or above, or grade C, or above in the previous grading scheme.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum of IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum score of 6.0 in writing and no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page. If you have alternative qualifications or do not meet the IELTS requirement we also offer a range of Pre-Sessional English Programmes.

Other suitable skills or experience will be considered. For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.

What will you learn?

Course Details

In this module you will explore the importance of communication in computing and engineering. With the opportunity to practice this in both written and verbal forms and gain confidence in presenting to a group. You will also explore how to source relevant and well documented information to support your reporting needs. These research and communication skills will form the basis for your ongoing needs as a professional engineer.

This may be your first introduction to some basic engineering skills. You will gain an appreciation of basic electronics and measurement and have the opportunity to build your skills in practical application of engineering skills through guided investigation and discovery learning. Aspects of computer aided design, civil, mechanical and electrical and electronic engineering are introduced, including digital electronics, computer interfacing, control, design, constructions, manufacture and mechanical testing.

In this module you explore and practice using the necessary mathematical tools and principles required for your first-year studies. You will begin with some basics in arithmetic, algebra, and trigonometry these will be followed rapidly by the more advanced areas of sets, matrices, vectors and calculus.

The module provides a comprehensive foundation in Engineering Mathematics, equipping you with the essential mathematical tools and techniques required to tackle complex engineering problems. It covers key topics such as functions, linear mathematics, calculus, and numerical methods, with a strong emphasis on applying these concepts to real-world engineering scenarios. You will develop your analytical skills and learn to model engineering problems using MATLAB, a powerful tool for solving and visualizing mathematical models. The integration of theory with practical applications ensures that you are well-prepared for the more advanced analytical modules in the subsequent years of your course as well as for your future careers in engineering. This module lays the groundwork for successful problem-solving and mathematical modelling, essential skills in the field of engineering.

This module provides you with an appreciation of the broad role of the engineer and technologist in society, including responsibilities, ethical behaviour, and contribution to the business team. It will introduce you to the personal and professional skills required to succeed as both students and professional engineers. You will acquire skills related to study techniques, research and analysis, project management, academic writing and communication and you will be introduced to Continuous Professional Development (CPD). In addition, this module aims to give you a foundation in computer programming. You’ll be introduced to coding, testing and documenting software appropriate for engineering systems. You’ll be supported in developing your knowledge and understanding of the underlying syntax and logic structures specified by the programming language by solving practical problems in dedicated lab sessions. You’ll be expected to design and implement a software solution to a given problem specification.

In this module, you will explore the science of flow in engineering systems, focusing on three core areas: mechanical, fluid, and electrical systems. First, you will study the dynamics of mechanical systems, understanding the forces, energy, and motion that govern their behaviour. Topics such as forces and equilibrium, linear and angular motion, and work-energy principles will help you grasp the fundamental concepts driving mechanical systems. Next, you will investigate the flow of fluids, learning how pressure, viscosity, and flow dynamics affect fluid movement in pipes, open channels, and thermofluid devices. The principles of thermodynamics, steady and unsteady flow, and the application of Bernoulli’s theorem will give you insights into how energy is transferred and conserved within fluid systems. Finally, you will delve into the behaviour of electric currents and electromagnetic fields. You will examine the fundamentals of electrostatics, current flow, and the principles of inductors and capacitors, applying these concepts to analyse circuits using network theorems and complex impedances. You will also explore the behaviours of electrical systems, developing an understanding of their dynamic response. Through theoretical learning and practical applications, you will build a comprehensive understanding of how motion and flow operate in engineering systems.

In this module, you will explore the foundational concepts of analogue and digital electronics. It begins with electric circuit theory, and circuit analysis techniques, before exploring how these concepts are applied to produce systems. The module then introduces the operation and characteristics of systems along with a how these systems may interconnect. You will explore these through practical labs and guided tutorials. You will gain an overview of an sensors, actuators, interfacing System-on-Chip (SoC), and intelligent systems.

Explore how engineering ideas evolve from concept to prototype through a blend of digital design and hands-on problem solving. This module introduces you to the fundamentals of interdisciplinary engineering practice, combining creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Through a series of structured, project-based activities, you will engage in real-world challenges that develop your understanding of the engineering design process. You will also build foundational skills in interpreting and producing technical drawings, as well as prototyping and testing basic electrical circuits. Working individually and in teams, you’ll develop confidence in applying design principles, communicating technical ideas, and progressing from initial concepts to working solutions. By the end of the module, you will have gained practical insight into the thinking, processes, and teamwork that underpin effective engineering design in professional contexts.

This module provides you with an introduction to business, finance, marketing, engineering management and design for manufacture (DFM) in the context of electronic product design and manufacturing. It is intended to promote an understanding of the lifecycle process of product design and develop the skills you will require as a professional engineer. There is considerable emphasis on the development of team skills and your ability to develop as a team player will be tested by a range of team roles and responsibilities. Problem Based Learning (PBL) techniques are used extensively to confront groups with a series of related problems or scenarios. These, together with a given set of learning outcomes for each session, form the starting point for agreed self study tasks. Consideration is given to how a business could be set up to manufacture and sell an appropriately modified version of the original design for profit. You will be introduced to engineering design concepts including DFM, quality and reliability, product design specification and environmental/sustainability issues.

The module will equip you with the qualities and transferable skills necessary to analyse continuous and discrete-time signals and systems in the time and frequency domain for a wide range of industrial applications. You will be introduced to analyses that will be performed using continuous/digital control theories and simulation packages where you will have the opportunity to relate theoretical mathematical approaches with simulated results. There will be real world examples where you will be able to relate your current knowledge with relevant mathematical relations. You will then be introduced to various strategies that are used to control an output from a system.

This module will provide you with an understanding of the hardware and software aspects of microcontroller interfacing and provide you with design skills to implement embedded systems using microcontrollers. You will initially undertake a primer in embedded C before developing your programming skills through a range of practical exercises involving a microcontroller. This will culminate in you undertaking a project where you will develop a ‘real-world’ embedded system which must adhere to a pre-determined specification.

In this module, you will be introduced to advanced analogue and digital devices, circuits, systems and applications. You will learn how to design and develop a circuit using bipolar junction transistor (BJT). You will also study the Sallen and Key filters and develop a higher order active filter in the laboratory. The emphasis is on the analysis and design of various sub-systems and circuits. Furthermore, in the later part of the course you will learn about digital design of the circuit using combinational logic structures.

In this module you will be provided with greater understanding of electric and magnetic forces and fields and their unification in Maxwell’s equations. You will be able to carry out vector analysis and the mathematical descriptions of the fields, an examination of the basic laws governing the generation of fields, and a study of interactions with dielectric and magnetic materials. Electromagnetic propagation is fundamental to communications and after this module you will be familiar with both transmission line and free-space propagation. You will also cover reactive circuits and their transfer functions, frequency and phase response, Bode equations and their plots.

This course offers an optional one-year work placement after Year 2.

    This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to study and investigate a specific engineering topic in-depth. The aim of this module is give you the skills and experience to carry out an engineering project and introduce you to the process that would typically take place in a professional engineering environment. You will undertake and execute a project on a topic appropriate to your study pathway. You will be allocated a project supervisor(s) who will direct you through the process of project planning, undertaking background research and carrying out the technical aspects of the project to a satisfactory conclusion. Your project will be an in-depth study of an engineering problem and may be either academic or industry-based. You will have the opportunity to either select a project defined by a tutor, or to propose your own project idea. The project work will extend your knowledge and capabilities in the specific field associated with the project topic and allow you to demonstrate your initiative, commitment, and engineering capability to a professional standard.

    The module provides you an overview of modern communication systems. You will develop an understanding of the operation of radio systems, and develop skills in associated system-level design and analysis methods and practical design, build and test.

    The module combines the theory of signal processing and analysis of discrete time systems, with practical aspects of digital signal processing (DSP) applied to the design of digital filters. We will focus on signal processing operations and analysis in time and frequency domain and digital filter (FIR and IIR) design and simulation using MATLAB. You’ll be supported in implementing your digital filter design using DSP software and hardware development systems. A range of DSP design case studies (for example audio filters and two-dimensional filters for image processing), will be used to illustrate typical DSP applications through practical laboratory work.

    Analogue circuit and system design today is more essential than ever before. With the growth of digital systems, wireless communications, complex industrial and automotive systems, designers are being challenged to develop sophisticated analogue solutions. In this module, you will be introduced to both discrete and integrated analogue circuit design and analysis. You will investigate module in-depth application examples to gain insight into analogue circuit design and application solutions that you can apply in today’s demanding designs.

    Digital System Integration is becoming increasingly important in modern electronics. In this module, you will be introduced to system design, circuit design, modelling, layout, and fabrication techniques for CMOS and Bipolar (minimal) integrated circuits. You will investigate various stages of design: from integration, transistor, and circuit to system; decomposition from Hardware Description Language (HDL) whilst emphasising the Register Transfer Level RTL/gate level decisions. You will also learn about the design trade-offs required to achieve an optimum design solution.

    Teaching and Assessment

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    Interested in a placement?

    Placements

    You’ll have the opportunity to complete an optional placement year (minimum 36 weeks, up to 48 weeks) in Year 4, either in the UK or abroad. This is your chance to gain hands-on experience, develop industry-specific skills, and enhance your career prospects. You’ll apply what you’ve learned in a real-world setting while exploring potential career paths.

    Your placement will be monitored, and you’ll be assessed on your achievements, helping you refine your professional skills and prepare for your final year. Our Placement Unit and academic staff have strong industry connections and will support you throughout the process, from finding a placement to making the most of your experience. Students from this subject area have previously secured placements with companies such as Nissan, Bosch, Sellafield Ltd, and Intel.

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    We have recruited engineers from University of Huddersfield with great success. Huddersfield students come equipped with the necessary skills for a career in electronic product design.

    - John Dobson
    Managing Director, Matrix Multimedia

    Where could this lead you?

    Your Career

    Previous graduates from courses in this subject area have gone on to work in a variety of roles such as Head of OT security, Senior Systems engineer, Electronic design engineer, a senior electronic engineer and senior metrology engineer in organisations including Rolls-Royce, Siemens, Mercedes and HMC.**
    Additionally, you may gain skills that are transferable to other industries and may be able to pursue a career that requires a good honours degree. You could go on to further study and the University has many options available for postgraduate study and research which may interest you.

    **Source: LinkedIn

    80%
    Percentage of graduates from this subject area who are in work and/or further study within fifteen months of graduation.

    * (HESA Graduate Outcomes 21/22, UK Domiciled).

    I chose my course because of the number of employment opportunities across the world. I liked Huddersfield a lot, the tutors are really helpful and the facilities on campus really impressed me, it's also an extremely friendly town.

    - Aftab Afzal
    Electronic and Electrical Engineering MEng, Electronics Engineer, Rolls Royce

    How much will it cost?

    Fees and Finance

    £9,790 per year

    This information is for Home students applying to study at the University of Huddersfield in the academic year 2026/27.

    Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X) and/or Government policy. 

    From January 2027 the UK government is launching a new student funding system for people starting university education. Read more about the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE).

    For detailed information please visit https://www.hud.ac.uk/study/fees/

    £17,600 per year

    This information is for international students applying to study at the University of Huddersfield in the academic year 2026/27.

    Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X) and/or Government policy. 

    For detailed information please visit https://www.hud.ac.uk/international/fees-and-funding/

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    The tuition fee for a placement year is £1000. If you go on work experience or work placement, you will need to fund your own travel and/or accommodation costs to and from the placement.  Please be aware that if your placement is outside of the UK, you will still be responsible for your travel and living expenses and may need to consider issues like health care and insurance costs.

    International

    The tuition fee for a placement year is £3,300. If you go on work experience or work placement, you will need to fund your own travel and/or accommodation costs to and from the placement.  Please be aware that if your placement is outside of the UK, you will still be responsible for your travel and living expenses and may need to consider issues like health care and insurance costs.

    Optional short field trips eg. one day, are sometimes also arranged. Previous field trips have included Advanced Engineering Exhibition and Silverstone Museum. The costs of these field trips are heavily subsidised by the school but can sometimes incur a nominal cost and/or deposit of between £5 and £40 depending on the trip.
    Scholarships and bursaries Students doing IET accredited courses can apply for their scholarships and grants. For further information please visit the IET’s website.

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    We want you to understand exactly what your fees will cover and what additional costs you may need to budget for when you decide to become a student with us.

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    If you have any questions about Fees and Finance, please email the Student Finance Team.

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    What does the univsersity offer?

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    Female student with circuit board

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    Student with circuit board

    Circuit test results displayed on an oscilloscope.

    Circuit test results displayed on an oscilloscope

    Communications practical session

    Communications practical session

    Students in the EnABLE Lab

    EnABLE lab in the Haslett Building

    The Haslett Building at the University of Huddersfield

    The Haslett Building from the canal

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    Electronic Engineering at Huddersfield

    Staff and students explain the value in studying electrical engineering and how the University of Huddersfield helps students prepare for life after study.

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    Why Hud

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    Explore Huddersfield

    Make Huddersfield your home. A Yorkshire town, surrounded by beautiful countryside, with easy access to neighbouring cities; Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield. You’ll find plenty of places to eat, drink, shop and socialise, there’s ambitious plans for future development. Our campus is situated next to the town centre - making your commute a breeze.

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    Your Student Experience

    Get involved in great opportunities helping you to make friends from all across the world and create lifelong memories. Join one of over 100 societies with the Students’ Union, experience new cultures through global events, earn whilst you learn and build your skills via our Global Professional Award.

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    Budget Friendly

    Huddersfield is not only one of the friendliest towns, it also offers you a lower cost of living than most big cities. This means you could have more money to spend, making your uni experience even better. On campus you’ll also find plenty of facilities and services to help you budget and make your money go further.

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    Sustainability Matters

    We’re committed to sustainability and aim to be carbon neutral by 2030. Our plan includes reducing emissions, enhancing biodiversity, and improving wellbeing through sustainable buildings. We’re investing in digital solutions, low-impact travel, and embedding sustainability into teaching and research, investing over £1m in carbon reduction.

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    Teaching Excellence

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    Inspiring Academics

    Our researchers carry out world-leading work that makes a real difference to people’s lives. Staff within the Department of Engineering may teach you on this course.

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    You’ll be taught by staff who want to support your learning and share the latest knowledge and research.

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    Legal information

    When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

    Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons:

    Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

    If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and if you are unhappy with the change we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

    Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

    Changes to option modules

    Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

    Major changes

    We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes the outcomes, or a significant part of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum. For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff being unable to teach due to illness, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to pandemics, other disasters (such as fire, flood or war) or changes made by the government.

    Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will consult with affected groups of students and any changes would only be made in accordance with our regulations. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you let us know before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for any additional tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so and you may be eligible for an exit award depending on how far through your course you are.

    In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

    The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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