Course Overview
Electronics and Computing Engineering is a course that aims to integrate two separate engineering fields to meet the joint demands made by the electronics and computer industries in today's world. This programme combines coursework in different aspects of both fields over four years, with an emphasis on the design of computing systems. Electronics and computers, and their joint applications, are playing an ever-increasing role in our lives as Information Communications Technology (ICT), with everything from consumer goods to space shuttles using electronic hardware (circuits) and computer software integrated together. The increased use of ICT in every aspect of our lives ensures the continued relevance of this area of engineering.
Companies who design integrated electronics and computer systems require engineers who possess the software skills to complement traditional electronic hardware skills. The Electronic and Computing Engineering degree programme has been developed in response to these industry demands to develop students' hardware and software engineering skills in an integrated way and the analytical powers to apply them jointly.
Graduates of this course are ideally placed to pursue their specialism in ICT, which has wide applicability both nationally, with many indigenous technology companies and the multinational sector, and internationally. With the exponential development of ICT technologies worldwide, graduates will be at the forefront of people being employed in this area.
Further Education
Upon completion of the undergraduate degree, suitably qualified students have the option to enrol and continue their studies to Masters or PhD level.
Students can advance to Masters level (ME) through our one year taught Masters programme (September-June) that builds on the successful completion of their undergraduate programme, subject to a sufficient standard (2nd Class Honours minimum). This programme is an integrated follow-on to the BE programme and is designed to meet Engineers Ireland’s criterion for Level 9 degrees, providing graduates with a route to Chartered Engineering status that will be recognised worldwide.
Masters degree education is becoming increasingly the norm internationally in Engineering, and this programme strengthens the ability of our graduates to compete nationally and internationally at the highest level for employment in industry and other sectors of the economy.
In our PhD programme, students develop highly innovative state-of the-art solutions to current problems in Electronic & Computer Engineering, particularly in technologies such as signal and image processing, embedded systems and communications. Many PhD students work closely with industry on the research and development of solutions in a diverse range of applications such as: automotive, biomedical, environmental, aerospace, energy and the Internet of Things.
Career Opportunities
Completing the University of Galway/Engineers Ireland-accredited BE degree in Electronic and Computer Engineering offers a passport to national and international career opportunities in the wide and diverse range of industries, utilities and other organisations that use electronic and computer engineering expertise. This includes such areas as electronic system design, medical systems, healthcare, networking and distributed computing, telecommunications, automotive electronics, industrial automation, consumer electronics, broadcasting, management information systems and energy management systems. ICT expertise offers you the prospect of doing research or working in industry in these interesting, exciting and challenging areas.