MSc Electronics with Professional Internship
Queen's University Belfast
Key Information
Campus location
Belfast, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
GBP 23,150 *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* international fee
Introduction
This programme is designed as a specialised extension to the study of Electronics at the undergraduate level. The programme provides students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding and develop specialist expertise in a range of advanced electronics subjects including microelectronics, sensors, signal processing, hardware and software design, communications, and digital systems.
The MSc in Electronics learning experience is significantly enhanced by an optional professional development programme introduced to expand knowledge application skills and support academic learning by providing direct access to paid Professional Internships with industrial companies for periods up to 12 months.
The Professional Internship advances postgraduate taught (PGT) study in specialised and state of the art subjects by developing key engineering skills and offering technical leadership roles to shape the Master's programme and accelerate chartered registration (CEng status) on completion of the programme. This exciting programme has been followed by many postgraduates who have entered professional engineering careers in many diverse areas including electric power and renewable energy, micro and nanoelectronics, advanced electrical and electronic engineering design, digital and wireless communications, aerospace, manufacturing, process control and IT product design.
The professional programme is offered by Queen’s to support students in their academic and personal development to graduate as engineers who are forward thinkers, innovators, leaders and communicators and have the capacity to solve many diverse and interesting challenges in this broad discipline.
Through this professional internship, the students will develop their personal and professional skills, gain valuable experience in interviewing, develop work-related skills that can increase their employability, have the opportunity to put academic theory into practice to solve actual engineering problems, build a network of contacts with the industry and gain an insight of what it is to work as an electronics engineer.
Our Careers and Placement team will guide you throughout your studies, will keep you updated with frequent careers e-zines and give you the training to help you hone your interview skills.
A typical internship in a relevant sector has a duration of 1 year (with a minimum requirement of 9 months).
Electronics With Professional Internship Highlights
World-Class Facilities
- Our facilities have recently undergone a £10m refurbishment and include laboratories for Microengineering, Electronics, Communications, Circuits, Instrumentation, Virtual Reality, Software Engineering, Renewable Energy, Power and Machines. The Queen's Advanced Micro-engineering Centre (QAMEC) is a Centre of Excellence for research and development employing silicon technology and MEMS technology.
Internationally Renowned Experts
- An example of our research includes our work in the area of space technologies, where we are involved in a number of projects with the European Space Agency, the new UK Space Applications Catapult Centre, the European High Power Radio-Frequency Space Laboratory and companies such as Astrium, Thales and QinetiQ.
Career Opportunities
Our graduates have found that earning a prestigious MSc qualification from the School, one of the UK's top engineering schools has significantly enhanced their job opportunities and employment prospects. Graduates typically find employment in a wide range of fields including semiconductor companies, electronic equipment manufacturers, design and service providers, software houses and other electronic engineering-based industries.
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts help our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.
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Curriculum
Students may enrol on a full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 or 3 years) basis. Taught modules are delivered over two semesters.
Full-time students follow taught modules in Semester 1 (Autumn) and Semester 2 (Spring) and they carry out an independent research project and write their MSc thesis (dissertation) in the summer.
Part-time students may take the course over a two or three year period and are required to take at least two modules per year.
An MSc is awarded to candidates who pass six taught modules (120 CATS points) and the individual research project (60 CATS points).
An “MSc with Professional Placement” is awarded to those students who meet these requirements and are able to secure a (minimum) 9-month placement in an appropriate industrial sector (to be approved by the school).
Two other exit qualifications exist: (i) A Postgraduate Diploma is awarded to students who will pass six modules (120 CATS points) and (ii) a Postgraduate Certificate is awarded to students who pass three modules (60 CATS points).
The MSc consists of a practical project of a research nature (60 CATS) plus six modules (120 CATS). The PGDip consists of six modules (120 CATS). Modules normally run from September until June, with the project commencing in November and running until the following September.
In any given year further specialist topics may be available or some topics may not be offered.
Programme Modules
This MSc programme in Electronics is designed to train the next generation of Electrical and Electronic Engineers who will have the necessary skills to occupy prestigious positions in the industry or research institutes and academia. The curriculum involves the following taught modules (the first two modules are compulsory and you need to choose another four):
Note, we constantly review the syllabus to ensure we are up to date and industry relevant, therefore modules are subject to change and not all modules are guaranteed to be offered each year.
- MEMS Devices and Technology
- Microelectronics Devices and Technology
- Intelligent Systems and Control
- Wireless Communications
- Wireless Sensor Systems
- Control and Estimation Theory
- Digital Signal Processing
Each student needs to carry out an individual MSc project under the supervision of an academic. We offer a very large number of project proposals every year. Some of our top students publish the results of their work in esteemed international peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
Note that the above-taught modules will be offered conditional on having an adequate number of enrolled students. If you would like further information, do not hesitate to contact the course director, Dr Pantelis Sopasakis.
Learning and Teaching
- Academic Team
You will be taught by a team of experts in their subject areas and are active researchers in those subjects. Often our students conduct their individual research projects within an ongoing research project so they get exposed to the state of the art in electrical and electronics engineering. - English Language Support
The school is offering support on the use of English in academic writing. This will help you not only during your studies at Queen’s but also in your future career. - Mathematics Support
The school is offering additional support on mathematics. Queen’s University is also home to MASH: the Mathematics and Statistics Helpdesk. - Modules
Each module normally involves two hours of lectures per week. Some modules include additional tutorial sessions (where you solve exercises or address practical problems with the help of your lecturer) or laboratory exercises - Transferable Skills
We give a lot of emphasis on the development of transferable skills, such as communication skills, time management and prioritisation, research and critical thinking, effective CV writing and interview skills, collaboration and more. - Virtual Learning Environment
All modules have a virtual learning environment (using Canvas) where the students can find all relevant material (lecture notes, handouts, video lectures) as well as online quizzes and assignments. Without a doubt, having all learning resources in one place is very useful.
Assessment
Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:
- Coursework
- Written examination
- Project dissertation
Admissions
Program Tuition Fee
Scholarships and Funding
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £5,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £10,609 for taught and research Master's courses in all subject areas. Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.
International Scholarships
English Language Requirements
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