Elec-eng_1

ELECTRONIC AND
ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING
Undergraduate entry 2008
UCL UCAS Code: UCL U80
H601
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
MEng 4 years
H615
Electronic Engineering with
Nanotechnology MEng 4 years
H613
Electronic Engineering
with Communications Engineering
MEng 4 years
H6G4
Electronic Engineering with
Computer Science MEng 4 years
H605
(International Programme) MEng 4 years
H600
BEng 3 years

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WELCOME
to UCL and to the Electronic and Electrical Engineering
degree programmes
It’s not easy to decide exactly which degree programme to study; neither is it
easy to choose which universities to include on your UCAS application. These
are important decisions because they will affect not only the next three or four
years of study, but most probably also your subsequent career, and possibly
the rest of your life.
In selecting subjects and universities you need to be well-informed, with
access to reliable and up-to-date facts and figures. In the following pages we
aim to provide you with such information as well as giving you a taste of what
it is like to be a student in one of the UK’s top universities.
Key facts
Main body bullet
CONTENTS
3 Welcome to UCL and to the Electronic and Electrical
Engineering degree programmes
3 Key facts
4 What do we offer?
8 Your degree
16 Your learning
21 Living
23 Your application
24 Your career

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choice for those pursing Engineering following graduation, but review your position at the end of
your second year.
The different degree programmes have largely common first and second years, with the first year
designed to accommodate students with a variety of backgrounds including GCE A level, Scottish
Highers and Irish Leaving Certificate, International Baccalaureate, BTEC and overseas
qualifications. The tutorial system, lectures and supplementary classes are there to ensure that
students do not fall at the first fence. Towards the end of the second year, the final choice on
whether to read for a four-year MEng or the three-year BEng needs to be made. The MEng allows
you to study to both greater depth and breadth and is to be recommended for these reasons. The
Engineering Council has reviewed the registration of Chartered Engineers and has reported that,
while a BEng is an appropriate educational base for a professional engineer, a period of further
study and specialist knowledge to Master’s level is now a mandatory requirement. It is likely that
an MEng would be preferred for such a requirement. Of course, a BEng does not close any doors
because working as a professional engineer commits you to a lifetime of continued learning. It is
likely, therefore, that whether you follow the three or four-year route you may find yourself studying
What do we offer?
Electronics, from the simplest digital clock to complex computer networks, are found throughout
today’s society. Technological advances in electronics have allowed highly sophisticated devices to
become commonplace. Mobile phones, portable computers, complete telephone networks and CD
players are found everywhere, but very few people understand how they work or are in a position
to improve them or develop completely new technologies. Electronic devices and system are
essential within modern healthcare programmes, and nanotechnology is leading us to electronics
that we build on the atomic scale! Join us to find out about the fundamental science that underlies
all this modern technology, and how to Engineer solutions to real life problems.
Studying Electronic and Electrical Engineering at UCL is no easy ride. All of our degree
programmes are academically rigorous and emphasise the ‘fundamentals’ of our exciting subject,
alongside introducing the most recent developments. We believe that this form of education will
prepare you for a career in Engineering at the top level, since you will be well equipped to exercise
independent thinking and solve unexpected problems that arise. This said, as a medium-size
department the atmosphere is very friendly, you can be sure that you will be on first name terms
with a number of the staff by the time you come to graduate. We look to recruit highly motivated
and qualified individuals who will not only graduate with top honours, but who will actively
contribute to the well-being of the department during their time here. I hope that you find this
booklet useful in deciding whether the UCL Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering is
for you.
Electronic engineering covers a large number of subjects and so we offer a number of degree
programmes to cover many of these areas. However, we cannot expect applicants to have a clear
idea of which subjects they will find most interesting and want to study when they are applying for
a degree. For this reason we offer flexibility to change between our different degree programmes
up to the end of the second year. We encourage students to complete the full four years of study
and obtain an MEng degree, because this is the best route to chartered engineer status. There
are many issues to consider in choosing a programme. Which subjects do you most enjoy? Which
subjects will be most useful to you in the future? Do you want to spend a year in another country
studying as part of your degree? With so many issues to consider, we can offer both advice and
real choice in this matter to help you map your own career. Unlike some other UK EE
departments we have retained a three-year BEng programme in Electronic and Electrical
Engineering. This is important as many of our graduates find well rewarded employment in, for
example, the financial sector of the City of London, where a top class BEng from UCL will be
looked upon very highly. So, we suggest you register for an MEng degree, which is the best

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Staff and Student Numbers
Undergraduates 250
Taught Graduates 300
Research Students 100
Research Assistants 25
Academics 30
Undergraduate Entry
70 places each year
GCE A level entry offer usually AAA-ABB, plus a pass in a further subject at AS level
Scottish Highers and Irish Leaving Certificate, IB, BTEC and recognised overseas qualifications
accepted with a high standard in mathematics and physics
Specialities
Electronic circuits and systems
Electronic materials and devices
Microwaves, radar and optics
Optoelectronics and optical networks
Telecommunications
Nanotechnology
Research
UGC ‘Star’ Rated (1986)
UFC ‘5’ Rated (1989)
HEFCE ‘5A’ Rated (1992)
HEFCE ‘5*A’ Rated (1996)
HEFCE ‘5A’ Rated (2001)
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for a graduate qualification such as MSc, MBA or Doctorate, either immediately after graduation or
after a number of years of work experience.
The department offers an MEng International Programme that includes study abroad. Students
may spend a year studying abroad at a partner institution in Europe, Australia or North America. If
you want to take the European option, you need to decide early on in your studies since additional
language tuition needs to be taken. The final year of all MEng degree programmes includes a
major project which is often carried out in collaboration with a company.
As a leading research-orientated department we can offer at every level the wide choice and
intellectual stimulation that comes from world-class research activity. You will be taught by people
at the forefront of their field of research. Teaching is carried out by a mixture of lectures,
laboratory classes and tutorials. In the first year tutorial groups of six or less meet twice weekly
with a staff member. First and second-year students have a tutor for tutorials. In the third and
fourth years each student receives individual supervision from their project supervisor. The third-
year and fourth-year projects particularly benefit from the research activities and associated
industrial contacts of all the academic staff. The teaching laboratories and undergraduate
computing network have benefited from large cash injections.
Thus our advice at this stage is not to worry about the exact degree programme to put on your
UCAS application when you apply to Electronic and Electrical Engineering at UCL. Our flexibility
allows you to refine that selection as you proceed once you have the knowledge and experience to
make an informed choice. We look forward to meeting you at the interviews we organise as part of
the selection process – these allow us to get to know you and you to learn about us.
Professor Alwyn Seeds PhD, DSc, FREng, FIEEE, FIET, CEng
Head of Department
The Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering
at UCL
History
The first Electrical Engineering Department in England
Founded in 1885 by Professor Sir Ambrose Fleming
Inventor of the thermionic valve
Originator of the right and left-hand electrical rules
Designer of Marconi’s first transatlantic radio transmitter

New programme – Electronic Engineering with Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology involves the precise manipulation and control of atoms and molecules to create
novel structures with unique properties. This influential technology requires detailed understanding
of physical processes, across a range of disciplines, at the scale of one billionth of a metre. The
goal is to produce new materials, devices and systems tailored to meet the needs of a growing
range of commercial, scientific, engineering and biomedical applications – opening new markets
and giving dramatic benefits in product performance. Global activity in Nanotechnology is growing
rapidly, driven by strong interest and investment from the commercial and public worlds.
Nanotechnology is likely to revolutionise the semiconductor industry over the next few years.
This four-year MEng degree programme offers an insight into the impact of Nanotechnology within
the electronics sector and provides an understanding of the new physical and scientific concepts
that are encountered when working at this scale, while offering the solid foundation of a major in
Electronic Engineering itself. In addition to the subjects you will take as a major in Electronic
Engineering, you will study subjects such as:
Nanoelectronic Devices
Nanotechnology in Business and Society
Nanotechnology in Healthcare
UCL is uniquely placed to offer this programme, as we host the London Centre for
Nanotechnology (LCN), a UCL-Imperial initiative, here on the UCL campus. The Electronic
Engineering Department occupies around one third of a new £20 million facility – a purpose built
building and an extensive equipment base – ensuring students on this programme will have
access to state-of-the-art nanotechnology tools. For more information on the LCN
visit www.london-nano.ucl.ac.uk/lcn
The Programme Structure
All the degree programmes require students to complete four course units in each year. As
individual courses are normally worth one-half course unit, students normally register for eight
courses each year. Projects in the third year and fourth year of the MEng programmes are given a
greater weighting of 1.0 or 1.5 course units.
UCL has recently extended this system to assign each course a European Credit Transfer System
(ECTS) value. ECTS allows students to gain recognition for academic achievement at participating
institutions across Europe, which can assist UCL students who wish to pursue educational or
career opportunities throughout Europe. One course unit is equivalent to 15 ECTS credits.
Your degree
Seventy undergraduate places are available each year, and students are admitted to one of the
degrees listed above. The first two years of the degree programmes are common, then in the final
two years of the MEng degrees students can specialise according to their interests. The three-
year BEng degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering is the only BEng degree available since
there is not enough time for a student to specialise in any particular area in three years. However,
such students can take an MSc programme after completing the BEng to reach the same level of
qualification as the MEng students, or go straight into employment.
Students will often change their minds about their field of study during the first two years as they
find out more about the nature of the subject as a whole. The common courses studied in these
two years enable students to transfer to another degree programme in the department to match
their changing interests.
Third-year students spend one-quarter of their time on a project. This involves the student
regularly meeting his or her academic supervisor and working alongside research staff and
graduate students. The work is varied and there are projects to suit all tastes, ranging from original
research to intricate design and development of software and devices. The project forms an even
more significant part of the final year of the MEng degree programmes and is usually
industrially related.
UCAS Code
H601
H605
H613
H6G4
H615
H600
Four-year MEng degree programmes
Electronic and Electrical Engineering (International Programme)
Electronic Engineering with Communications Engineering
Electronic Engineering with Computer Science
Electronic Engineering with Nanotechnology
Three-year BEng degree programme

Electronic Devices and Nanotechnology
Communications II PBL
Optoelectronics II
Digital Signal Processing
Software Engineering
Communications & Networks
Image Processing
Corporate Finance
Business in a Competitive Environment
Organisational Change
Project Management
Analytical and Numerical Methods
Computer Architecture and Data Networks
Physiological Monitoring
Medical Scientific Computing
Quantum Physics
Atomic and Molecular Physics
Year 4
All students take a one-and-a-half course unit project, plus five half course units from those listed
below (subject to change). The exact choices which are allowed depends upon the degree
programme being undertaken.
Note: some third year courses may be taken in the fourth year. Again, non-technical options
are available.
Nanotechnology in Healthcare
Molecular Electronics
Nanoelectronic Devices
Antennas & Propagation
Optical Detectors & Receivers
Courses are usually examined in the summer term of each academic year except for those
assessed on the basis of project or coursework alone. In many courses a proportion of the total
marks is allocated for laboratory sessions and coursework. The class of the Honours degree
awarded is based on a weighted average of the student's performance over the duration of
the programme.
The lists which follow are a guide to the courses that students follow. It is important to realise,
however, that courses are updated to reflect changing technology and that those described may
vary from the ones you will be taking in your later years in your own programme.
Years 1 and 2
Year 3
All students take a one-course unit project, plus six half course units from those listed below
(subject to change). The exact choices which are allowed depends upon the degree programme
being undertaken. Note that some non-technical options are available such as ‘Corporate Finance’
and ‘Project Management’.
Power Electronics
Digital IC Design
Control Systems
Electronic Circuits III
Year 2
• Circuit Analysis and Synthesis II
• Electronic Circuits II
• Fields and Waves in Electronic Systems
• Mathematics for Electronic Engineers II
• Optoelectronics I
• Semiconductor Devices and Nanotechnology
• Object-Orinted Programming II
• Digital Design
Year 1
• Circuit Analysis and Synthesis I
• Communication Systems I
• Electronic Engineering Design Principles
• Object-Orinted Programming
• Digital Circuits
• Electromagnetics
• Electronic Circuits I
• Mathematics for Electronic Engineers

Digital Circuits
To enable students to analyse simple digital circuits, to design digital circuits and to deploy
medium-scale integrated circuits in the fabrication of digital systems.
Electromagnetics
To provide an understanding of the electric and magnetic fields associated with circuits and
electrical components such as inductors and materials such as ferromagnetics.
Electronic Circuits I
To introduce students to active semiconductor devices (diodes, bipolar and FET transistors, and
display devices), and their uses in amplifiers, voltage regulators and power supplies.
Mathematics for Electronic Engineers
To equip electronic engineering students with the basis of the mathematical techniques required in
undergraduate degrees offered by the department.
Course Descriptions for Year 2
Circuit Analysis and Synthesis II
To introduce students to the fundamental tools for the analysis and design of electric circuits and
digital filters.
Electronic Circuits II
To provide analysis of standard circuit configurations including feedback circuits and the design of
more advanced circuits such as operational-amplifiers.
Fields and Waves in Electronic Systems
To provide fundamental understanding of electromagnetic waves and their properties in free
space, transmission lines and waveguides, so as to enable the analysis and design of high-
frequency electronic systems and components.
Optical Transmission & Networks
Satellite Communications
RF and Microwave Devices
RF Circuits
Pattern Recognition & Machine Vision
Network Performance
Distributed Systems & Security
Marketing
Law for Managers
New Business Ventures
Medical Electronics I
Optics in Medicine
Course Descriptions for Year 1
Circuit Analysis and Synthesis I
To provide understanding of the behaviour of electrical circuits as the basis for applied subjects in
the following years.
Communication Systems I
To provide an understanding of analogue and digital communications covering fundamental
concepts such as spectrum, bandwidth, modulation and demodulation.
Electronic Engineering Design Principles
Working with electronic test equipment; constructing circuits; troubleshooting; MATLAB for
modelling and analysis; basic error analysis; basic principles of design; estimation skills.
Object-Oriented Programming
To provide a grounding in the fundamental elements of object-oriented programming in particular
and programming in general - assuming no initial knowledge of the subject. The students will
acquire the ability to write programs using the Java language.

Project Work
In Years 3 and 4 of your programme of study you will undertake project work. This enables you to
bring together many of the concepts you have learned and apply them towards solving real
engineering problems. You also have to develop good project management skills during this time.
The third year project accounts for one quarter of your assessed work, and is undertaken
individually with close supervision from an academic member of staff. In the fourth year (for MEng
programmes) the project involves team-working between two-four students, and is often supported
by industry. The fourth year project represents 1.5 of the 4 course units of the assessed work for
that year. You get to choose the topic that you work on in both years. Below are titles of just a few
of the projects undertaken recently by our undergraduates.
3D Display using Liquid Crystal Micro-lenses
Analysis of Current Flow in Lateral Power Devices
Audio Processor for Broadcast Applications
Bluetooth Sensing and Data Transmission
Design of a Micropower Transconductance Amplifier for Biomedical Applications
Design of CMOS Multiplier for Communication and Medical Applications
Digital Video Generation and Multiplexing for Optical Fibre Transmission Applications
Digital Video Signal Transmission over Multimode Fibre
Facilitating Higher Bandwidth Services for Mobile Users on Public Transport
Fuzzy Logic Controller for Bioprocesses
Game Theory as Applied to 3G Mobile Telecom Market
High Power Electronic Devices from Diamond
Interactive Circuit Simulators
Inverter Design for Domestic Motor Application
Investigation of Signal Monitoring in All-optical Networks
Java Modelling of a FET used as a Medical Sensor
Java Pattern Recognition of CDMA
Method for Facilitating High Bandwidth Service for Mobile Users
Modelling and Design Studies of Multi-Carrier CDMA with Frequency and Phase Offset
Modelling of Supertwist Liquid Crystal Cells
Mathematics for Electronic Engineers II
This course follows on from the first year Mathematics course, extending the range of topics
covered and building upon those already met. The emphasis is again on material relevant to other
undergraduate courses. The two courses together aim to provide a core of mathematical methods
of relevance to all engineering and science students.
Optoelectronics I
To provide an introduction to the interaction of optical signals with materials, and to optoelectronic
devices and systems.
Semiconductor Devices and Nanotechnology
This course aims to introduce the concepts of insulators, metals and semiconductors and goes on
to develop an insight into band theory and carrier transport within semiconductors. N-type and p-
type semiconductors are discussed and the electronic characteristics of p-n junctions considered.
The formation of bipolar and field effect transistors is investigated, the physics of their operation
and their strengths and weaknesses being emphasized. Silicon, as the dominant semiconductor in
terms of commercial device production, is the principal material considered. The impact on
shrinking dimensions within silicon transistor technology is considered, and the concept of
nanotechnology introduced.
Object-Oriented Programming II
To extend the students' competence in object oriented programming to encompass those aspects
critical to engineering simulation, network practice and data analysis. To provide a grounding in
the fundamentals of software engineering both to support their programming and digital electronic
needs and to encompass the relevant key skills aspects of electronic engineering as e.g. defined
by the IET.
Digital Design
To give students an introduction to topics specific to the design consideration of large and more
complex digital systems. Including logic design with MSI components, basic sequential logic
components, registers and counters, synchronous sequential circuits, asynchronous sequential
circuits, memory and programmable logic, digital Integrated Circuits - CMOS and BiCMOS logic
gates and interfacing Circuits

from industry. The unique style of assessment will allow students to build a portfolio of work
through which they can demonstrate not only their engineering knowledge but the key skills of
communication, time management and leadership, among others, which will stand them in good
stead for further study or their first graduate position.
Our Teaching Philosophy
Academically rigorous
Strong foundation in basic principles
Practical applications cultivated
Communication and presentation skills enhanced
Project skills (team and individual) developed
Breadth of skills (language, management, law and finance) encouraged
Industrial links and sponsorships supported
Tutorial system long-established
Problem-based learning
Department rated 2nd in the whole of the UK in the Guardian Newspaper 2008 University Guide,
ahead of Imperial College (www.educationguardian.co.uk/universityguide2008/)
Sponsorships, Industrial Placements and non-departmental Scholarships
Many students are sponsored by companies and receive bursaries each year as well as summer
vacation work giving valuable technical experience. A useful booklet is Sponsorship and Training
Opportunities in Engineering published by the engineering institutions and available through the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (address given in the Further Information section). Our advice
to students seeking sponsorship is to apply early because the competition is strong.
The Year in Industry (YinI) scheme helps students gain a year’s paid work in industry before
beginning their studies at university. YinI is a trust that runs with the backing of the Royal
Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Employers Federation. Further information is
available at www.yini.org.uk
Students can convert a UCL MEng or BEng degree into a sandwich-style programme. This
involves an extra year spent with a company doing technical or managerial work before the final
year of the degree programme. If you are discussing sponsorship with a company it is an
opportunity you can mention to them.
Modelling of Wave Propagation in the Time Domain
Nano-wires for Field-Emission Displays
New High-K Materials for Microelectronics
Optical Communication System Java Program
Resource Management for Multifunction Radar
RF Analysis of Technological Plasmas
RFLDMOS for 3G Wireless Communication Systems
Sensor Options for Robots
Study of High Speed, Burst Mode Trans-impedance Amplifier
Superconducting Josephson Junction as a Microwave Phase-Shifter
The Evolution of GSM to 3G UMTS
Use of Quantiser in Control Loop Tuning
Your learning
Problem-based Learning
In keeping with a long tradition of innovation,
the department is among the first in the
country to introduce problem-based learning
(PBL) in its courses. This development is
supported by the Institution of Electrical
Engineers (IEE) and will make our graduates
popular in industry as PBL introduces team-
working, key skills, independence in learning
and the highly-motivated problem solving
approach so valued by employers. PBL is
being introduced initially into the
Communications Engineering area, where
tutors will support students as they work on a
series of real-world telecommunication
engineering problems, often with direct input

your first year. The lodge, set in Windsor Great Park, is an ideal venue to take part in debates and
business games, listen to presentations on topics outside Electronic Engineering, and to socialise
with fellow students and staff.
Flemingo Society
We have our own student society, named after our first head of department (well sort of). The
society organises book sales, liaises with the student section of the Institution of Engineering and
Technology, and arranges social events throughout the year.
Scholarships
As a department, we are always keen to encourage, develop and reward excellence in our
students. The Fleming Scholarship is named after the first head of our department here at UCL, a
man who is often known as the 'father of modern electronics' through his invention of the
thermionic valve. The scholarship is awarded to the student entering the department with the best
school/college examination performance, who qualifies for UK/EU fees status. Where there is a tie,
the scholarship is awarded to the student who first accepted our offer unconditionally, a good
reason to be prompt in decision making! In addition to the prestige that comes with the award,
there is also significant money- £1,000 in the first year and a further £1,000 in each subsequent
year provided that first class honours standard performance is maintained- a total of £4,000 for an
MEng student.
Just as prestigious is our Barlow Scholarship which is awarded on the same basis as the Fleming,
but to an international (non-UK/EU) applicant. This scholarship is named after another of our
former heads of department who also made a notable impact in the field of Electronic Engineering
with his invention of the circular waveguide for long distance broadband transmission. As with the
Fleming award the international student joining us with the highest academic performance will gain
this scholarship, with the earliest to accept our offer being given precedence in the case of a draw.
Its value is again £1,000 per annum.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the Professional Society for Electronic
Engineers, offers scholarships and grants to help support undergraduates on our programmes.
See http://www.iee.org/EduCareers/Awards/UG/index.cfm. The IET also have a list of other
sources of financial support (http://www.iee.org/EduCareers/Awards/Alt%20Sources.pdf)
For general information on funding your time at UCL, please consult the UCL website at:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate-study/fees-and-costs/sources-of-funding/
and also at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/scholarships/
International Programme
Students registered for the MEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering (International Programme)
degree will spend their third year at a partner university in North America, Australia or Europe.
This year is designed to both complement and extend academic interests developed at UCL.
Students also improve their CVs and enhance their career prospects as the skills they acquire are
highly prized by employers.
Current overseas exchange partners include the California Institute of Technology (Caltech),
Columbia University in New York, the University of Melbourne in Australia, the Technische
Universitaet Berlin and the École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagne
(ENSTBr). Students intending to study in Europe will receive language tuition in UCL's own
Language Centre.
European Diploma
UCL students who undertake their year-abroad option at the École Nationale Supérieure des
Télécommunications de Bretagne (ENSTBr) will have the option of returning to ENSTBr after
graduating from UCL to complete the final year of the programme there, after which they will
receive the French Diplôme d’Ingénieur qualification. Such students would therefore receive both
British and French engineering qualifications.
Cumberland Lodge
It is very important that you develop your interpersonal and professional skills while you are at
university and that you become an effective ‘problem-solver’, in addition to gaining knowledge in
your academic subject area. UCL, as a multifaculty institution, is a great place to do this. As a
department we help by inviting you to Cumberland Lodge for a three-day residential course during

and it does not affect your prospects of an offer. Please note that when filling in the UCAS
application your chances of being considered for a place are not increased if you put more than
one of our degree programmes on the form. This is because if we make you an offer it will be
valid for any of the departments undergraduate degree programmes, irrespective of the one you
have put on your UCAS application form.
Offers of places are either unconditional or made conditional upon adequate performance in
forthcoming examinations. The Faculty will write to each applicant individually with the decision
within a week of the interview and this will be formally confirmed by UCAS within two or
three weeks.
It is possible to defer the entry of a student who arranges a pre-degree year in industry or who
has obtained industrial sponsorship. We are less happy, however, about accepting deferred-entry
applicants who will not be obtaining any relevant experience during their pre-university year. If you
are in any doubt you should discuss your plans with the Undergraduate Admissions Tutor.
Living
UCL is situated in central London, close to Tottenham Court Road and north of the British
Museum, in the pleasant surroundings of Bloomsbury. The department itself is housed on the top
six floors of the Engineering Faculty building in Torrington Place, directly opposite Waterstone’s
bookshop and the University of London Union (ULU) with its shops, swimming pool and other
sports facilities.
There are about ten students on the staff-student committee and they are encouraged to raise
matters of concern to undergraduates. The departmental students’ society known as the Flemingo
Society arranges social evenings, outings and events such as the Industrial Forum where students
meet alumni to discuss career prospects. This society also arranges for undergraduates to meet
UCAS interviewees during their visit to the department.
Every November a group of 35 students together with staff spend three days at Cumberland
Lodge in the heart of Windsor Great Park. Guest speakers covering a wide range of scientific and
social topics provide the main focus of interest but good food, magnificent rooms, films, walks
through the park with wonderful autumn scenery, talking in the bar, and an evening party all help
to provide a unique addition to university life. The MEng programmes attract a cosmopolitan intake
of students and this mix of cultures is one of the great benefits of studying at UCL. It fosters
international professional relationships and leads to lasting friendships. Currently, in the
department, there are international students from Afghanistan, Antigua, Bahrain, Canada, China,
University Preparatory Certificate for Science and
Engineering (UPCSE)
International students of high academic ability, but whose qualifications are not equivalent to the
British system, should consider applying for the UPCSE. This is a ten-month preparatory course,
run by UCL, which aims to help such students gain access to degree programmes at UCL and
other leading British universities in the areas of mathematical and physical sciences, life sciences
and engineering.
This course is not intended for students who have taken, or are taking, A levels or the International
Baccalaureate Diploma. Further details can be obtained from the Programme Co-ordinator,
UPCSE, UCL Language Centre, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP,
Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 5454, Fax: +44 (0)20 7679 8667, Email: upcse@ucl.ac.uk,
Web: www.ucl.ac.uk/language-centre/upcse
Admission Procedures
All applicants are considered individually and carefully, and promising applicants are invited for an
interview and a tour of the department and UCL. You are considering committing three or four
years of your life to your degree programme, so it is important that you get a good idea of what
student life is like at UCL, so your visit will include time spent with current undergraduates. These
visits last around four hours and are arranged for groups of about 20 applicants. We keep the
groups small because we want, in the limited time available, to try to form an impression of you as
a person rather than just an applicant.
Upon arrival applicants will be greeted by some of our present undergraduates and have the
opportunity to chat informally with them over coffee and biscuits. These current students will
answer any questions about the degree programmes, accommodation, social activities and all
aspects of student life at UCL. There will then be a presentation from the Admissions Tutor,
following which applicants will be taken to lunch in small groups by one of the students who will
also act as a guide for a tour around UCL and parts of the department. During the afternoon,
applicants’ time is divided between a general discussion with the admissions tutor, visits to
laboratories and a formal interview with a member of staff. The interview, which lasts around 30
minutes, will contain both technical questions and general discussion.
These visits normally take place between November and March. It is not possible to arrange visits
for all students before Christmas. We emphasise this because you should not be discouraged if
you find that you are not invited for interview until (say) March. It is simply a matter of scheduling

I’ve never had any problems getting summer placements. I put this down to UCL’s and the
department’s reputation. If you’re after a challenge matched with high reward and can cope with
the fast pace of life, come to UCL!
Polo Tang, International Programme MEng
Your application
Entry requirements
Entrance requirements are high but flexible. We welcome those with the motivation and ability to
cope with our programmes and who will benefit from them.
All applications for undergraduate degree programmes must be made via the Universities and
Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Your school will be able to tell you how to do this.
Candidates who have left school or are applying from overseas can go directly to UCAS most
conveniently via the web (www.ucas.ac.uk) or using the postal address given at the end of
this booklet.
UCL students come via a variety of routes – the majority have GCE A levels, but a number qualify
with Scottish Highers, the Irish School Leaving Certificate, the International Baccalaureate, various
European Baccalaureates or other overseas qualifications, or with BTEC (HNC, HND). In all cases
we require a good grounding in mathematics and physics. We are especially interested in hearing
from those who have studied subjects which encourage communication skills as well as
mathematics and physics. For example, we regard a GCE A level such as English, geography,
history, economics or a modern language as an excellent supplement to the more traditional
scientific and technical subjects.
A levels: AAA-BBB to include Mathematics
and Physics, a pass in a further subject at AS
level or equivalent.
IB Diploma: 34-38 points to include
Mathematics and Physics at higher level.
Other qualifications: see website.
Greece, Guyana, Finland, Hong Kong, Italy, India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait,
Malaysia, Nigeria, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, Sudan, Thailand and the USA, and
several other countries.
Comments from Students
I enjoyed A-level Electronics and was very keen to read Electronic Engineering at university. I was
attracted to UCL by its top research and teaching standing and its interesting and well structured
IEE accredited courses.
UCL is in the heart of student London, with the EE Department centred between two very good
Student Unions and the indispensable science library. The multicultural student population and the
broad range of disciplines studied at UCL means that, unlike a solely engineering and science
college, the university has a great social and study atmosphere. I have found the lecturing staff to
be very approachable and will go out of their way to ensure you are happy with the topics being
discussed in lectures.
The course started by briefly revising some A-level material to ensure everyone was happy, then
launched into a fascinating study of the foundations of Electronic Engineering. The theoretical
topics covered in lectures were reinforced with regular lab demonstration exercises, these ranged
from building circuits to actually making a diode in the clean room. During my second year I
decided that I would like to spend my third year studying at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in
New York and after passing the rigorous selection process, I was off to upstate New York. I
arrived in August and had an amazing year, getting to see how students live and study in America,
making some great friends and getting in as much sight seeing as I could.
I am now back at UCL in my final year, working on my team MEng research project, which is
being supported by QinetiQ. The work is very interesting and when combined with the more
advanced taught courses that constitute the year, I believe I will be in a very strong position when
it comes to applying for jobs
James Brown, International Programme MEng
Work hard, play hard. I think that’s the phrase that sums up life in the department and at UCL
generally. At first I was a bit reluctant about coming to London as I came from a really small town.
However, since my first few days at UCL four years ago, I’ve never looked back! The department is
very friendly and very cosmopolitan. As part of my degree I studied in Germany for a year and I
think it’s an experience everyone should undertake. I’ve just finished a placement at BT Labs and

www.ucl.ac.uk/prospectus/eleceng | 2524 | www.ucl.ac.uk/prospectus/eleceng
Your Career
A major aim for graduate engineers is to gain membership and chartered status of the Institution
of Engineers and Technology (IET, http://www.theiet.org/). All our programmes are accredited by
the IET as an appropriate educational base for a professional Engineer, meeting the basic
educational requirement for Corporate Membership (MIET) and Chartered Engineer status
(CEng). A period of further study and specialist knowledge to Master’s level is a further
requirement for full CEng status, one that can be met through the four-year undergraduate MEng
degree or by study for a one-year graduate MSc following the BEng programme. All our degrees
are also recognised by the Federation of National Engineering Associations (FEANI) as qualifying
holders for registration on the basis of higher education in the European Engineer Register.
UCL students have done well in electronic industries in the UK, throughout Europe and in the Far
East. Many have also started their own businesses in software, design or production. IET and
Institute of Manpower figures consistently show UK electronic engineers to be well rewarded
financially in comparison with many other professions.
Nowadays, we find that many financial and city institutions realise that our degrees provide an
excellent launching pad for careers in their sector and recent graduates have joined famous city
institutions. Being in central London, our proximity to the ‘City’ is clearly of great benefit to
students with such a career inclination. It has also helped us gain a first-hand idea of what
features make electronics students from UCL attractive to these employers. Numerate students
who are strong in problem-solving and with a mature broad outlook, as well as a good
understanding of finance, industry, computers and technical matters will go very far.
Graduate Study
After graduation, the department offers many graduate study options, and many students decide
to stay in the department to gain a graduate degree.
Technologies for Broadband Communications MSc
Telecommunications MSc
Nanotechnology MSc
Masters degree by research, Telecommunications MRes
EngD research linked with industry, in all aspects of Electronic Engineering
All aspects of Electronic Engineering MPhil/PhD research

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