Master

In Bolton

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Master

  • Location

    Bolton

  • Duration

    1 Year

The MSc Advanced Electronics Design aims to bring students to a high level of knowledge and understanding in areas of electronics design that include specialisms the industry has identified as skills shortage areas. The course has been designed to help prepare new graduates in electronics for the role of design engineer or for a career in research. Suitable for: This full-time 12-month MSc course is designed for new graduates in electronics who want to substantially increase their knowledge before starting work as a design engineer or progressing into a career in research.

Facilities

Location

Start date

Bolton (Greater Manchester)
See map
Deane Road, BL3 5AB

Start date

On request

About this course

Entry requirements(typical offer)
Normally, you should have an honours degree in electronics or a related subject.

You are also encouraged to apply if you have relevant industrial experience coupled with an alternative qualification (such as an HND) and can demonstrate you have the appropriate knowledge and skills to succeed on this course.

Students holding overseas degrees are very welcome and the equivalence of their qualifications will be assessed.
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Subjects

  • Design

Course programme

About the course

It provides you with an opportunity to specialise in the design and implementation of both hardware and software, including programmable devices and embedded systems.

The course is in two parts: taught modules and MSc project. Seven modules are studied in the first two terms. The rest of the year is devoted to a major project in your chosen specialisation area. The MSc project provides the experience of undertaking a substantial piece of original research or innovative design – ideal preparation for a research career. Subject to available funding, the MSc project can be extended to lead to a PhD.

This MSc has been designed to meet industry skills shortages. The programme develops technical skills and knowledge at an advanced level as well as developing professional, analytical and management skills. It provides a broad curriculum with specialism achieved through the major project.

Full-time MSc courses in electronics have been taught at the University of Bolton since 1992 and our graduates are now employed worldwide. The electronics discipline was recently audited by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and contributed to the overall satisfactory rating of ‘broad confidence’ for the University of Bolton as a whole – the highest rating awarded. Our postgraduate courses were singled out for particular praise. Successive external examiner reports, QAA audits, and reviews by professional bodies have noted the high regard the students hold for the electronics staff and their courses.

Our school’s electronics team has many links with industry which help ensure our courses are profession-relevant. This gives our graduates an edge in employment opportunities. The electronics design group has been working with local companies for more than 15 years. It was the Northern UK Regional Support Centre for three UK government's programmes for small companies: Microelectronics in Business, Think Digital and Electronics Design. Subsequently it became a Technology Transfer Node for the European Union's programme, First Users of Electronics (FUSE) which extended over four years. A number of Knowledge Transfer partnerships with local companies are organised by the staff. Bolton is one of only a handful of universities that are members of the award-winning industry trade association, the National Microelectronics Institute.

A distance learning version of this course is available (with more optional modules) under the name MSc Electronic Product Development.

What you will learn

You will learn how to design and develop the electronics associated with modern products, mindful of the many issues of manufacturability and the constraints and obligations placed on manufacturers by environmental legislation. Design techniques, flows and methodologies are demonstrated by the use of industry standard computer aided design software. Associated business issues are covered.

The demand for ever-increasing levels of product complexity and operating speed presents the designer of electronic products with significant challenges in ensuring a robust product that will reliably operate for within its specification for the lifetime of the product.

Graduates of this programme will be conversant with electronic product design and development techniques as well as the manufacture of electronic products and systems. In addition you will appreciate the importance of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools and the relevance of signal integrity concepts and analysis. You will also be aware of the need to ensure products comply with relevant European Directives and be familiar with business and management methods and practice relevant to the electronic product development process.

As a graduate of the programme you should be able to define and specify appropriate design tools for a particular application. You will also be able to select, evaluate and utilise appropriate techniques and technologies for product design. You will be competent in the use of a range of EDA software tools. You should be capable of preparing technical documentation and delivering relevant presentations. Finally you should be able to plan projects for electronic product design and development and apply relevant management principles to their implementation.

What you will study

The MSc involves studying seven taught modules and completing a substantial project. The taught modules are covered in the first 8 months and the remainder of the year is devoted entirely to the MSc project.

Your MSc project involves elements of investigation and research and provides the opportunity to combine knowledge and skills attained in earlier modules. Before choosing a project you will engage in detailed discussion with academic staff to make sure the choice of project is relevant to your career interests. The project culminates in a written dissertation which is submitted as an official bound volume.

During the first two terms seven modules are studied and each is assessed by one or more assignments. There are no examinations. The remainder of the year is devoted to a major individual project in your chosen area of specialisation.

Society today is heavily reliant on electronics. Many applications are obvious to everyone, such those in the area of as consumer goods (mobile phones, MP3 players, digital radio and TV, satellite navigation aids, etc.), but many more go unnoticed as they are hidden from view. A modern car, for example, includes hundreds of computer circuits; in fact as much as half the cost of a vehicle is now due to the electronic systems. Likewise, industry and commerce are heavily dependent on electronics - to control the production lines, monitor quality and facilitate office sales, share dealing and financial systems.

Electronics design engineers are responsible for many of the developments that keep all this going. At the same time, continuing technological innovations coupled with increasingly severe environmental legislation and high customer expectations has made the role of design engineer ever more interesting, if challenging.

Special features

  • The programme has been influenced by the needs of industry and designed to help address areas of skills shortage. Graduates will be very well placed to find well-paid employment.
  • The programme allows you to gain an MSc in the shortest possible time.
  • There are no written examinations. Assessment is entirely by coursework: written and practical assignments.
  • All the course materials are available online and can be referred to over the internet outside set class times.
  • Modules are taught with the same EDA tools as are used in industry. The University makes available many CAD tools.

Careers and professional development

Graduates of this MSc programme may find employment in both the industrial and academic professional sectors and many progress to undertake PhD research.

The widest variety of opportunities exist for electronics design engineers in sectors that include communications, medical, avionics, automotive, defence, control and instrumentation, process industries, and many more, both in the public and private sectors.

The course is particularly useful to designers of electronic systems, circuit designers, PCB designers and technical managers wishing to develop competencies and further their knowledge in this area, and also to companies seeking to affect a technology upgrade in their products and services.

Completing a postgraduate course is often a life-changing experience. Some of the benefits of this particular course include the high demand for well trained electronic design engineers, interesting and well-paid jobs worldwide, and the addition of academic and research potential to your career possibilities.

On graduation you will automatically become a member of the University’s alumni association, gaining access to a wide range of the University's facilities, including the library, journals and periodicals, as well as professional and employment advice throughout your career.

Professional recognition

The course is intended to enable graduates with a BEng degree to complete the academic requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer. The course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Requirements

Entry requirements(typical offer)

Normally, you should have an honours degree in electronics or a related subject.

You are also encouraged to apply if you have relevant industrial experience coupled with an alternative qualification (such as an HND) and can demonstrate you have the appropriate knowledge and skills to succeed on this course.

Students holding overseas degrees are very welcome and the equivalence of their qualifications will be assessed.

If English is not your first language you will need a recognised English language qualification at the appropriate level for this course, i.e. IELTS 6.5 or equivalent.

Mode of attendance: Full-time

Advanced Electronics Design

Price on request