Computer Engineering

Program Overview

---

Computer Engineering (MEng)

Overview

Computer Engineering is a dynamic and collaborative degree programme; combining academic thought with practical application. Computer Engineers make the impossible possible. They challenge conventional processes and look beyond what exists towards what comes next.

From everyday systems, like games consoles and mobile phones to advanced systems for surveillance and medical devices, the modern world is made possible by the devices you will be taught to understand and develop during the Computer Engineering undergraduate programme. Additionally, Computer Engineering is one of the few research-led degrees in Queen’s which includes the design of both electronic hardware and software. As a CE graduate you can not only design the physical hardware but also write the software to run it.

Through our diverse network of industry links you begin learning from prospective employers from day one. Industry placements, company-sponsored hackathons and project challenges are a core part of the curriculum and vastly improve our graduate employability rates.

Course Structure

The programme contains the following themes which may change due to technology and industry needs:

Stage 1

• Embedded Systems
• Mathematics
• Analogue & Digital Electronics
• Computer Architecture
• Procedural & Object-Oriented Programming

Stage 2

• Embedded Systems 2
• Professional Engineering Practice
• Data Structures & Algorithms
• Mathematics
• Electric Circuits
• Digital Electronics
• Signals & Systems
• Control
• Communications Systems
• Artificial Intelligence
• Cyber-security

Stage 3

• Engineering Entrepreneurship
• Advanced Electronics
• Networks & Communication Protocols
• Control Systems Engineering
• Signal Processing & Communications
• Connected Health
• Concurrent Programming
• Machine Learning
• Data Analysis
• Cyber-Security

Stage 4

• Individual Technical Project
• Algorithms
• High-Performance Computing
• Machine Learning
• Wireless Communications Systems
• Intelligent Systems
• Cyber-Physical Systems
• Wireless Sensor Systems
• Custom Computer Engineering

People teaching you

• EEECS

Contact Teaching Hours

• Medium Group Teaching: 6 (hours maximum)
  • 6 hours of practical classes, workshops or seminars each week
• Large Group Teaching: 9 (hours maximum)
  • 9 hours of lectures
• Personal Study: 24 (hours maximum)
  • 22-24 hours studying and revising in your own time each week, including some guided study using handouts, online activities etc

Learning and Teaching

The School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science has a world class reputation for research and provides excellent facilities, including access to major new research centres in Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) and Sonic Arts (SARC). A number of modules on the course are closely linked to the research expertise of these centres and evolve and change rapidly to reflect some of the current, emerging and exciting developments in the field.

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable student to achieve their full academic potential.

The MEng Computer Engineering provides a range of learning experiences which enable students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:

• E-Learning technologies
• Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; IT and statistics modules; podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in practicals and project- based work etc.
• Lectures
  • Introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers).
• Personal Tutor
  • Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic development.
• Practicals
  • Where you will have opportunities to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts
• Self-directed study
  • This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
• Seminars/tutorials
  • Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of peers. You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups.
• Supervised projects
  • In final year, you will be expected to carry out a significant piece of research on a topic or practical methodology that you have chosen. You will receive support from a supervisor who will guide you in terms of how to carry out your research and will provide feedback to you on at least 2 occasions during the write up stage.

Assessment

Details of assessments associated with this course are outlined below:

• The way in which you are assessed will vary according to the Learning objectives of each module. Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments. Others are assessed through a combination of coursework and end of semester examinations. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction

Feedback

As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

• Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted
• Face to face comment. This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
• Placement employer comments or references
• Online or emailed comment
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time.
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
• Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work.

Entrance requirements

A level requirements

AAA including Mathematics and and at least one from Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Digital Technology, Electronics, Further Mathematics, Geography, ICT [not Applied ICT], Physics, Software Systems Development or Technology and Design.

A maximum of one BTEC/OCR Single Award or AQA Extended Certificate will be accepted as part of an applicant's portfolio of qualifications with a Distinction* being equated to a grade A at A-level.

Irish leaving certificate requirements

H2H2H3H3H3H3 including Higher Level grade H2 in Mathematics and a Science subject (see list under A-level requirements)

International Baccalaureate Diploma

36 points overall, including 6,6,6 at Higher Level, including Mathematics and a relevant Science

Graduate

A minimum of a 2:2 Honours Degree, provided any subject requirements are also met

Note

All applicants must have GCSE English Language grade C/4 or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.

Further information

Applicants for the MEng degree will automatically be considered for admission to the BEng degree if they are not eligible for entry to the MEng degree both at initial offer making stage and when results are received.

Option to transfer

Transfers between BEng and MEng may be possible at the end of Stage 2.

International Students

Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.

Please Select Your Country/Region Please Select Your Country/Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bolivia Bosnia And Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Cambodia Cameroon Canada Chile China Mainland Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Ecuador Egypt Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong (SAR) Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macau (SAR) Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Malta Mauritius Mexico Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Palestine Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka St Vincent And The Grenadines Sudan Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates Uruguay USA Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe

English Language Requirements

An IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at:

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, Queen's University Belfast International Study Centre offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.

International Scholarships

Information on scholarships for international students, is available at

Tuition Fees

Northern Ireland (NI) 1 | £4,855
---|---
Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 | £4,855
England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 | £9,535
EU Other 3 | £25,300
International | £25,300

1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.

2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.

3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.

All tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase in each year of the course. Fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Additional course costs

Students may wish to become a student member of BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT - at an annual cost of £20, or £30 for four years (subject to change).

All Students

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.

Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.

Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.

If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.

Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.

There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

How do I fund my study?

There are different tuition fee and student financial support arrangements for students from Northern Ireland, those from England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain), and those from the rest of the European Union.

Information on funding options and financial assistance for undergraduate students is available at scholarships/.

Scholarships

Each year, we offer a range of scholarships and prizes for new students. Information on scholarships available.

International Scholarships

Information on scholarships for international students, is available at

Career Prospects

Introduction

There is a shortage of electrical and electronic engineers, not only locally in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, but worldwide, so employment prospects are excellent. The employment rate for graduates of this degree from Queen's (2013) was 100% (percentage employed in a graduate level job within 6 months of graduating).

Overview

Studying for an Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree at Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from this degree at Queen’s are well regarded by many employers (local, national and international) and over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline, including Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Although the majority of our graduates are interested in pursuing careers in engineering significant numbers develop careers in a wide range of other sectors. The following is a list of the major career sectors (and some starting salaries) that have attracted our graduates in recent years:

Management Consultancy - £26-38,000;
Investment Banking - £34K
Accountancy - £30K
Fast Stream Civil Service - £26,500
Varied graduate programmes (Times Top 100 Graduate Recruiters/AGR, Association of Graduate Recruiters UK)

Employment Links

The School has links with a large number of employers, providing opportunities for summer and year-long placements, as well as projects. Currently there are more companies offering placement opportunities than there are students seeking placements, with the result that opportunities for placements and employment in Electrical and Electronic Engineering are excellent.

What employers say

• Northern Ireland Electricity

Degree Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

Modules

Core Modules

• Fundamentals of Electric Circuits (20 credits)
• Signals and Communications (20 credits)
• Digital Systems (20 credits)
• Object Oriented Programming (20 credits)
• Embedded Systems (20 credits)
• Mathematics 1 (20 credits)

Core Modules

• Employability Skills and Placement Preparation (0 credits)
• Embedded Systems 2 (20 credits)
• Data Structures and Algorithms (20 credits)
• Mathematics (20 credits)

Optional Modules

• Communications (20 credits)
• Electronics and Circuits (20 credits)
• Digital Systems (20 credits)
• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (20 credits)
• Systems Security and Cryptography (20 credits)
• Signals and Control (20 credits)

Core Modules

• Engineering Entrepreneurship (40 credits)

Optional Modules

• Malware Analysis (20 credits)
• Advanced Electronics (20 credits)
• Deep Learning (20 credits)
• Video Analytics and Machine Learning (20 credits)
• Control Systems Engineering (20 credits)
• Connected Health (20 credits)
• Networks and Communications Protocols (20 credits)
• Signal Processing and Communications (20 credits)
• Concurrent Programming (20 credits)

Core Modules

• Project 4 (40 credits)

Optional Modules

• Robotics and Intelligent Systems (20 credits)
• Fairness, Interpretability and Privacy in Machine Learning (20 credits)
• Parallel and Distributed Computing (20 credits)
• Control methods for Cyber-Physical Systems (20 credits)
• Advanced Computer Engineering (20 credits)
• Algorithms: Analysis and Application (20 credits)
• Wireless Communications (20 credits)
• Wireless Sensor Systems (20 credits)