The following universities are partners in the Power Academy scheme:
Partners (associate universities)
- University of Birmingham
- Brunel University
- University of Edinburgh
- Heriot-Watt University
- Liverpool John Moores
- University of Liverpool
University profiles
University of Bath
The Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering at The University of Bath has an international reputation for its teaching and research. The Department is rated as the Best Electronic & Electrical Engineering Department in the UK Sunday Times University Guide Survey, 2007. Applications to the Department are handled by the UCAS Admissions Team.
The Department offers six degree programmes including:
- Electrical & Electronic Engineering [MEng/BEng]
- Electrical Power Engineering [MEng/BEng]
- Integrated Mechanical & Electrical Engineering [MEng]
- The Department has 25 academic staff including five professors. There are more than 60 research staff and postgraduate research students. There are approximately 300 undergraduate students and 90 MSc students (including distance learning)
The University of Bath is amongst the top UK research universities. The Department was inspected by the Quality Assurance Agency in 2003 and achieved the highest possible score. All courses offered by the department are accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
The Department’s teaching recognises the interdisciplinary nature of modern engineering and includes close connections to the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
University of Bath accredited courses
MEng and BEng degrees in electrical & electronic engineering
Electrical and electronic engineers are specialists able to understand, design, build and control electrical and electronic devices. These devices may range from embedded electronic systems which gather and process information to large items of heavy-current machinery such as industrial motors and generators.
Almost every aspect of modern life depends critically on the work of these engineers, including, for instance, aerospace and automotive engineering, computing, information technology, medical imaging/monitoring, communications and manufacturing industry.
Electrical and Electronic Engineering is the most wide-ranging of all the degrees offered by the department and is traditionally the most popular in terms of number of students. It is ideal for people who want the broadest possible education as engineers, and one that gives them the greatest flexibility in the careers open to them once they graduate.
The degree thus covers a tremendous range of subjects, from basic circuit design to computing architectures, electrical power system control and digital radio and optical networks.
MEng and BEng degrees in electrical power engineering
Electrical Power Engineering is concerned with generation, transportation and distribution of electricity which fuels the energy needs for almost everything we do, from heating and lighting to transportation, manufacturing and communications, in a nutshell, it is the life blood of modern mankind.
We have enjoyed cheap electricity for many years and expect it to be there when we want it. The situation is now changing as the natural resources of fossil fuels are depleting and there is growing evidence in climate change. There is therefore increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy utilisation and energy efficiency.
Traditional electrical engineering courses, by and large, concentrate only on the fundamental concepts of the discipline.
However, this degree programme will create engineers with skills to meet the technical, industrial and economic challenges of the rapidly changing and diverse modern electrical power systems which are the biggest integrated systems mankind has ever built.
The Electrical Power Engineering course at Bath is designed to encompass the state-of-the–art technologies such as artificial intelligence, parallel computing, advanced signal processing, power electronics, novel control techniques and optimisation techniques for energy management systems, these being essential requisites for graduate engineers to influence the implementation of technological changes within the power industry in order to meet these new challenges.
MEng degrees in integrated mechanical & electrical engineering (IMEE)
The aim of this degree programme is to satisfy the needs of both the industrial and research communities for graduates who can integrate the principles and applications of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering and, uniquely, apply them in the design and development of products and systems across both engineering and non-engineering sectors.
Traditional engineering education is discipline specific but industrial workplaces and research laboratories today requires graduates to join multi-functional teams engaged in the development of complex projects. Graduates trained to work across the engineering disciplines are best suited to this environment. This degree programme has been designed to meet these needs in collaboration with industry.
The IMEED programme achieves this aim without sacrificing the intellectual rigour of a single-discipline programme. The course’s first two years combine the core engineering sciences of mechanics, materials, electrical and electronic systems and circuits – all integrated in coordinated project and laboratory work. In years three and four, further core subjects and chosen options are studied in depth, culminating in major group and individual projects.
The IMEED programme’s project and design work develops technical and managerial team-working skills.
A unique feature of the programme is the study of applications beyond the boundaries of traditional mechanical and electrical engineering. Industrial sponsorships and bursaries are also available, indicating the exciting employment opportunities open to graduates of this degree programme.
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham has been leading research into railway power systems for the last four decades, and is now regularly involved with the design, condition monitoring, and optimisation of power supply systems for railway Infrastructure managers and metro operators around the world. A recognised Centre of Excellence in the industry, the University is the lead academic institution in the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN), a £92 million national network of 4 research centres focussing on different aspects of the railway system; digital systems, infrastructure, rolling stock, and testing.
Building on the strong links to the industry built up by its research portfolio, the University of Birmingham has joined the IET Power Academy as an associate member with a specific remit in the area of railway power systems. Applicants to the scheme from Birmingham will be studying in the Electronic Engineering department of the School of Engineering, which offers a variety of power-system related courses, all fully accredited by the IET, and many with a specific rail focus. All undergraduate courses are available as BEng, MEng, and MSc variants, and include the option of a Year in Industry.
These include
- Undergraduate (BEng / MEng) courses in:
- Electrical and Railway Engineering
- Electronic & Electrical Engineering
- Mechatronic and Robotic Engineering
- Masters level taught courses in:
- Railway Systems Engineering and Integration
- Railway Safety and Control Systems
- Electrical Power Systems
- Electrical Power Systems with Advanced Research
- Electronic and Computer Engineering
The University of Birmingham holds a TEF gold rating, was the Times / Sunday Times University of the year in 2013/14, and the Times / Sunday Times University of the year for graduate recruitment in 2015/16.
Brunel University
The Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) has existed as a subject area or division within Brunel University London (BUL) for over 50 years. EEE is one of the four Engineering Departments within the College of Engineering Design and Physical Sciences.
A centre of excellence in power engineering, Brunel Interdisciplinary Power Systems (BIPS) Research Centre, was set up in the University by Sir Prof M J H Sterling, a former President of the IEE, in 1990 when he was appointed the Vice-Chancellor and Principal. The teaching and research programmes are structured to produce well-trained and focused graduate engineers geared towards addressing the skills shortage of the industry.
The centre has grown since then producing novel algorithms for the operation of power systems as transactive energy markets, incorporating risk management under technical and financial uncertainties.
Brunel University London has joined the IET Power Academy as an associate member with a special interest in power systems engineering. All the taught EEE degree programmes are IET accredited and offer the students the chance to gain professional experience through work placements and includes broader aspects such as engineering ethics and sustainability.
The undergraduate courses can be studied either 3 years full-time or 4 years full-time with placement starting in September. The time in the industry helps the students to further prepare for the world of work and they will have a year’s worth of invaluable professional experience when they graduate.
The MEng students in the 4th year take same courses as those on the MSc (Sustainable Electric Power) programme. The following courses are offered in EEE:
Undergraduate (BEng) courses in:
- Computer Systems Engineering
- Electronic Engineering (Top Up)
- Electronic and Electrical Engineering (Artificial Intelligence)
- Electronic and Electrical Engineering (Computer Systems)
- Electronic and Electrical Engineering (Communication Systems)
- Electronic and Electrical Engineering (Energy Systems)
Undergraduate (BEng/MEng) courses in:
- Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Masters level taught courses in:
- Sustainable Electric Power
- Electric Vehicle Systems
- Advanced Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Brunel University London gained its royal charter in June 1966 and won the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2011.
In a recently published THE Impact Rankings on how well a research institution is progressing towards delivering the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), Brunel University London was ranked 13th among all UK institutions and rated 58th internationally (out of 1406 institutions).
The Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at BUL is highly regarded both nationally and internationally:
- ranked in top 4 Universities in London (≈ 20) over the last three years;
- included in top 30% of UK Universities over the last three years and
- included in top 200 Universities internationally in both teaching and research.
Cardiff University
Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Cardiff has approximately 200 undergraduates and 50 postgraduate students. All of our degree programmes received the highest rating of “excellent” in the Teaching Quality Assessment and all programmes are accredited by the IET.
The Electrical and Electronic discipline also gained a Grade 5 in the latest Research Assessment Exercise. In addition, we have unique links with industry which help provide state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities e.g. Cardiff has been designated as one of the four centres of excellence by National Grid.
Courses at Cardiff School of Engineering
The School offers two undergraduate degree programmes (MEng and BEng) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. They aim to provide the student with:
- An understanding of the basic principles of science, mathematics and technology
- The skills to develop solutions to problems encountered in the application of electrical and electronic engineering
- A knowledge of techniques and approaches employed in the business context of engineering and an understanding of the professional responsibilities of the electrical and electronic engineer
The programmes offer a wide range of modules in power systems and high voltage engineering and other subjects including electrical machines and drives, power electronics, electrical materials, EM fields and transmission lines, control engineering and robotics, analogue and digital electronics, communication engineering and digital signal processing and engineering management.
We also offer students the opportunity to spend a year in industry as part of their degree programme. All our students have excellent employment prospects on completion of their degrees.
University of Edinburgh
Engineering has been taught at the University of Edinburgh since 1673 and today the School of Engineering is a thriving, international community of staff and students addressing the world’s critical challenges across all disciplines of engineering, from the nano to the macro and global scales.
The School is ranked first in Scotland and third in the UK for the quality and breadth of its combined engineering research with Heriot-Watt University, in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (Times Higher Education).
The School offers electrical power teaching as a core part of the undergraduate (BEng and MEng) degrees in Electronics and Electrical Engineering, and Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, both of which are accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). In 2017 the School embarked on a major expansion of its power engineering capacity, facilitating a wide range of specialist electrical power courses and projects to be delivered at years 4, 5 and MSc level.
The School’s academic staff have a strong expertise in the fields of power systems, electrical machines, power electronics, renewable energy, distributed generation and energy markets. Much of their research is undertaken in collaboration with industry partners in the electrical power sector, ensuring that their teaching reflects understanding of real-world problems and developments.
Industry partners include Scottish Power, SSE, National HVDC Centre, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, and National Grid. In 2022, the University of Edinburgh was selected as one of only six universities in the UK to participate in the National Grid Innovation Framework. This partnership will help enable the transition to a cleaner electricity system through knowledge sharing and the creation of a culture of innovation between National Grid Electricity Transmission and partner universities.
Heriot-Watt University
Since its foundation in 1821 Heriot-Watt University have been conducting pioneering research informed by the needs of business and industry. With campuses in the UK, Dubai and Malaysia, Heriot-Watt are specialists in engineering, business and science, and leaders in innovative global education for a future world.
Heriot-Watt are also key players in national energy projects such as the £20m National Centre for Energy Systems Integration and the £36m ORCA Hub (Offshore Robotics for Certification of Assets) and will shortly open the UK’s first National Robotarium, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh.
Central to the university’s successes is a demonstrated commitment to diversity and global outlook. One third of on-campus students currently studying in Scotland are from outside the UK, making Heriot-Watt one of the most internationally diversified of any UK university. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 ranked the university 9th in the UK and 1st in Scotland for research impact.”
Imperial College London
The Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering has over 40 academic staff, 100 research staff, 540 undergraduate students and 90 M.Sc. students and 110 research postgraduate students. The department offers both BEng (3-year) and MEng (4-year) programmes in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
The MEng degree can also be taken “with Management” (creating a mix of business and engineering topics in the final two years) for students who want to equip themselves for managing engineering businesses.
The first two years of the course cover the essential elements of electrical engineering across a broad definition of the topic. This is important because the modern power engineer will rely heavily on technologies such as signal processing, control theory and communications to manage the power network of the future. The principles of energy conversion, electro-magnetics, electrical machines and electricity networks are the core topics for power engineers.
The Control and Power Group is one of five specialist groups in the department and is responsible for the teaching of elective courses in power engineering in the final two years. The group has six staff concentrating on power and seven who focus on control theory and applications. The group seeks to teach a forward looking set of courses than equip engineers to tackle the great challenges for the future electricity supply system.
The courses feature discussion of the sources of energy available; the means by which new and renewable energy are integrated into a network; the power electronics that will enable more flexible and precise operation; the principles of design, control and management that ensure reliable supply; and the economic and regulatory means by which the energy policy can be achieved.
Liverpool John Moores University
Our mission is to create and sustain a vibrant community for learning and knowledge where staff and students work together in an active and supportive partnership; providing opportunities to enrich our students, partners and wider society through education, training, research, scholarship and knowledge transfers.
University of Liverpool
The Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering at the University of Liverpool undertakes world class research and offers a highly respected range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes.
We are closely involved with over 50 prominent companies and research organisations worldwide, many of which not only fund and collaborate with us but also make a vital contribution to developing our students.
Our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes achieve consistent top ten rankings in the national surveys. Expert teaching, specialist programmes, work experience and student support are just some of our standout features.
The University of Liverpool is a Russell Group institution and has one of the largest concentrations of engineering and scientific expertise in the UK. This provides our staff and students with fantastic opportunities and resources.
Within the Department there is a breadth of research expertise underpinning our vibrant research in energy technologies and the associated complex systems around them. Energy related research has a unique blend of theory and experimental investigations going from the home to grid and is supported by research council and industrial funded projects. The underpinning technologies to address challenges around energy systems and their operation are in the areas of sensors and monitoring systems, optimisation and control, communications, thermal management and advanced design, manufacturing technologies and energy efficiency of buildings. In addition to the research in the department, there is a breadth of complementary research elsewhere within the University:
- The Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy has strengths in the Chemistry and Physics of Energy Storage, PV and biomass.
- There is expertise in the School of Engineering in the aerodynamics and structural dynamics of wind turbines and the hydrodynamics and environmental impact of tidal energy schemes.
- An inter-disciplinary initiative in Nuclear Power, between Engineering and Physics, is under development in partnership with the National Nuclear Laboratory.
- The impact of energy generation on coastal regions is being studied in Environmental Sciences.
- Institute for Risk and Uncertainty is applying no deterministic modelling to energy generation schemes.
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is the fifth-best university in the UK in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and offers the best student experience in the UK. The University has one of the largest engineering schools in the UK, the Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering. The school has excellent links with industry and typically more than 50% of students complete a year-long placement in industry.
The school offers a combination of 15 different degrees programme variants including an IET accredited BEng and MEng in Electronic and Electrical engineering. Our BEng and MEng courses are designed to provide a thorough grounding in the subjects required to invent, design, apply and integrate electrical and electronic components and systems in a range of different industrial sectors. The courses are very practical in nature and we have recently opened our new £17million STEM laboratory in addition to a new bespoke electrical laboratory where our students gain important hands-on skills.
Our final year offers the chance to specialise in areas such as control, power electronics and renewable energy systems, where students work closely with research teams in these areas to learn about state of the art technology.
94% of graduates are employed or in further study and the quality and relevance of our programmes is reflected in our exceptional record of placing students into career-focused employment.
The University of Manchester
We are one of the UK’s leading Departments of Electrical and Electronic Engineering for both teaching and research. We have established a strong international reputation for research that spans the entire spectrum of topics in the discipline – clearly shown by the fact that we were ranked third in the UK in terms of research impact in the most recent Research Excellence Framework.
Our undergraduate courses receive a high level of praise when accredited by the IET and are very highly ranked in the National Student Survey (NSS), not just in overall satisfaction but in all assessed categories.
The Department offers three IET accredited BEng and MEng honours degrees in Electrical, Electronic and Mechatronic Engineering. Our courses are practical-based and ensure that students leave university with not just theory behind electrical engineering, but also the skills to put that theory into practice.
Our extensive laboratory and computational facilities include the largest High Voltage research laboratory in the UK. The great breadth and depth of the research interests of our academic staff ensures a very high standard of lecture courses and provides excellent opportunities for challenging and stimulating projects.
The University of Manchester offers accredited courses in:
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering (MEng/BEng)
- Mechatronic Engineering (MEng/BEng)
- Electronic Engineering (MEng/BEng)
All of these courses can be combined with a year-long industrial placement.
Newcastle University
Newcastle University earned the best possible outcome of a Gold Award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assessment 2017, meaning that we deliver consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for our students. Our research in Electrical and Electronic Engineering is in the top 10 for world-leading research in the UK with 90% of our research classed as world-leading or internationally excellent in the Research Excellence Framework (REF), 2014.
The School of Engineering offers BEng undergraduate degrees of three years duration, whilst our MEng degrees are four years. We provide courses in Electrical Power Engineering, Electronics and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Automation and Control, Electronic Communications, Digital Electronics and Microelectronic Engineering. In Stages 1 and 2 you will study a common syllabus, with increasingly specialised courses in later years.
All students have the opportunity to get involved in exciting group projects. You also undertake a large individual design project, for example, investigating the application of energy storage to electricity networks and distributed control systems.
All of our UK-based undergraduate programmes are accredited by the Institute of Engineering Technology (IET) and Engineering Council. This provides students with the necessary foundation for professional registration and shows that our programmes have been assessed against defined and accepted standard criteria to meet the needs of industry.
Newcastle University’s aim is to be a world class civic university. A civic university sees itself as delivering benefits to individuals, organisations and to society as a whole. This aim is expressed by striving for ‘Excellence with a Purpose’ and our partnerships with industry and commerce are key in identifying and addressing real world challenges.
Our degrees will nurture you from a student into a professional engineer, empowering you through practical project work and research-informed teaching. With projects designed in collaboration with leading companies, you will develop the cutting-edge skills and knowledge demanded by industry. Our graduates have found employment with prominent companies such as Siemens, Dyson and JLR (Jaguar Land Rover). You will be a graduate in demand by employers as our graduates are highly sought after with over 90% entering work or further study within six months of finishing their course.
Queen’s University Belfast
Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast is currently ranked no 9 in the Times (2012) and among the top 100 in the world (QS World Rankings).
In addition, in the most research assessment exercise, 60% of research within the School was judged to be ‘internationally excellent’ with 25% considered to be ’world leading.
The School, which incorporates the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) has an academic staff of over 50. It comprises almost 250 students undertaking PhD and Masters programmes, and nearly 1000 undergraduates across ten degree pathways.
Amongst the School’s defining characteristics are its strong links with a wide range of industries in the form of collaborative projects and student placements.
The curriculum is also heavily informed by industry representatives who sit on an advisory board within the School. Moreover, the School’s research is well supported by research grants from the EU, UK Research Councils and local government.
The School has been the launch-pad for many an exceptional career. Our graduates are in high demand by power companies, software companies, the automotive and aeronautical industries, financial services and computer games developers to name but a few. On average, employment success rates for graduates from our School are greater than 80% after just six months, a statistic not bettered by many others.
Queen’s University Belfast is one of the most exceptional universities in the UK. It is a member of the Russell Group a select band of the top 20 research intensive academic institutions. As the 9th oldest university in the UK, we are rich with heritage. The University’s proud academic tradition stretches back over 160 years and today Queen’s influence far transcends its geographical location.
But we’re never complacent about our reputation and have recently invested over £250m in facilities in the past 5 years, more than any other UK university.
This investment programme included the magnificent new £50m McClay Library which opened in summer 2009. A landmark building, it is one of the finest university libraries in the world, housing 1.2million volumes and 2,000 reader places.
About 70 undergraduate students are enrolled each year in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Queen’s and they are trained in well-equipped laboratories and lecture theatres. The Ashby building, where Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Queen’s is taught, has just undergone a £7m refurbishment. This provides an integrated environment where students can work, learn, socialise and interact with staff as part of an all-inclusive learning community.
A university degree from the School offers exciting and challenging career prospects across a wide spectrum: research, design, development, production, marketing, and sales. Many of our graduates are now among leaders of industry and commerce throughout the world. All degree programmes are accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and are designed to offer a fast track route for students who aim to be Chartered Engineers (CEng).
The School offers two degree programmes (MEng and BEng) in electrical and electronic engineering, each programme delivering a rich blend of subjects in power systems and engineering, control, computing, electronics, communications, high-frequency engineering, software, plus other options which may be taken in the latter years of study.
Each programme equips students for a life in engineering, encouraging the management of challenges and rewards of success.
Irrespective of the programme selected, students can choose to take a paid sandwich year working in industry, which enhances academic learning. The pathways on offer in the School include:
Electrical and Electronic Engineering - Master of Engineering (MEng)
This four-year course is well established and provides well-qualified engineers with the appropriate blend of engineering and business training to initiate and sustain long-term prosperity in the engineering sector.
The course provides a thorough academic education in electrical, electronic and software engineering principles, and includes an extensive introduction to the disciplines of business practice and management.
Electronic and Electronic Engineering – Bachelor of Engineering (BEng)
This three-year enhanced engineering honours course introduces and develops the fundamentals of engineering, with special emphasis on applications, design, and the integration of professional studies concerned with the organisation and management of the engineering sector.
The content of the course has been designed to prepare students for a career in any branch of electrical or electronic engineering.
Southampton University
The School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) at Southampton University is the biggest and strongest academic unit in the country in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
It has been graded 5* in both 1996 and 2001 Research Assessment Exercises, has been awarded perfect mark of 24/24 in Teaching Quality Assessment and is consistently coming top in The Times league tables.
Research in Electrical Power Engineering has very long tradition and is at the highest international level; this is supported by particularly strong industrial links. Graduates from Electrical and Electromechanical courses at Southampton are in great demand by industrial and research institutions.
IET accredited courses at the University of Southampton
The School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton offers a broad range of engineering-based degree courses.
These include computer science, electronics, electromechanical engineering and electrical engineering, which reflects the school’s unique distinction of being graded 5* both for Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Computer Science in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. All of these courses are accredited by the IET.
Subjects can be studied for three years, leading to the award of BEng, or four years for MEng. Particular features of the Electrical and Electromechanical Engineering courses are their breadth and strong power engineering elements.
From Part I, these degrees cover subjects that range from the fundamental electromagnetics of superconducting systems to the principles of power generation and transmission; they therefore include elements of electronics, computing, mechanics and advanced materials, as well as traditional power engineering.
It is this combination of breadth, fundamentals and their applications that gives these courses their strength.
Subjects are prescribed during the first and second years, while a wide choice of options exist for subsequent years.
These include both technical courses and subjects such as management, law and foreign languages. In the third year, a project also provides the opportunity to undertake a design study, or to work at the frontiers of knowledge within a research group, in an area such as robotics, electrostatics, high voltage engineering or smart materials.
MEng students also take part in a number of major multidisciplinary project activities, along with students from other disciplines within the Faculty of Engineering, Science and Mathematics.
Teaching of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Southampton was awarded a perfect mark of 24/24 in Teaching Quality Assessment and is consistently ranked top in The Times league table.
Strathclyde University
The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, is dedicated to excellence through its core mission of promoting useful learning in relevant areas.
Within it, the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering is one of the largest departments of its kind in the UK. It is involved in teaching and research in a diverse range of electronic and electrical engineering topics. It was rated as “excellent” in the most recent Teaching Quality Assessment.
Additionally, it gained a Grade 5 through the Research Assessment Exercise.
Within the department, the Institute for Energy and Environment is an internationally renowned centre in the area of electrical power engineering. It undertakes research and provides undergraduate and postgraduate education in all aspects of this field.
University of Strathclyde, Dept of Electronic and Electrical Engineering Courses
- MEng / BEng in Computer and Electronic Systems
- MEng / BEng in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
- MEng / BEng in Electronic and Electrical Engineering