Gain the knowledge and the skills to be at the heart of innovation!
This degree is a unique blend of electronic and computer engineering providing essential skills from both fields. The programme has been designed in consultation with industry experts to meet the ever growing demands of electronic and computer industries. You will be trained to design integrated electronics and computer systems with critical expertise in hardware and software technologies.
An electronic and computer engineer is a problem solver by nature—a person who wonders about how things work and how to make things right. This programme is for you if you want to acquire a creative approach to problem-solving, and gain a critical awareness of the impact of electronics and computers on society. Solid theoretical study and significant practical laboratory work combine on this programme to give you the knowledge and skills to become a qualified electronic and computer engineer with the ability to innovate and adapt within an exciting and rapidly changing industry.
Mathematics is the universal language of engineering, and you’ll need to be comfortable with logical and methodical approaches to understanding real-world phenomena. Leaving Cert Honours in Mathematics and (where available) Leaving Cert in Applied Mathematics, when well understood, are excellent indicators of ability in the field of electronic and computer engineering.
Your thirst for knowledge and drive to contribute to society will lead to constant learning and innovation throughout your career. It’s no surprise then that 33% of the S&P 500 CEOs’ undergraduate degrees are in engineering—higher than any other discipline.
You’ll choose from four majors: Nanotechnology and Photonics, Advanced Data Networks, Digital Interaction, or The Internet of Things.
The option to continue to fifth year leading to a Masters in Electronic Systems or Masters in Telecommunications Engineering is subject to achieving a H2.2 or above in the four-year BEng in ECE course.
Quick Info
Course Code: DC190
Course Entry: CAO
Course Type: Level 8 (Honours Degree)
Course Duration: 4 Years
Course Delivery: Full-Time
Internship: Yes
Understanding Electronic and Computer Engineering
How can you use technology to improve people’s lives, health, environment and leisure? Electronic and computer engineers create and innovate to invent,design, improve and build products and technologies that really matter in people’s lives.
More than any other discipline, electronic and computer engineering has been at the heart of generating the technology of our modern society. However, there are still major global and human problems to be solved. You can be sure that, because of their knowledge and skills, electronic and computer engineers will be at the forefront in creating solutions. Whether they are dealing with problems of clean water, energy supply, global warming, nutrition or health, electronic and computer engineers find solutions and lead the the teams who tackle the job.
Career Opportunities
Medical devices
Communications (wireless, wired, optical)
Electronic and computer interfaces
Mobile devices
New interfaces (3D, VR)
Artificial Intelligence
Computer vision
Robotics
Why do this course?
Challenge yourself to meet the technologies of the future – sensors, robotics, VR interfaces and more
Hands-on experience – lab and project work throughout, plus a six month paid work placement (INTRA) in Year 3
Year Four choice of majors in Nanotechnology and Photonics, Advanced Data Networks, Digital Interaction or The Internet of Things
Option for Year Five Masters in Electronic Systems or in Telecommunications Engineering
High level of graduate recruitment by SME and multinational employers in the electronics sector, at home and abroad
Course accreditation by Engineers Ireland, guaranteeing high quality tuiton and worldwide recognition
About the course
This single programme, with four major options in Year Four, replaces and combines the best of DCU’s previous offerings in Electronic Engineering, Digital Media Engineering and Information and Communications Engineering.
You’ll be taught through conventional lectures, extensive tutorials (particularly in Year One), laboratory exercises and projects. Through these you’ll develop the ability to model and analyse the dynamics of a wide range of technological systems, as well as learn a creative and innovative approach to problem solving. You’ll gain expertise in electronic circuit analysis and design, control system design, analogue and digital systems, microelectronics, mechatronic systems, computer architecture, electromagnetics and ultra high speed communications.
In addition to the traditional engineering focus on mathematics and design, there is a strong software and programming theme running through our ECE programme. You’ll learn about C, C++, Java, Embedded Systems, Linux and Windows Operating Systems, Data Structures and Algorithms, Hardware Description Language, Object-oriented Programming, and in two of the Year Four majors, Web Application Development.
What Our Current Students Say
Electronic and Computer Engineering connects computing and electronics, software and hardware. The course offers a great balance between practice and theory and is well structured for students from all levels. The course also offers a 6 month INTRA work placement in Year 3.
I would recommend DCU to anyone who would like to learn many essential hands-onskills both in experience and theory. I think DCU offers all the things you need to go out into the world to be a real engineer.
Liviu Alexandru Nastase, Electronic and Computer Engineering
Intra
In Year Three, you’ll participate in a six-month INTRA (INtegrated TRAining) work placement. INTRA ensures that you will have the opportunity to apply and further develop the knowledge and skills acquired on our programmes in a practical setting before you graduate. You will build experience, confidence and connections for the future.
Placements are usually paid engineering internships with a business in Ireland, but some of our students go abroad or choose to take up a research position here in the university. Some of the biggest companies in the world offer DCU ECE INTRA placements, including IBM, Philips, Google, and Microsoft. Other recent INTRA employers with a global reach included Xilinx, Cisco, Synopsys, AOL, Analog Devices, Mastercard, Deloitte and Touche, Accenture, SAP Ireland, Cypress Semiconductor Ireland, Tektronix Communications and Xerox. DCU engineering students recently completed INTRA abroad with NVIDIA in Santa Clara and Irdeto in The Netherlands, while more local INTRA employers with well-recognised names include Electric Ireland and the Irish Aviation Authority.
Degree-relevant work experience obtained on an INTRA placement can be extremely beneficial when it comes to finding a position as a graduate engineer.
Major Options
In Year Four, you’ll select a major option and gain relevant skills through major-specific modules and an individual undergraduate project. Currently the course offers the following four majors, which we’ll adapt over time so that our graduates have the most relevant and up-to-date technology and expertise:
Major in Nanotechnology and Photonics
This is a specialisation in core electronics and semiconductor technologies that underpin research priority areas from sensors, diagnostics, medical devices, digital control of mechatronic systems to optical communications and novel materials.
Major in Advanced Data Networks
This focuses on devices communicating to devices at high speed, for example, optical networks and high-speed wireless technologies. It underpins research priority areas in next-generation networks that support evolving demands from devices and applications.
Major in Digital Interaction
This takes you into the realms of humans communicating to devices, and devices communicating to the world. It underpins research priority areas in human-machine interfaces. Key Year Four modules in this area include 3D Interface Technologies, Web Application Development and Image Processing & Analysis.
Major in the Internet of Things
The Internet transformed the world of human access to knowledge and information in unimaginable ways; the Internet of Things is about to unleash an almost inconceivable transformation of the man-made environment in which we live. It focuses on devices communicating to and through the Internet. This major underpins research priority areas in smart cities and energy efficient devices and networks.
Project Expo
In Year Four you’ll also do an individual Major-relevant project that will allow you to work in a specialist area of your choosing and apply the electronic and computer engineering skills that you will have acquired during your studies.
This project provides a capstone to your undergraduate career where you can demonstrate your innovative capabilities, capacity for independent learning, and technical expertise.
The Faculty of Engineering and Computing provides a Year Four project expo as a showcase to bring your expertise to the attention of prospective employers.
What will I study?
Detailed Course Structure
The course covers a wide variety of engineering and engineering-related subjects. Over the course of four years, you will build on engineering fundamentals to explore, design, and build complex engineering systems.
Study the fundamentals of engineering.
Engineering Mathematics 1 and 2 | Engineering Mechanics: Statics | Project and Technical Drawing | Materials Engineering | Introduction to Electronics | Fundamentals of Professional Development | Numerical Problem Solving | Basic Sciences | Software Development
Build on the fundamentals and explore engineering systems.
Engineering Mathematics 3 and 4 | Circuits | Systems | Data Communications and Networks 1 | New Enterprise Development (Team Project) | Object Oriented Programming 1 | Digital and Analogue Electronics 1 and 2 | Operating Systems | Embedded Systems | Electromagnetism
Put the fundamentals to work on real-world problems and join an engineering organisation to gain a real understanding of your future role.
Signals | Electromagnetism 2 | Electromechanical Systems | Algorithms for Engineers | Analogue Circuits and Design | Data Communications and Networks 2 | Computation and Simulation | Mobile Robotics (Team Project) | INTRA
Bring your skills, learning and creativity to designing innovative solutions to complex problems. Specialise in your chosen discipline and showcase your talents in the significant and individual final year project.
Core: Computer Architecture and HDL | Object Oriented Programming with Embedded Systems | Control Systems Analysis | DSP-Digital Filters and DFT
Major in Nanotechnology and Photonics: Optical Communications System Design | Solid State Electronics and Semiconductor Devices | Mechatronic System Simulation and Control | Capstone Project
Major in the Internet of Things: Bioelectronics | Web Application Development | Wireless/Mobile Communications | Capstone Project
Major in Advanced Data Networks: Optical Communications System Design | Communications Theory | Transmission Lines, RF Propagation and Radio Link Design | Capstone Project
Major in Digital Interaction: Web Application Development | 3D Interface Technologies | Image Processing and Analysis with Project | Capstone Project
Project Work
The course has a strong emphasis on project work (both team and individual). Each year, students are given a series of challenging tasks.
Explore a selection of projects from previous years.
Next steps
Optional One-Year Masters
An optional Year Five will fast-track you to a Masters in Electronic Systems, Telecommunications Engineering, or Digital Health and Medical Technologies. This will allow you to complete your engineering education to Masters level (NFQ Level 9) if you so wish, thereby broadening and deepening your engineering expertise, and making your engineering education comparable with the European standard of five years of education to professional engineering status. Upon successful completion of your four year Honours Bachelor Engineering Degree with at least a H2.2 award, you will have the option to continue your studies to Masters level under a number of exciting and flexible programme options.